Abstract:

"Having fought back from near defeat in the early months of 1950, MacArthur ordered U.N. troops to the north, tragically ignoring Chinese threats of intervention. Major losses forced American and South Korean troops into mass retreat. In a desperate move which foreshadowed his imminent removal, MacArthur unsuccessfully counseled Truman to expand the war into China and to drop 26 atomic bombs on North Korea. General Matthew Ridgeway assumed command of the U.S. 8th Army and turned it into an effective fighting force, one capable of retaking Seoul and Inchon. Continued fighting and devastating Chinese losses were accompanied by tentative peace talks and a major prisoner swap. On July 27, 1953, the armistice was signed at Punmunjon, with the 38th parallel serving as the dividing line between North and South Korea. Produced by ABC News/Weintraub Productions in association with New Atlantic Productions. An MTI release."