July 7,2000 Politics and the Truman/MacArthur Controversy The precarious “peace” following World War II was at times only seconds from degenerating into a world wide nuclear war. The intensity of the cold war allowed for minimal error in foreign policy. It was during this tense and volatile time that General Douglas MacArthur fought what some deem “his” war in Korea. While he had proven himself time and again a brilliant military leader, his behavior was …showed first 75 words of 1949 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1949 total…it was “The wrong war, at the wrong place, at the wrong time and with the wrong enemy.”11 It is easy to believe that General MacArthur did indeed mean what he said to Congress, that he was fighting the good fight for both his country and all of the free world. Yet it is equally plausible that General MacArthur was unable to control his hubris and bow to the authority of the country he loved.