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Ca:Political Aspects
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Political Aspects

The Chinese intervention of late October had two main political consequences. One was a series of U.N. attempts to negotiate with the Communist Chinese Government for the peaceful withdrawal of its forces from Korea. The other was the naming of Red China as an aggressor, which implied a reliance mainly on military means to achieve a settlement. Canada and India were among those nations which supported the former policy, and both were represented on a Cease Fire Committee approved by the General Assembly on 14 December 1950. The initial efforts of this Committee to reach an understanding with Peiping appeared to get nowhere. The United States then pressed its case for naming China an aggressor. A resolution to this effect, amended in such a way as not to close the door to further negotiation, was passed on 1 February 1951.

The Communist bloc within and outside the United Nations attempted to centre all discussion on alleged American aggression in Formosa. Peiping, moreover, regarded (or professed to regard) the U.N. action in Korea as a case of aggression by the United States. The result was much debating at cross purposes, which offered little prospect of an early peaceful settlement. As his forces again drew up to the 38th Parallel, General MacArthur strongly and openly favoured pushing for a complete military victory in Korea and, in doing so, extending the conflict across the Manchurian border. An alternative to this policy, and one which enjoyed general support both among the United Nations and within the United States, was military stabilization coupled with further negotiation. Whatever else might be said concerning either view, the latter prevailed. On 11 April Mr. Truman announced that MacArthur had been relieved of his commands.

General MacArthur was succeeded by Lieut.-General Matthew B. Ridgway, then commanding the Eighth Army, and Ridgway by Major-General James A. Van Fleet. The previous Army Commander, General Walker, had been killed in a road accident shortly before Christmas.


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