Question

Why did Truman get involved in the Korean war

Answer 1

America wanted not just to contain communism - they also wanted to prevent the domino effect. Truman was worried that if Korea fell, the next country to fall would be Japan, which was very important for American trade. This was probably the most important reason for America’s involvement in the war.

Many in America believed that they had a responsibility to act because of their commitment to the Truman Doctrine. They had promised to help countries who were threatened by communism.

The Americans believed that the USSR was behind the North Korean invasion and they were determined to stop Stalin.

The United States believed it could win and believed that China would not intervene. They also hoped to take advantage of the USSR’s boycott of the UN to get the UN to agree to military help for South Korea.

The advance of communism elsewhere made America more determined. For example, the USSR testing its first atomic bomb in 1949; the events of the Berlin blockade in 1948-49; and China turning communist in 1949.