U.S. President Harry S. Truman
On the afternoon of April 10, 1951, U.S. President Harry S. Truman signed two documents, one addressed to MacArthur informing him that he had been removed from office, and the other being a public statement to the press about MacArthur's removal, the Presidential Statement. The full text of MacArthur's removal document reads as follows:
To General MacArthur in Tokyo: As President and Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army, I have the responsibility to replace you as Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations Forces, Commander-in-Chief of the Far East, and Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army in the Far East.
You should transfer your posts to Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway with immediate effect. You have the right to give orders that are required to travel to the place of your choice. The reasons for the withdrawal will be published at the same time that the above-mentioned message is sent to you.
However, Truman did not expect that this incident was a little unexpected, and he had hoped that MacArthur would voluntarily resign after seeing the documents and save him some face. Truman demanded that The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Bradley, inform MacArthur as soon as possible, and Bradley telegraphed Secretary of war Frank Pace, who was on the Korean battlefield, asking him to personally fly to Tokyo to deliver the news to MacArthur in person.
Unexpectedly, Pace encountered a hailstorm that caused the plane to take off late. The White House press secretary, on the other hand, held a press conference and read out a presidential statement on MacArthur's removal. That is, MacArthur learned in the news that he had been dismissed from all positions.
MacArthur
In this way, the famous five-star general of World War II, chanting "Veterans never die, just fade away" came to an end. Years later, as MacArthur recalled the humiliating experience of his removal, he still indignantly said, "Never before has a servant been so ruthlessly dismissed..."
Regarding MacArthur's dismissal, the Chinese side reported at the time:
"MacArthur's downfall was a new victory in the struggle of the Chinese and DPRK peoples to resist the United States, and also a victory for the people of the world to defend world peace against the war of aggression ... Obviously, MacArthur fell under the iron fist of the Struggle against the United States by the Chinese and Korean peoples; it marked the failure of the aggressive policy of US imperialism and the policy of war, and the victory of the people of the world in defending world peace against US aggression. ”
MacArthur was removed from office for many reasons, but the main reason was that MacArthur challenged the basic policy of the Truman administration, attempted to use atomic bombs against China and the Volunteer Army, and even prepared to integrate part of Chiang Kai-shek's forces in Taiwan into the "United Nations Army" .
But the Truman administration's basic policy was to contain the increasingly powerful Soviet Union, and he and his staff insisted that the Korean War must be a local war, and that the United States could not be trapped here, let alone go to full-scale war with China. This meant that MacArthur and Truman were fundamentally divided on how they viewed the Korean War.
The question arises, how did Chairman Mao and Truman react to MacArthur's preparation for the use of the atomic bomb? What preparations has the United States made according to this? It all started with the outbreak of the Korean War. On June 25, 1950, the Korean War broke out, and the South Korean army collapsed.
South Korean Army
MacArthur went to South Korea for the first time to understand the situation, and as soon as he got off the plane, he came to the Han River, and all he saw were the remnants of the army withdrawn from the front line, a scene that MacArthur will never forget. The entourage recalled:
"In the sky, the screams of jumping bullets reverberate, and a foul smell is emitted everywhere, showing the desolation of the post-disaster battlefield. All the roads were crowded with afflicted, dusty refugees. The face was enough to convince MacArthur that South Korea's defensive potential had been depleted. Nothing could stop the Communist tank column from Seoul from taking the few intact roads straight to Busan at the southern tip of the peninsula. At that time, the whole of Korea was theirs. ”
It should be known that at that time, the South Korean army was all equipped with American weapons and equipment, and also received American-style training, but it collapsed in front of the Korean People's Army. As soon as MacArthur returned to Tokyo, Japan, he made it clear to reporters: "I will propose to the president that two U.S. military divisions be dispatched." In fact, before MacArthur went to Korea, Truman had ordered the Air Force stationed in Japan to launch an attack on the Korean People's Army that had crossed the 38th Parallel.
However, the US air raids did not prevent the defeat of the South Korean army, which made the South Korean army, including Truman, MacArthur and others realize that without sending ground troops, the South Korean Syngman Rhee group would soon be destroyed. The possibility of sending troops directly into North Korea meant that the United States was fully involved in the war, which was a very sensitive issue because the global strategic focus of the United States at that time was in Europe.
