Ally Cannon Memo on American Exceptionalism

Memorandum On The Korean War

To: President Truman

CC: Vice President Barkley

From: Allison Cannon, Secretary of State

Date: May 1, 1950

Subject: The Imminent Advancement of Communism In The Korean Peninsula

Context

            Our intelligence suggests that the Russian-backed north of Korea has plans to invade the south. An invasion would make certain that the whole of Korea becomes communist and we cannot afford to lose allies or allow Russia to gain more power than it already has. As part of our foreign policy initiative, it is our duty to intervene and stop the spread of communism into the south. It is necessary that we send troops to defend South Korea from these tyrants.

Task

            We cannot trust any country run by a communist party, and we cannot allow for potential allies or weak nations to fall victim to this plague. China and Russia as you know are both pioneers of the communist revolution. We cannot afford to let Korea succumb to this fate as we are losing nearly every ally in the region. The people of the south of Korea want nothing more than our support to keep themselves a free nation. We are the pioneers of democracy, and if we were to ignore this atrocity, it would be going against everything we stand for as a country. We must defend the people of South Korea by any means necessary. This is not merely a war between the north and the south; this is good against evil. We are battling communism itself. It must not stop at South Korea either; we must free the people of North Korea from their oppressive dictator and instill democratic values across the entire nation.

Solution

            The only viable solution is immediate military action. We must intervene in order to not only protect the people of South Korea but our capitalist allies and even ourselves. The spread of communism is a direct threat to the safety of our nation as the communists will stop at nothing to spread their message around the entire globe. I suggest sending in ground troops as quickly as possible in order to back the South Korean army. We should also send some naval support. After we have secured the safety of South Korea, it would be beneficial to American interests to then advance and attempt to reclaim the northern portion of Korea. If we can remove the communists from the entirety of the state, we will have completed a most honorable undertaking. It is our duty as Americans to spread our great freedoms around the globe. It would also guarantee another ally and reduce the power of Russia, perhaps prompting Russia to end its brigade altogether.

Evidence

            We have seen successes in our interventions thus far. The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan have saved several nations from collapse. The Marshall plan not only helps our European allies and indebts them to us, but we can now reshape their economies to mirror the United States'. Without this aid, European nations would be extremely susceptible to Russian influence. Thus far economic aid has been enough to save these countries from communism. However, this situation is different as we have direct aggression from the north. Financial help will not be enough; the only solution is military action.

Failed Solutions

            Many countries have already fallen to communism, Poland, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, and Czechoslovakia. They now act as Russian puppets and cannot regain their freedom as any attempt at independence leads to an immediate Russian invasion. These countries did not ask to be communist, yet there is little hope left for them. As one can tell, appeasement only leaves states susceptible to Russian influence and intervention. Appeasement is what caused the atrocity that was World War II. How many times do we have to make the mistake of doing nothing?

Implementation

            In order to liberate South Korea from the threat of the communists, it is necessary to immediately send ground troops to deter any attack by the north. I would suggest sending the troops in groups of fifteen thousand and station them along the entirety of the thirty-eighth parallel. Naval support is also necessary. Warships must be sent to blockade any ships attempting to enter or exit the waters around North Korea. We must attempt diplomatic talks involving North and South Korea along with the Russians. If not to solve the conflict, to publicly announce our intention to back the South Korean military.

Summary

            In summary, the threat that Russia and the spreading of communism presents is far too significant to be ignored. We have had success at maintaining democracy in Europe, and we can transfer that success to Korea. Appeasement will only create a more volatile and dangerous world for ourselves and our allies. We must send troops along with naval support to South Korea to defend them from the North as well as attempt to liberate the North from the grasp of communism. If we allow Russia to increase its communist web, we are essentially surrendering because Russia won't stop until it conquers the world in its entirety. We must learn from past mistakes and assure that what happened to Czechoslovakia and others does not happen to any other nations. It is part of our duty as Americans to extend a democratic hand to these countries in need.

Works Cited

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/marshall-plan

https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/harry-s-truman/

http://classroom.synonym.com/areas-did-communism-spread-to-11729.html