Viewpoints on Douglas MacArthur

[Amled]

I just finished re-reading William Manchester’s biography of Douglas MacArthur American Ceasar. Again I came away with a negative impression of the man. I’ve read a few other works about this man and they seemed to confirm my first impression. His actions in the 30’s against the Bonus demonstrators? His leaving his men at Baatan to the tender mercies of the Japanese. Both instances could be covered by his obeying orders. But isn’t it a military truism that there are some orders an officer shouldn’t obey? Also his handling of the situation in Manila during the first days of the war? Yet the Inchon landing, showed pure brilliance and daring,
I admit freely that I’m a military layman, but there are people on this board with a military background, and I would appreciate it if they could give me a proper military perspective of the man

[Officer of Engineers]

A brilliant WWI style General with the luck of fighting an enemy WWI army with a WWII style army during WWII. He would have been toast in the ETO.

[Bill]

An arrogant, egotistical, and vain-glorious jackasss.

[dalem]

I am 2/3 through the same book. Ignoring the man and focusing on the circumstance, I find it fascinating that after the Japanese surrender we had on hand perhaps the only man alive who could fill the role that MacArthur did.

-dale

[Amled]

Officer of Engineers - He would have been toast in the ETO.

M21Sniper- An arrogant, egotistical, and vain-glorious jackasss

Exactly the kind of comments I’ve had from others when I’ve asked this question. Including a retired serviceman I met in S.C. a few years ago. His comments rivaled Snipers, but being a former Marine Gunnery Sgt. who went through the Pacific Campaign during WWII under MacArthur, I took his comments with a grain of salt.
Yet if these comments are standard, what was his secret of success?
PR together with his undoubted charisma?

[Amled]

I find it fascinating that after the Japanese surrender we had on hand perhaps the only man alive who could fill the role that MacArthur did.

-dale

What role is that Dale?

The moral boosting, or the tactical and strategic doctrine he laid down for the Pacific Campaign?

[Officer of Engineers]

Yet if these comments are standard, what was his secret of success?
PR together with his undoubted charisma?

His ego is the secret of his success (all in his mind) but the PTO victory belongs more to Nimitz than to MacArthur. For the victories associated with MacArthur, it was more the men than anything he did to make life easier.

The Inchon Landing was a ***** and a half but the USMC did it and he certainly did not inspire them with confidence that it could be done.

[lwarmonger]

An arrogant, egotistical, and vain-glorious jackasss.

Agree completely.

[dalem]

What role is that Dale?

The moral boosting, or the tactical and strategic doctrine he laid down for the Pacific Campaign?

The post-war occupation. We needed a man who could step into the role of "benevolent dictator with an Olympian ego and extensive experience in and love for the Pacific Far East" to handle the Japanese, and lo and behold, we had one. I just think it's one of those neat historical coincidences.

-dale

[Amled]

The post-war occupation. We needed a man who could step into the role of "benevolent dictator with an Olympian ego and extensive experience in and love for the Pacific Far East" to handle the Japanese, and lo and behold, we had one. I just think it's one of those neat historical coincidences.
-dale

Agree with you there. He sure did know the Japanese psyche in defeat, and how to twist it to his (America's) advantage.

[sparten]

I tend to disagree with the prevailing opinions on MacArthur and the ETO. He would have done well against the Germans, what with 60% of the forces tied up against the Soviets.

Ike ws certainly capable of blunderous errors, Operation Market Garden anyone? Finally lets not forget that Ike, more than anyone was influenced by MacArthur.

[Officer of Engineers]

MacArthur would have sucked at Normandy and especially at the Battle of the Buldge. Most certainly, he would have been relieved given the way he pissed off the Australian and New Zealanders. The British and Canadians would have been far less accomondating.

And Market-Garden was Montgomery's fault, not Ike.

[troung]

Greatest actor ever to put on a military uniform...

[Amled]

The Inchon Landing was a ***** and a half but the USMC did it and he certainly did not inspire them with confidence that it could be done.

Why do you say that sir? To give the devil his due the Inchon landing was stroke of tactical genius, especially when seen in hindsight that it worked. Prior to that the Korean Army and the American led UN forces had been pushed almost in to the sea, and retained only part of the Pusan Peninsular.

MACARTHUR AT INCHON
Rapidity is the essence of war; take advantage of your enemy’s
unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack
unguarded spots.
—Sun-Tzu
BACKGROUND
Following a series of reverses in the early days of the Korean War, the
U.S. Eighth Army won its first major victory against the North Korean
forces by executing a brilliant amphibious landing at Inchon.
Leapfrogging up the western coast of Korea and striking deep into
the rear of the North Korean Army (NKA), this operation unhinged
the North Koreans’ advance, caused their offensive campaign to collapse,
and forced their army into headlong retreat. If not for the later
intervention of the Chinese, the Inchon landing would almost certainly
have resulted in the decisive defeat and collapse of the North
Korean government, effectively ending the conflict.
The architect of this victory was General Douglas MacArthur, the 70-
year-old veteran of both World Wars, who at the time was the
Commander in Chief, Far East (CINCFE) Theater. In this capacity,
MacArthur was responsible for crafting a response to the North
Korean invasion, which had begun on June 25, 1950. While
MacArthur was throwing forces into the fight as quickly as possible in
an attempt to stop the North Korean onslaught, his mind was clearly
set on finding a decisive solution to the conflict...

http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/...R775.chap6.pdf

[Officer of Engineers]

Why do you say that sir? To give the devil his due the Inchon landing was stroke of tactical genius, especially when seen in hindsight that it worked. Prior to that the Korean Army and the American led UN forces had been pushed almost in to the sea, and retained only part of the Pusan Peninsular.

That's a bit of an exergeration on MacArthur's part. There were two actions during the Inchon period. The Inchon Landing and the Pusan Breakout. Of the two, the Pusan Breakout was the more decisive.

Back to Inchon itself, MacArthur was the one who chosed the site but left the maticulous planning to his Staff. MacArthur certainly was not a hands on general and he couldn't care less. During the Inchon Landing, he went to grab a nap, mostly because there was nothing for him to do and his Staff was doing it and if anything important, they would wake him up.

While a legitimate approach, it certainly does not make him an inspirational leader.