The Saber and Scroll
a perimeter around the port city of Pusan . The attacks were repelled due to the combination of well-entrenched defenders and constant attacks on the North Korean supply lines by the newly minted US Air Force .
The United Nations officially condemned the attack . However , this was primarily due to the absence of the Soviet Union and China ’ s veto authority , which was still in possession of Taiwan ’ s government in exile . The Truman administration was initially hesitant to get involved , due to its focus on preventing the spread of communism in Europe . However , the United States decided to intervene to protect Japan after the interception of a Soviet communiqué stating that the Soviet Union would not deploy forces in support of North Korea . President Truman entrusted the plan to General Douglas MacArthur . MacArthur had developed a living legend persona and was viewed as “ a man with a solemn regard for his own divinity .” 6 MacArthur put together a brilliant plan to turn the tide of war . He planned to use the US Marine Corps ’ amphibious landing capabilities to insert at the port city of Inchon , located in close proximity to Seoul . The landing was thought impossible due to low tide waters and treacherous inlet sandbars . To accomplish this , MacArthur brought in two individuals . The first was one of his most trusted , or at least most agreeable , generals : Major General Edward “ Ned ” Almond . Almond was a devoted believer in MacArthur ’ s cult of personality and was guaranteed to follow any order presented to impress MacArthur . 7 Almond would be given command of
X Corps , which comprised forty thousand men from the 1st Marine Division and the 7th Infantry Division . MacArthur also brought in Major General Oliver Smith to help devise the landing . Despite some counterintuitive guidance from MacArthur , the invasion of Inchon was a success , and the troops attacking Pusan were forced to withdraw to North Korea . 8 However , Almond and Smith clashed frequently with MacArthur supporting Almond ’ s positions .
The North Korean forces withdrew past the 38th Parallel by the beginning of October 1950 . Initially MacArthur was instructed not to pursue them , as the United States did not want to bring the Soviets or Chinese into the war . 9 South Korean forces continued to push past the 38th Parallel and the United Nations task force followed . MacArthur himself felt that the only possible outcome was to push all the way into China to fully crush the North Korean forces . However , China was expecting a confrontation with the United States and had been preparing since June of that year . As United Nations forces approached the North Korean / Chinese border along the Yalu River , Chinese forces secretly entered North Korea and engaged the South Korean and United Nation forces . They first engaged in battle on October 25 at Onjong , surprising the Republic of Korea ( South Korean military – ROK ) forces . The battle was a disaster for ROK forces , which were forced to retreat south and were separated by impassable terrain in the form of the Taebaek Mountains along the eastern peninsula . As part of the First Phase Campaign , China was able to win
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