Still there has never been an outpouring of national interest in the Ko-
rean Conflict even remotely resembling that which has characterized the
Vietnam War. The fact that the Korean Memorial was constructed more
than a decade after the Vietnam Memorial even though U.S. military in-
volvement in Korea preceded its similar involvement in Vietnam by more
than a decade is a testimony to the nation's relative interest (or lack thereof)
in the two wars. In contrast to the Vietnam War, there have also been very
few, if any, undergraduate courses dealing exclusively with the Korean
conflict. Personally, I have been struck in my more than thirty years of
teaching by how few students, especially my more recent students, know,
or have heard, about the Korean War.

Yet in historical terms the Korean War was just as, or even more, impor-
tant than the Vietnam War. Indeed, it is not too much to argue that, without
the Korean War, there may not have been direct American military involve-
ment in Vietnam. As most historians now recognize, the war in Korea greatly
expanded America's military commitments worldwide and shifted the focus
of the nations policymakers from an almost exclusive interest in develop-
ments in Europe and the Middle East to one that embraced Asia as well. It
also had a profound impact on Washington's allies and enemies, making
America's European friends reluctant to follow the United States's military
lead in places like Vietnam, gaining new respect for Communist China, es-
pecially among Third World nations, and contributing to the growing divi-
sion between China and the Soviet Union. Regionally, it left Korea
permanently divided, began Japan's economic "miracle," and made possible
South Korea's own economic growth. Occurring at the middle of the twenti-
eth century, it helped shape the course of international affairs for the rest of
the century. All this I hope the following pages make clear.

In preparing this book, I wish to acknowledge the support, the patience,
and the assistance of Randall M. Miller of St. Joseph's University, the editor
of the series to which this volume is a contribution. Not only did Randall do
an extremely careful job of editing the manuscript, he made numerous
helpful comments and suggestions for changes, all with the gentle prodding
of a fine editor who must deal with a sometimes prickly author. I appreciate
very much the help he gave me throughout the preparation of this book. I
also want to thank Randall and the Greenwood Press for granting me the
extension of time needed to complete the book. Once more, I am grateful
to my son, Scott, who made available to me documents he found while
conducting his own research at the British Public Records Office in London
and for repeatedly making me aware of new titles having to do with the
Korean War that I might otherwise have overlooked. I also thank my wife,

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