The U.S. government also believes that once U.S. troops enter the Korean Peninsula directly and the Soviet Union intervenes, it will be an absolutely thorny issue for them. So, MacArthur initially sent a message to the White House through reporters asking for a portion of the army. On June 28, the third day of the Korean War, the Korean People's Army occupied Seoul, and the U.S. top brass decided there was no other way but to send ground troops.
Late that night, MacArthur submitted a 2,000-word cable to the White House detailing the situation in South Korea, again proposing that "the only way to change this situation is to put U.S. ground forces in the North Korean theater of operations, because the South Korean forces have completely lost the ability to counterattack." ”
What happened next everyone knows that the United States manipulated the United Nations Security Council and established the "United Nations Army" to fight in North Korea. The Chinese, on the other hand, sent volunteers to fight alongside the Korean People's Army. MacArthur has been so arrogant since the moment the United States decided to send troops, saying on several occasions that he would end the war before Christmas and let the boys go home for Christmas.
MacArthur never expected that his "Christmas Offensive" had become a big joke, and the "United Nations Army" was hit head-on by the Chinese Volunteer Army, killing, wounding and capturing more than 36,000 enemy people in just over a month, including more than 24,000 Us troops, and as a result, the "United Nations Army" was forced to withdraw near the 38th Line, and the Volunteer Army reversed the situation on the Korean battlefield. When the news of the defeat of the US military returned to the United States, public opinion was in an uproar, and MacArthur was disgraced.
MacArthur was furious, believing that the biggest reason for the defeat on the Korean battlefield was "unprecedented restrictions on the war [on washington]." In all his telegrams to the country, MacArthur made no secret of his dissatisfaction with Washington, asking the Joint Chiefs of Staff to reconsider his previous proposed military action against China.
MacArthur's "military operation against China" was proposed shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War, and the main actions were as follows: send a navy to directly blockade China's coastal coast; warplanes attacked industrial bases in northeast China; and demanded that Chiang Kai-shek in Taiwan participate in the war, let them attack the southeast coast of the mainland, and contain the Chinese side's forces.
U.S. B-29 strategic bombers dropped bombs
MacArthur also arrogantly suggested that B-29 strategic bombers be sent to drop atomic bombs to bomb China and the Volunteers, and he and his confidants believed that at least 26 atomic bombs would be needed to force the Chinese Volunteers to withdraw. MacArthur also gave suggestions on the specific drop locations of the 26 atomic bombs, 4 bombing the "Volunteer Forward AttackIng Force" and 4 bombing "Air Force airfields and material warehouses in the rear of the Volunteer Army." ”
Except for bombing Chinese mainland important industrial cities and targets, the remaining atomic bombs were all thrown on both sides of the Yalu River, creating a nuclear radiation zone. MacArthur was so vicious, in addition to being a well-known anti-communist, it had something to do with the idea of using atomic bombs within the White House.
In August 1949, the Soviet Union successfully exploded the atomic bomb. In order to ensure the nuclear superiority of the United States, the US military has accelerated the development and reserve program of the atomic bomb. According to the U.S. military's plan, the atomic bomb was the most important weapon in the event of a full-scale war with the Soviet Union, and it depended on whether it would be used in a local war.
After the outbreak of the Korean War, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff decided to destroy the Soviet Union's nuclear capabilities as its first option. But the United States was also prepared for the Korean War. For example, at the end of July 1950, Truman approved the placement of B-29 strategic bombers loaded with non-nuclear components on Guam as a deterrent to the Soviet Union.
Coincidentally, on November 30, 1950, Truman "leaked the sky again." Truman attended a press conference, and when asked about the war in North Korea, Truman said, "We will take whatever necessary steps to deal with the military situation in North Korea." Pressed by reporters to see if the atomic bomb was included, Truman replied: "We have been actively considering that this is a new weapon of our kind." ”
Truman
The press conference was not over, and the major newspapers in the United States published the world-shaking news as quickly as possible: "The U.S. Army is suffering a rout in the Korean battlefield, and the president is ready to throw atomic bombs at North Korea and China." Seeing Truman's response, MacArthur was so rewarded that he said on several occasions that he would use atomic bombs against China and North Korea.
