Read complete books and articles on: Douglas MacArthur

Macarthur, Douglas - 1880–1964, American general, b. Little Rock, Ark.; son of Arthur MacArthur.

Early Career

Macarthur, Douglas - 1880–1964, American general, b. Little Rock, Ark.; son of Arthur MacArthur.

Early Career

MacArthur was reared on army posts and attended military school in Texas. At West Point he achieved an outstanding scholastic record, and after graduation (1903) he served in the Philippines and in Japan. He was (1906–7) aide to President Theodore Roosevelt, a friend of his father, and was attached (1913–17) to the army general staff. After the United States entered World War I he fought in France, first as chief of staff of the 42d (Rainbow) Division and then, having been promoted (June, 1918) to brigadier general, as commander of the 84th Infantry Brigade.

As superintendent of West Point (1919–22) he helped modernize the academy's military training program. After holding various commands (1922–25) in the Philippines, he returned to the United States and served (1925) on the court-martial of Gen. William Mitchell. He was (1928–30) department commander in the Philippines and then served (1930–35) as chief of the general staff. In 1932 he provoked much criticism by personally commanding the troop action that evicted the Bonus Marchers from Washington. In the tense and threatening days of Japanese expansion President Franklin Delano Roosevelt appointed (1935) MacArthur head of the American military mission to the new Philippine Commonwealth. Accepting command of the Philippine military establishment, he retired (1937) from the U.S. army, but later returned to duty (July, 1941) to command U.S. armed forces in East Asia.

World War II

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, MacArthur commanded the defense of the Philippines until Mar., 1942, when, under the orders of President Roosevelt, he left for Australia to take command of Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific. From Australia he launched the New Guinea campaign and later (Oct., 1944–July, 1945) directed the campaigns that led to the liberation of the Philippines. He was promoted (Dec., 1944) to the new rank of general of the army (five-star general). MacArthur accepted the surrender of Japan on the U.S.S. Missouri on Sept. 2, 1945. He was then named commander of the Allied powers in Japan and directed the Allied occupation of Japan. He was seriously considered for the Republican presidential nomination in 1948, but his defeat in the Wisconsin state primary discouraged his supporters.

The Korean War and After

At the beginning (1950) of the Korean War he was appointed commander of UN military forces in South Korea, while retaining his command of Allied forces in Japan. After driving the North Korean forces back over the 38th parallel, MacArthur received President Truman's permission to press into North Korea and advance all the way to the Yalu River—the border between North Korea and Communist China—despite warnings that this might provoke Chinese intervention. When China did intervene, causing the UN forces to fall back in disarray, MacArthur pressed for permission to bomb Chinese bases in Manchuria. Truman refused such permission and finally (after MacArthur had made the dispute public) removed him from command in Apr., 1951.

On his return to the United States, MacArthur was given a hero's welcome and invited to address a joint session of Congress. Another attempt to nominate MacArthur for the presidency was unsuccessful in 1952. Retired from active service, he became an officer of a large business corporation.

Bibliography

See biographies by D. C. James (3 vol., 1970–85), N. Finkelstein (1989), M. Schaller (1989), and G. Perret (1996); studies by C. Whitney (1956), J. W. Spanier (1959, repr. 1965), G. M. Long (1969), J. Clayton (1985), and S. R. Taaffe (1998); S. Weintraub, MacArthur's War: Korea and the Undoing of an American Hero (2000).

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15 of the Best Books and Articles on: Douglas MacArthur

as selected by Questia librarians

1.

MacArthur as Military Commander » Read Now
by Gavin Long. 229 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

Douglas MacArthur was a brilliant commander and was appointed to command in some of the most arduous situations faced by the American military. Long examines MacArthur's neglected WWI career but also scrutinises his key role in WWII and after.
2.

