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America’s Hero • George Catlett Marshall was born in Uniontown Pennsylvania in 1880. • His parents were of middleclass, highly respected in the community and committed to the Democratic Party. 1 The Early Years • Very enterprising as a young boy, engaging in the sale of apples, potatoes, vegetables & root beer. • Not a good student, especially in math, reading and spelling. • However, he loved and was good at history. 2 • Mr. Marshall (George Senior) was very proud of his heritage being a distant cousin of Supreme Court Justice John Marshall. • He was a disciplinarian and constantly working to shape and teach his son. • Mrs. Marshall (Laura Bradford was a very patient woman, whom young George remained close to. 3 • As the Industrial Revolution came about, bringing in new jobs, machines and products, people began to take advantage of this new era. • It was time for young George to move on to college. 4 The Virginia Military Institute • Marshall attended VMI. • He did not apply for West Point because his grades were too low & he had an injured right elbow that would have prevented him from passing the physical. 5 • Further, the Marshalls were strong Democrats and the Senators in Pennsylvania at that time were Republican. • It would be difficult to get an endorsement for young George to attend West Point. • George’s older brother, Stuart attended VMI. 6 • He tried to discourage the family from sending George to VMI. • He felt his former bad grades would disgrace the family. • George realized this and was determined to succeed. •He passed the entrance test and being the family were solid citizens with a solid Virginia heritage, George was easily accepted into VMI. •On September 11, 1897, George Marshall arrived in Lexington, Virginia to begin his college years at the Virginia Military Institute. 7 The VMI Years. • George became highly respected as a RAT. (Freshman, means lowest form of life). • George was a victim of hazing which caused an injury. (bayonet incident) • When treated for the injury, he would not reveal who caused it. • He felt that it was a matter of honor and loyalty not to tell. • Marshall really enjoyed military life at VMI. 8 • At first he struggled academically. • Later his grades improved. • Basically he was an average student. • However, he was well disciplined and was one of only a few who had no demerits on his record. • He learned and accepted the rules of military life. 9 • Marshall was accepted and highly respected by other cadets for his fairness and honesty. • He enjoyed the outdoors & competition. • He was a member of the VMI football team and enjoyed a fine season. • He met his first wife at VMI, Elizabeth “Lily” Carter Coles. • Marshall wanted to join the military as an officer. • He needed a letter from the War Department to get a commission. • The superintendent General Shipp of VMI wrote a letter to President McKinley highly recommending Marshall. 10 • Marshall went to the White House and without an appointment confronted President McKinley, and stated his case for appointment. • Two months later, Marshall’s name appeared on the examination selection list. 11 The Young Officer • On February 2, 1902, George Marshall was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. • A week later he married Lily Carter Coles. • Marshall was assigned to the 30th Infantry Division in the Philippines. 12 • Marshall arrived at Mindoro. • It was after the Spanish American War. • He saw no combat but was in the middle of a cholera epidemic that took the lives of 100,000 Philipinos. 13 • Marshall was quick to react preventing the lose of American lives. (Quarantine, boiling of drinking water and solid sanitation requirements) • He never bullied his men and was careful to control his temper. • He respected his troops. 14 • Marshall’s next assignment was Fort Reno, Oklahoma in Cheyenne Indian country. • In 1906, he attended the Infantry and Cavalry School in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. • He finished number one in his class. • He later became an instructor teaching engineering and military arts. 15 • In between session at Leavenworth, Marshall instructed the National Guard. • Here he sharpened his military skills and learned the value of maneuvers. • In 1913, Marshall was reassigned to the Philippines. 16 • Here he was instructed by General J. Franklin Bell to plan a practice invasion of Luzon to test the Army’s defense systems against attack. • The Japanese had become aggressive and the U.S. was maintaining a military presence in the Philippines. 17 • Bell was impressed by Marshall’s performance and stated that Marshall was the “greatest potential wartime leader in the army.” • Later back in the states Bell made him his aide-de-camp. 18 The Great War • On June 28, 1914, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was assassinated by a Serbian in Sarajevo, Bosnia. • Two months later, Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia. 19 • Marshall was promoted to Captain and returned to duty at the Presidio in San Francisco. • As a result of the National Defense Act (allowing National Guard to be drafted into active duty and establishing reserves) Marshall provided training for these men. 20 • The war was waging in Europe. • Germany, AustriaHungary, Bulgaria and Turkey made up the Central powers. • Great Britain, France, Russia, Serbia and Belgium were the Allied Powers. • At first, President Wilson remained neutral. 