As the saying goes, a fire at the city gate hit the pond fish. China and the Soviet Union strongly rebuked MacArthur and Truman for clamoring for the use of atomic bombs, but the most worried thing was Europe, especially Britain, who reacted most fiercely. British Prime Minister Attlee was panicked, and he immediately spoke to Truman on the phone, firmly opposing the use of the atomic bomb by the United States.
More than 100 Labor lawmakers sent a joint letter to Attlee, asking him to immediately go to the United States to consult with Truman in person against the expansion of the Korean War and the use of atomic bombs. One of the reasons why Britain reacted so strongly was that the United States had already deployed B-29 strategic bombers in Britain at that time, which meant that Britain could be attacked by Soviet atomic bombs at any time.
Not only that, France, the Netherlands, Italy and other European countries have also called Truman and expressed strong dissatisfaction. In this case, Truman made a statement that "the atomic bomb would not be used" and stopped MacArthur's crazy move. However, in early December of that year, Truman secretly ordered that the atomic bomb be dismantled and transported to the Far East, stored in an aircraft carrier, and equipped with a large number of scientists, ready to assemble the atomic bomb at any time.
The United States dropped the "little boy" atomic bomb on Japan
In the face of this naked nuclear intimidation, Chairman Mao did not care at all, and his several expositions on the US nuclear threat directly pointed out the weaknesses of MacArthur, Truman, and others. Chairman Mao never believed that the most important factor in determining the outcome of a war was weapons, even with its astonishing power of the atomic bomb.
After the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan on August 6 and 9, 1945, liberation daily and yan'an daily reported various news of the atomic bomb explosion on the front page for the first time. Looking at the reports of that year, such as "The Revolutionary Atomic Bomb in War Technology First Attacked the Enemy Country Hiroshima" and "The Atomic Bomb Blew Up Nagasaki Again" appeared one after another.
Not only that, the yan'an newspaper also forwarded the reports of large newspapers in the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union and other countries about the atomic bomb explosion in Japan. Chairman Mao was a little upset when he saw this, and he once criticized the comrades in charge of the circulation of the newspapers so that they should not exaggerate the role of the atomic bomb.
On August 6, 1946, the first anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. On this day, Chairman Mao was interviewed by The American progressive journalist Anna Strong in front of the Zaoyuan cave in Yan'an. Anna asked Chairman Mao whether the United States had waged war against the Soviet Union after Japan's surrender. She also asked whether the United States would bomb the Soviet Union with atomic bombs from Iceland, Okinawa and Chinese bases.
Chairman Mao uttered the widely circulated remark, "The atomic bomb is a paper tiger used by the American reactionaries to frighten people, which looks terrible, but in fact is not terrible." Of course, the atomic bomb was a weapon of mass murder, but it was the people who decided to win or lose the war, not one or two new weapons. ”
Chairman Mao
Chairman Mao has always adhered to this view. After the outbreak of the Korean War, as the situation deteriorated, Kim Il Sung asked China for help. At that time, there were different opinions within the central authorities, believing that just one year after the founding of the People's Republic of China, everything was in ruins to be rebuilt, and it was still the first thing to put the recovery of the economy first. Chairman Mao proceeded from a higher strategic height and held that it was necessary to send troops, and the benefits of sending troops were extremely great.
However, there are still many people who argue that the United States is the most powerful country, in addition to having a strong air force and navy, it also has an atomic bomb. Chairman Mao once again put forward his views on the atomic bomb and reminded everyone not to pay too much attention to the atomic bomb. Note that this does not mean that Chairman Mao despises the enemy.
Chairman Mao summed up the military superiority and inferiority of the United States in one word, "one long and three short." Chairman Mao also made a detailed analysis based on this:
"One long": refers to the United States steel more. This is an objective fact, taking 1950 as an example, this year the U.S. steel production reached 87.72 million tons, China less than 610,000 tons, the United States is 144 times that of China. This is a huge gap, and steel production means that more weapons can be manufactured, which is the advantage of the United States.
"Three shorts": the first short, the front line is too long. The United States has set up military bases all over the world, made enemies everywhere, deployed defenses everywhere, and affected the source of troops; the second is short, far away, the transportation line is too far, and it is still separated from the Pacific Ocean; the third is short, the morale of the US military is low, and this is a war of aggression.
