Korean "Police Action"

Should the United States have intervened in Korea in 1950?

In June of 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea. The two nations had been established with separate governments following World War II. Kim Il Sung, the leader of North Korea, had received aid form Soviet premier Josef Stalin, and was a declared communist. It is now August of 1950, and President Truman must decide what to do about this new conflict.

            Members of the panel have been asked to convene on  to discuss options with the president and with each other. At that time, each of you must submit a 2-3 page policy recommendation, based on “your” experiences and expertise (that of your “character.”) During the panel, each participant will deliver a 4 to 5 minute speech introducing his or her position, and then will engage in an extended dialogue about which position has the best chance of success. (All of this will be “in role.”)

            All members of the class should read from the textbook in preparation. Those not on the panel will submit their opinions on the matter, in the form of single-paragraph responses in class on.

            Policy recommendations ought to be carefully argued and thoroughly supported. They ought to demonstrate clear understanding of the political and foreign policy implications of their position, and ought to be consistent with the character and politics of the assigned role. It is expected that students will research their positions using all the resources at their disposal: on-line sources, databases, and the library collection. Papers submitted without footnotes (or endnotes) and a bibliography in the proper format will receive no credit, and may not be re-written.

Roles

General Douglas MacArthur: 

Robert A. Taft

George F. Kennan:

George C. Marshall: