UNJUST BLAME? The Korean War, The Chinese Intervention, and Douglas MacArthur

After many years of research and writing, I have completed a book—not The Paladin Curse, a novel written with Erika Holzer, which I announced earlier this week—but one which will not be of interest to most readers in general, nor most of those who receive this occasional blog.

The book’s title is UNJUST BLAME? The Korean War, the Chinese Intervention, and Douglas MacArthur.

I am pleased to reproduce the Table of Contents, and several of the Introduction’s opening paragraphs:

CONTENTS

 Part I: The North Korean Invasion

 1.      World War II

2.     From the end of one war, to the eve of another

3.     Writing off Korea

4.     Stalin, Mao, Kim—and Korea

5.     Republic of Korea Army vs. North Korea People’s Army

6.     The North Korean invasion

 Part II: The Chinese Intervention

 7.     MacArthur’s Rubicon: The 38th Parallel

8.     Eighth Army, X Corps, and the Chinese “First Phase Offensive”

9.     The Chinese “Second Phase Offensive”: Part I

10.  The Chinese “Second Phase Offensive”: Part II

11.   Attacking in another direction

12.  Assessing the blame

 Conclusion 

Notes

INTRODUCTION

  

This book is about the blame that for over a three-quarters century has been heaped on General of the Army Douglas MacArthur for the Chinese Communist intervention in the Korean War during October-November 1950, resulting in X Corps and Eighth Army being driven south from the vicinity of the Yalu River to the line of the 38th Parallel.

 The argument of this book is that blaming MacArthur is unjust because

American civilian and military authorities—organizations—had failed to: (1)  Learn, that from the Chinese perspective, the Communists had compelling reasons to intervene; (2)  Anticipate, that because of those reasons, and the way the Chinese would have to fight, their intervention needed to be on a massive scale, and (3)  Adapt, American forces’ response to the Chinese strategy and tactics.

 

The result was an organizationally-caused military misfortune. Disastrous in many respects, yes. But not the fault of any one man, let alone General of the Army Douglas MacArthur.

 

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If any of the recipients of today’s blog are acquainted with a veteran who served in Korea between June 1950 and July 1953, or with some military history buffs, I would appreciate your sending them this announcement.

 

The entire book is on my website—www.henrymarkholzer.com—and this link should take an interested reader to it: click here

 

The book is 167 pages, and offered at no charge.