The Fifth Star: High Command in an Era of Global War (Chap. 7 "Douglas MacArthur") » Read Now
by George M. Hall. 234 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

In modern times, ten Americans rose to five-star rank: Pershing (who chose to wear only four stars), Leahy, Marshall, King, Arnold, MacArthur, Nimitz, Halsey, Eisenhower, and Bradley. In concert with the Roosevelts, Wilson, Truman, and Sir Winston Churchill, they were at the helm as the world...
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In modern times, ten Americans rose to five-star rank: Pershing (who chose to wear only four stars), Leahy, Marshall, King, Arnold, MacArthur, Nimitz, Halsey, Eisenhower, and Bradley. In concert with the Roosevelts, Wilson, Truman, and Sir Winston Churchill, they were at the helm as the world transformed from the machinations of regional despots to an era of global war. With few exceptions, these men exercised their responsibilities with remarkable integrity and ability. The first part of this book reviews the biography and military highlights of each five-star; the second analyzes and compares the ten to identify common features of the elements of command and leadership. While studying the careers of these distinguished men, Hall also provides an insight into the analysis of war. He explains that war operates on five levels of perspective: heroism, tactics, operations, theaters, and national purpose. When these levels conflict, even the best leaders are fortunate to escape with their reputationsintact. This volume details how these commanders achieved success by understanding and properly maintaining these different perspectives almost unfailingly. Consequently, they reached the pinnacle of power in the military profession.
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3.

The Good Years: MacArthur and Sutherland » Read Now
by Paul P. Rogers. 386 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

The first volume of a two volume series, this book begins the intimate, first hand look at a relationship that shaped the history of World War II, that of General Douglas MacArthur and his Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Richard Sutherland. Told from the vantage point of one who was there, it...
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The first volume of a two volume series, this book begins the intimate, first hand look at a relationship that shaped the history of World War II, that of General Douglas MacArthur and his Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Richard Sutherland. Told from the vantage point of one who was there, it presents new information about the operations of the General Headquarters for the Pacific during the war. This first begins with the prewar careers of MacArthur and Sutherland, continues through Pearl Harbor and Corregidor, as well as the other epic struggles of 1942, and concludes with the campaign at Buna.
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4.

The Bitter Years: MacArthur and Sutherland » Read Now
by Paul P. Rogers. 348 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

The second volume of a two-volume set, this book continues the intimate first-hand look at a relationship that shaped the history of World War II--that of General Douglas MacArthur and his chief of staff Lieutenant General Richard Sutherland. Told from the vantage point of one who was there, it...
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The second volume of a two-volume set, this book continues the intimate first-hand look at a relationship that shaped the history of World War II--that of General Douglas MacArthur and his chief of staff Lieutenant General Richard Sutherland. Told from the vantage point of one who was there, it presents new information about the operations of the General Headquarters for the pacific during the war. This volume begins with the battle at Buna which was a turning point in the war, both strategically and psychologically, and ends with the fall of Japan.
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5.

Partners for Democracy: Crafting the New Japanese State under MacArthur » Read Now
by Ray A. Moore, Donald L. Robinson. 409 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

In 1945, Japan surrendered unconditionally to the United States and its allies, thereby planting the seed from which would spring one of the world's most successful and stable democracies. In an age when democracy is often pursued, yet rarely accomplished, in which failed democracies are found...
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In 1945, Japan surrendered unconditionally to the United States and its allies, thereby planting the seed from which would spring one of the world's most successful and stable democracies. In an age when democracy is often pursued, yet rarely accomplished, in which failed democracies are found throughout Africa, Latin America, and Asia, Japan's transformation from an utterly defeated military power into a thriving constitutional democracy commands attention. It has long been assumed that postwar Japan was largely the making of America, that democracy was simply imposed on a defeated land. Yet a political and legal system cannot long survive, much less thrive, if resisted by the very citizens it exists to serve. The external imposition of a constitution does not automatically translate into a constitutional democracy of the kind Japan has enjoyed for the past half-century. Apparently Japan, though under military occupation, was ready for what the West had to offer. Ray A. Moore and Donald L. Robinson convincingly show that the country's affirmation of democracy was neither cynical nor merely tactical. What made Japan different was that Japan and the United States-represented in Tokyo by the headstrong and deeply conservative General Douglas MacArthur-worked out a genuine partnership, navigating skillfully among die-hard defenders of the emperor, Japanese communists, and America's opinionated erstwhile allies. No dry recounting of policy decisions and diplomatic gestures, Partners for Democracy resounds with the strong personalities and dramatic clashes that paved the way to a hard-won success. Here is the story of how a devastated land came to construct--at times aggressively and rapidly, at times deliberately and only after much debate-a democracy that stands today as the envy of many other nations.
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6.