21 • The German sinking of the British passenger ship, Lusitania, taking 128 American lives did not encourage the U.S. entry into the war. • Wilson campaign slogan of 1916 was, “He kept us out of war.” • In April of 1917, the U.S did enter WWI. 22 • Germany’s constant submarine attacks on U.S. merchant ships resulting in many lose of lives was a violation of freedom of the seas. • Hostilities increased against Kaiser Wilhelm. • Wilson wanted to make the world “safe for democracy.” 23 • The U.S. literally had no Army to speak of. • Wilson sent General John J. Pershing to Europe who scrambled to put an army of inexperienced draftees together. • General William Sibert was the commander of the First Division under Pershing. 24 • Sibert request General Bell to release Marshall to join him in training troops for combat. • Marshall was delighted since it would enhance his promotion potential. • On June 26, 1917, the First Infantry Division of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) landed in France. 25 • Most of the troops needed more training. • The Allied officers were upset over the lack of American war experience. • The also did not agree with Pershing who wanted to fight independently of their French and British troops. 26 • Pershing blamed Sibert for the lack of training of American troops. • Marshall, risking his career, stood up to “blackjack” Pershing and said the blame should be on Pershing’s staff who kept changing rules and orders. 27 • Marshall requested troop duty, but was denied. • However, he was instrumental in planning an Allied counteroffensive that would end the war. • The Germans were pushing towards France. • Spearheaded by American troops, the Germans were stopped at the Second Battle of the Marne. 28 • The tide of the war swung to the Allies. • Marshall planned the final offensive at Saint Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne (Meuse River and Argonne Forest). • In two months U.S. troops advanced 200 miles, attacking and using more ammunition than the whole Union Army did in four years of the civil War. 29 • Over one million U.S. troops were involved in this offensive which finally resulted the surrender of the Central Powers on November 11, 1918. • Germany was forced to admit guilt for the war, pay reputations and stripped of its colonies. 30 • The severity of the Treaty of Versailles, and failure of the League of Nations eventually would lead to social and economic unrest in Europe. • George Marshall would not forget the harsh effects of this “peace”. 31 • In July 1921, President Warren Harding appointed General Pershing Army Chief of Staff. • Marshall was his assistant. • In August George Marshall was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. 32 • In 1924 Pershing retired and Marshall requested troop duty. • He needed to spend more time with the troops if he wanted to be General. • He was assigned to the 15th Infantry Division in Tientsin, China to protect American citizens from Chinese warlords. 33 • In 1927 Marshall returned to the U.S. to lecture at the U.S. Army War College. • During this time his wife Lily died which set him into a painful state. • He desperately needed a new job. • He was offered the assistant commandant of the Infantry at the Officers School in Fort Benning, GA. 34 • Marshall’s job was to teach and prepare new officers for leadership positions. • He used his experience in World War I as a basis of his instruction. • He emphasized the development of simple orders, freedom for officers to be innovative in combat situations. 35 • And that the best army would be a highly mobile army. • Marshall’s ability to upgrade the efficiency of the instruction at • Fort Benning became known as the “Benning Revolution.” 3 6 36 • In 1929 he met Katherine Tupper Brown at a dinner party and married her a year later. • Marshall became the stepfather of her three children and they became the family he never had. • In 1932, Marshall was assigned to an Infantry post at Fort Screven, GA. 37 • In 1933 Marshall was placed in command of the entire regiment and transferred to Fort Moultrie, S.C. where he was promoted to full colonel. • The U.S. was in the middle of the Great Depression. 38 • Even though the military was better off than the general public, the enlisted men had it rough. • Marshall came to their aid where he personally supervised the planting of vegetables, and building chicken yards and hog pens. 39 • He introduced the “lunch pail” system whereby the mess hall officer was to prepare larger midday meals, and sell them at lower cost for the enlisted men to take home. • Marshall put as much effort to the welfare of his men as he did to their military training. 40 • When FDR became president in 1933, he created the Civilian Conservation Corps to help fight the depression. • The Corps would provide training and jobs to out of work men. • The U.S. Army was charged with its oversight. 41 • Marshall became deeply involved in the CCC. • He assisted in providing medical assistance, food and provided lessons for the illiterate. • The work was satisfying but would not lead to promotion. 