Douglas MacArthur 1880–1964
Commanded Armies in World War II and the Korean War
Douglas MacArthur was a United States Army general who was a leader in two wars. In World War II, MacArthur commanded U.S. forces in the Pacific. When Japanese warplanes bombed the Philippines, MacArthur was forced to retreat. He left the Philippines vowing to return. He did in 1944, leading the Allied invasion to free the Philippines.
In the Korean War, President Truman put MacArthur in command of the United Nations forces. MacArthur, however, disagreed with Truman about how the war should be fought. MacArthur wanted to attack communist China. He openly challenged the President's authority. Truman fired him, ending MacArthur's military career.
MacArthur was a strong leader in peacetime as well as in war. After World War II ended, Allied forces took control of Japan. MacArthur was put in charge of them. Under his leadership, they wrote a new constitution for Japan. They reformed the military and reorganized schools and businesses. Some historians think that MacArthur's leadership in postwar Japan was his greatest success.
Critical Thinking
What made MacArthur a strong leader in peacetime?