MacArthur's New Guinea Campaign » Read Now
by Nathan Prefer. 300 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

Illustrated with maps, charts, diagrams and photographs, this is an up-to-date examination of the New Guinea Campaign, covering ambushes, flank attacks and combined operations.
7.

MacArthur Strikes Back: Decision at Buna, New Guinea, 1942-1943 » Read Now
by Harry A. Gailey. 267 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

This text covers the vitally important Buna campaign, long overshadowed by the combat on nearby Guadalcanal. Allied success on New Guinea was a prerequisite for defeat of the Japanese Empire.
8.

Truman, MacArthur, and the Korean War » Read Now
by Dennis D. Wainstock. 190 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

A general history of the critical first year of the Korean War, this study deals primarily with relations between General Douglas MacArthur and President Harry S. Truman from June 1950 to April 1951, a period that defined the war's direction until General Mark Clark, the final U.N. Commander, signed...
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A general history of the critical first year of the Korean War, this study deals primarily with relations between General Douglas MacArthur and President Harry S. Truman from June 1950 to April 1951, a period that defined the war's direction until General Mark Clark, the final U.N. Commander, signed the Armistice two years later. Although the ever-changing military situation is outlined, the main focus is on policymaking and the developing friction between Truman and MacArthur. Wainstock contradicts the common view that MacArthur and Truman were constantly at odds on the basic aims of the war. In the matter of carrying the fight to Communist China, MacArthur and the Joint Chiefs differed only on timing, not on the need for such action.
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9.

The Truman-MacArthur Controversy » Read Now
by Richard Lowitt. 58 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

...almost legendary hero, General Douglas MacArthur, Commanding General of the...late as 1949 both General Douglas MacArthur and Secretary of State Dean...338384. GENERAL OF...
10.

Disaster in Korea: The Chinese Confront MacArthur » Read Now
by Roy E. Appleman. 456 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library
11.

Battle for Korea: A History of the Korean Conflict (Chap. 8 "MacArthur Is Sacked") » Read Now
by Robert J. Dvorchak. 317 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

Battle for Korea is a look at one of the most controversial and hard fought military actions of the United States, the Korean War.
12.

Truman's Firing of General Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War, in Social Education » Read Now
by Amy Patterson, Wynell Schamel, Lee Ann Potter. 6 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library
13.

Aftermath of War: Americans and the Remaking of Japan, 1945-1952 (Chap. 2 "Douglas MacArthur: The Peacemaker and the Presidency") » Read Now
by Howard B. Schonberger. 348 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library
14.

Exporting Democracy? American Women, "Feminist Reforms" and Politics of Imperialism in the U. S. Occupation of Japan, 1945-1952, in Frontiers - A Journal of Women's Studies » Read Now
by Mire Koikari. 24 pgs.

Collections: Entire Library
15.

General Douglas MacArthur, 1880-1964: Historiography and Annotated Bibliography » Read Now
by Eugene L. Rasor. 224 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

One of the most controversial figures in American history is the subject of this first comprehensive assessment and survey of all the writings by and about General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. A short biographical essay and chronology set the stage for the historiographical critique, which is...
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One of the most controversial figures in American history is the subject of this first comprehensive assessment and survey of all the writings by and about General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. A short biographical essay and chronology set the stage for the historiographical critique, which is organized topically and into different time periods and cross-referenced to the annotated bibliography of 759 published and unpublished sources of all kinds. The guide describes archival collections and research facilities; points to conflicting interpretations about the role of General MacArthur in World War II, in the occupation of Japan, in the Korean War, and in the sensational recall from his position as Far Eastern Commander in 1951; and suggests areas for further research. This easy-to-use guide for readers at all levels who are interested in critical moments in 20th-century world history, is timed also for World War II commemorations.
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