42 • In October of 1933, Army Chief of Staff Douglas MacArthur appointed Marshall senior instructor of the Illinois National Guard. • He was initially unhappy with this assignment since it took him away from the regular army. 43 • He realized how poorly trained these men were and this motivated him to shape them up so they could be prepared to handle civic emergencies. • He demanded smartness, promptness and would not tolerate a slackness in duty. 44 • Marshall knew that while at the Guard, it would hurt his chances for promotion. • His age was becoming a factor, since one had to be young enough to serve for four years before retirement age of 64. 45 • He wrote to General Pershing to encourage the Secretary of War to read his efficiency reports which would reveal his worthiness for promotion. • He was promoted to Brigadier General in 1936. • His next assignment was the Fifth Brigade of the Third Division. 46 • Marshall was assigned to the Vancouver Barracks in Washington State to assist with the CCC camps. • He enjoyed this assignment and implemented the same programs as he did in Fort Moultrie. • In May 1938 he was transferred to Washington D.C. to head the War Plans Division of the General Staff. 47 • Trouble was brewing in Europe. • Mussolini and Hitler, as a result of poor economic and social problems resulting from the outcome of WWI, were winning support from the people. • Japan was also expanding its power. 48 • Japan had an emperor, Hirohito, and civilian cabinet. • However, the Army officers had the real power to make decisions. • The country lacked natural resources and invaded China and other areas in Southeast Asia for oil and rubber. 49 • Hitler & Mussolini convinced the French and British to turn over the Sudentenland, a small region on the Austrian-German border. • Hitler claimed it was predominately German & taken away as a result of the Treaty of Versailles. 50 • Neville Chamberlain said it would bring peace. • Others called it appeasement. • FDR was concerned with the events in Europe and influenced Congress to pass laws forbidding the sale or shipment of arms to any country engaged in war. 51 • Trade would be limited to nonmilitary items and paid for in cash. • Meanwhile Marshall had been promoted to deputy Chief of Staff. • He was summoned to the White House to discuss FDR’s plan to finance the building of planes in case of war. 52 • Marshall did not agree with FDR’s plan. • It was imbalanced. • FDR made no mention about money for troops, tanks, guns and other essential war materials. • Marshall became Chief of Staff on September 1, 1939, the same day Hitler invaded Poland. 53 • Three days later France and England declare war on Germany. • Marshall began preparing the country for the possibility of war. • FDR revised the Neutrality Acts. • He allowed the Allies to purchase war materials on cash & carry basis. 54 • The German Blitzkrieg (a tactic to crush the enemy before they could rally their defenses ‘lightning war.’) resulted in the conquering of Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. • Marshall went to FDR to tell him the importance of building up the military. 55 • The Germans pushed through the French Maginot Line and took over Paris. • British and French troops (Miracle of Dunkirk) evacuated. • Finally, Congress acted on Marshall’s plan to build up the military. • Congressman began to listen and respect him. 56 • Meanwhile Germany continued to bomb British factories and airfields. • The U.S. knew Britain could not sustain these attacks. • Further they were out of money to purchase war material. • FDR proposed the lend lease policy 57 • The U.S. would become the great “arsenal of democracy.” • Germany broke its pact and invaded Russia in 1941. • The Germans were controlling the seas and sinking U.S. ships carrying war materials. 58 • The American Destroyer, Ruben James was torpedoed by a German U-boat killing 115 sailors. • The U.S. still did not enter the war. • With the war going on in Europe, Japan seized the opportunity to expand its empire in Asia. 59 • Because of Japanese aggression, the U.S. ended a commercial treaty with Japan. • Japan then moved into Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. • The U.S. threatened to freeze Japan’s U.S. assets & block shipments or iron, steel and other natural resources. 60 • Japan did not respond to U.S. threats. • The Netherlands East Indies, Japan’s chief oil supplier froze Japanese assets. • Japanese Prime Minister, Konoye wanted to meet with FDR & Secretary of State Cordell Hull. 61 • Japan refused to get out of China. • FDR would not meet with Konoye. • General Hideki Tojo replaced Konoye. • Diplomatic relations with Japan broke off. • Marshall was aware of a pending attack in the Pacific as a result of breaking a Japanese diplomatic code. 62 • On December 7, 1941, at 7:55 a.m. the Japanese invaded Pearl Harbor. • Early that morning decoded messages made it clear that diplomatic relations had been broken with Japan. • Marshall forwarded the message to the Philippines, Hawaii and Panama. • Unfortunately through miscommunications, it arrived too late. 63 • The Japanese sunk or badly damaged 18 U.S. ships. • 2,388 U.S. sailors, marines and soldiers were killed. • 68 civilians also died. • Many U.S. airplanes housed at Pearl were also destroyed. • Fortunately, 7 cruisers and the Pacific fleet aircraft carriers were out to sea. 64 • On December 8th, FDR addressed the nation, “Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date that will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” • War was declared on Japan. • In response,Germany & Italy declared war on the United States. 