U.S. troops on the Korean battlefield
According to the judgment of "one long and three short," Chairman Mao said: "The enemy is not terrible, and its pretense and momentum are frightening. However, Chairman Mao also had a clear understanding that when other comrades proposed that the United States might use atomic bombs, Chairman Mao's words revealed the weakness of the enemy, saying:
"U.S. imperialism may also be chaotic today, it can do anything. If it's going to do that, it's not good if we're not prepared, we're going to deal with it when we're ready. The so-called way of doing so is nothing more than fighting the third world war, and fighting the atomic bomb for a long time will be longer than the first and second world wars. We Chinese people are accustomed to fighting, and our wish is not to fight, but if you must fight, we have to let you fight. You hit yours, I hit mine, you hit the atomic bomb, I hit the grenade, grab your weakness, follow you, and finally defeat you. When a war is fought, it is not a small blow but a big one, not a short war but a long war, not an ordinary war but an atomic bomb, and we must be fully prepared. If you have to do that, we'll follow. ”
These remarks are from "The Korean War Situation and Our Policy" in the Sixth Volume of Mao Zedong's Collected Writings, which was Chairman Mao's speech at the ninth meeting of the Central People's Government Committee held on September 5, 1950. Note that at this time, there is still more than a month to go before the invasion of North Korea, which shows that Chairman Mao has already thought of a strategy to deal with the possible use of atomic bombs by the United States.
Returning to the previous topic, when MacArthur and others continued to clamor for the use of atomic bombs against China and North Korea, Kim Il-sung was like a needle in a haystack, and he went to Beijing Zhongnanhai for the first time to discuss countermeasures with Chairman Mao in person. On the evening of December 3, 1950, Kim Il Sung secretly traveled to Zhongnanhai, Beijing, and as soon as he entered the Juxiang Bookstore, he spoke out about Truman and MacArthur's fears about using the atomic bomb.
Kim Il Sung poses with the soldiers
"It's all intimidation, it's a naked nuclear blackmail, and we don't eat that one!" Seeing that Kim Il Sung's face was still full of worry, Chairman Mao, as a grand strategist, pointed out from a higher strategic perspective: "Don't say that the Soviet Union has mastered nuclear weapons, Truman did not dare to risk launching an atomic war, that is, he really wanted to use atomic bombs, and there was no need to say it." ”
If you have any understanding of Chairman Mao's military thinking, you will know that he has always despised the other side strategically, but attached great importance to tactics. Before the volunteer army entered the DPRK, all the soldiers were united in their thinking, ready to face the threat of atomic bombs dropped by the enemy. For example, in order to solve the problem of the shock wave after the atomic bomb explosion, the volunteer army dug a tunnel in the mountain to cover, and all the holes in the straight line had to be dug in the holes, and sufficient materials were prepared in the holes.
Facts have proved that Chairman Mao's judgment is completely correct, and the United States does not dare to use atomic bombs against China at all. In January 1951, MacArthur's "hardcore supporter," Rear Admiral O'Donnell, commander of the U.S. Far East Air Force, was removed from his post by Truman. Immediately afterward, MacArthur was removed. In 1952, the year of the U.S. presidential election, Republican presidential candidate Eisenhower repeatedly attacked the Truman administration's incompetence on the Korean battlefield.
Eisenhower spoke everywhere, saying that the U.S. military had suffered staggering losses in the two-year war. In just one year, the consumption of U.S. troops and materiel was twice as high as in a year during World War II. Even so, the US military deeply felt that victory was hopeless, the Korean War was a bottomless pit, and the peace talks could not be discussed, which caused the anti-war sentiment of the American people to rise.
Eisenhower
Eisenhower accurately seized this "opportunity" and constantly claimed to the American people that as long as he was elected president, he would personally go to the Korean Peninsula to find a solution to end the war. Eisenhower's trick worked so well that he eventually won the presidency. On July 27, 1953, the United States had to sign the Korean Armistice Agreement, ending the "bitter war." ”
The victory in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea once again proved Chairman Mao's greatness. In the face of the nuclear intimidation of the United States, Chairman Mao decided that China must build its own atomic bomb, and finally successfully tested it in October 1964, Chinese straightened its backbone from then on!