65 • Japan subsequently attacked the Philippines, Guam, Wake Island, Hong Kong, Burma and the Dutch East Indies. • Army Chief of Staff George Marshall faced a two-front war. • Marshall’s most immediate problem was to get supplies to General MacArthur. 66 • MacArthur had been holding the Philippines. • It was a difficult task, getting supplies through because of the Japanese ships. • MacArthur was basically on his own. • Marshall ordered him to escape to Australia. 67 • MacArthur left promising that “I shall return.” • General Jonathan Wainwright was left to defend the peninsula. • On May 7, 1942, he surrendered to the Japanese and 75 thousand American prisoners were marched to prison camps. (Bataan Death March) 68 • Back in Washington, Marshall worked with Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson to plan war operations on two fronts. • Throughout the war, Marshall was totally involved with solving the many problems. • He was responsible for the operation of the alliance with Britain. 69 • He later had much input into the Allied victory at Normandy. • He participated in 11 international conferences and met with Churchill & Stalin. • He participated in the Arcadia Conference in Washington with FDR & Churchill. 70 • This conference was Churchill’s attempt to ensure that the U.S. was committed to “Europe First” strategy in fighting the war. • Marshall agreed & planned to turn America into an arsenal for the Allies. • His plan was to recruit, train & equip millions of men and women. 71 • He talked to industrialists to convert their industries to wartime production. I.e. make uniforms instead of suits & tanks instead of automobiles. • He dismissed older officers who were not up to the task ahead and replaced them with younger more energetic officers. 72 • One of his major tasks was to stop the competition between the armed forces and have them work with each other. • In March of 1942 he coordinated the consolidation of the allied armies to establish a mighty force to deliver a single blow against the Germans. 73 • His plan was to cross the English Channel & invade France. • Once on the beachhead, the Allies could begin the process of liberating France and the rest of Western Europe. • With this accomplished, he could concentrate on the war in the Pacific. 74 • FDR approved the plan & Marshall went to London and met with Churchill. • Churchill also supported the plan. • Meanwhile, Marshall was getting some good news regarding the war in the Pacific. 75 • Midway Island was still held by U.S. forces. • The Japanese planned to destroy the three aircraft carriers that were out to sea during the Pearl Harbor attack. • Fortunately, MAGIC code-breakers learned of this plan. 76 • The U.S. lost one carrier, however, they sank four Japanese carriers. • The battle proved to be the turning point in the Pacific. • The Japanese would strike no more knock out blows from this point on. 77 • Churchill wanted to relieve British forces fighting in Africa. • British had contained Italian forces and pushed them back deep into Libya. • Hitler sent Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s “Africa Korps” as reinforcements. 78 • Marshall did not agree with the plan, but obeyed orders and sent General Dwight D. Eisenhower to take command of the invasion in Africa. (Operation Torch) • The British were commanded by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. 79 • The Germans inflicted a serious defeat at Kasserine Pass in Tunisia. • It was General George Patton who mounted a counteroffensive which eventually led to driving the Germans out of Africa. 80 • The beginning of 1943, the tide of the war was turning. • In addition to the victories at Midway and Africa, the Russians defeated the Germans at Stalingrad. • Marshall now was concerned with the delay of the crosschannel invasion. 81 • Marshall was concerned that with the Russian victory at Stalingrad, Stalin would sign a separate peace agreement with Germany. • This would allow the Germans to fight on only one front. • In 1943, with the support of FDR and the Joint Chiefs, Marshall again presented his plan. 82 • At the Trident Conference, it was agreed by U.S. and Britain that Operation Overlord would take place around May 1, 1944. • Stalin also agreed. • The three-point plan involved the invasion of Normandy, a press to get the Germans out of Rome and the landing of troops in southern France to support the invasion of Europe. 83 • Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe and would spearhead Operation Overlord. • Marshall truly wanted this assignment, but he was vitally needed make in Washington to oversee operations. • FDR felt comfortable having Marshall close to him. 84 • On June 6, 1944, the largest invasion in history began. • By nightfall, 175,000 allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy. • It was a brutal battle, the Allies losing 9,500 men on the first day. • The Russian attacked from the east into Poland and Finland. 85 • The Germans had over one half million casualties and lost 2,000 tanks. • The Allies kept advancing from Normandy. • They were momentarily stopped at the Ardennes Forest in Belgium(Battle of the Bulge, the last German offensive of the war). 86 • The Allies crossed the Rhine River & stepped onto German soil in Remagen. • On April 30, 1945, Hitler committed suicide and on May 7th, Germany surrendered. • The war in Europe was over. 87 • On April 12, 1945 FDR died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Warm Springs, Georgia. • Harry Truman took over the presidency. • Meanwhile the war in the Pacific was continuing. • Admiral Chester Nimitz won a series of victories in the Marshall Islands. 88 • The Japanese were starting to feel the crippling effects of the American submarines that were hurting Japanese shipping. • The Japanese economy was being crippled. • In October, MacArthur was back in the Philippines. 89 • In the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Americans destroyed Japan’s ability to continue a naval war. • Yet the Japanese were not about to give up. • In February the marines gained Iwo Jima, costing them 26,000 casualties. • Okinawa was captured in June resulting in many more casualties. 90 • The U.S. knew that many more casualties would occur if they attacked Japan. • The Japanese were not agreeable to unconditional surrender whereby their emperor would not be recognized. • Marshall did not want Russia to participate in the Asian War. 91 • He was afraid that Russia would be looking for political control of Asian lands. • At the Potsdam Conference in July of 1945, Truman learned that the Atomic bomb had been successful tested. (Manhattan Project) • Marshall & Stimson were in favor of using the bomb. 92 • Truman warned Japan (Potsdam Ultimatum) that unless they unconditionally surrendered, Japan would face “complete and utter destruction.” • The Japanese ignored the warning. • It was subsequently decided to drop the bomb. 93 • On August 6, 1945 the first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima leaving 100,000 people dead. • Shortly after dropping the bomb, the Pentagon warning the Japanese to accept the terms of surrender or face a “rain of ruin” from the air. • It did not come. 94 • On August 9th a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki which killed another 40,000 Japanese. • On September 2, 1945, General Douglas McArthur accepted the surrender of the Japanese government on the U.S.S. Missouri. • The war was over. 95 • Marshall and his wife Katherine headed for Dodona Manor for retirement. • She had purchased Dodona while Marshall was in London negotiating the cross-channel initiative with Churchill. • Marshall was released from military duty. 96 • Truman called him “the greatest military man the nation ever produced.” • Marshall’s retirement was short lived. • Truman called him to be a special envoy to China to negotiate a settlement between China’s two warring forces. 97 • In December 1945 Congress was investigating why the Japanese had succeeded in their attack on Pearl Harbor. • Marshall testified for two weeks. • Two senators tried to link FDR and Marshall to a plot knowing that Pearl Harbor would be attacked so that the U.S. could enter the war. 98 • Congress cleared all and said the failure in the communications was an error in judgment, not gross neglect of duty. • The War Plans Division was reprimanded for failing to see the significance of the MAGIC intercepts. 99 • On December 20, 1945 Marshall arrived in Shanghai, China. • A great vacuum existed since Japan had been defeated. • Truman was worried that the Soviets would move in to take control. • The U.S. supported the Nationalist Party of Chiang Kaishek. 100 • Mao Tse-tung was the leader of the Chinese Communist Party & Chaing’s rival. • Marshall tried to build a coalition for a new government. • Marshall was not successful and China fell to communism and Mao Tse-tung. 101 • In June of 1946, Truman asked Marshall to become Secretary of State. • He accepted and focused on rebuilding Europe. • Soviet expansion was becoming dangerous. • The Truman Doctrine was instituted to prevent the expansion of communism. 102 • Marshall was convinced that Germany had to be rebuilt along democratic lines and the process must include political and economic freedom. • He believed that a weak, starving Europe was what Stalin wanted. 103 • In December of 1947, Truman sent a 17 billion dollar measure for the European Recovery Plan (ERP) to Congress for approval. • Marshall testified before Congress and appealed to the public. Some in Congress wanted to remain isolationists & others wanted a balanced budget, reduced taxes & not pouring money into Europe. 104 • Marshall told America that if Europe’s economy was not healthy, America’s would not be healthy. • Europe’s recovery would be made through the purchase of American farm products. • He appealed to the humanity of the plan. 105 • The European Recovery Plan became law in April of 1948. • The Soviets would complicate Europe’s orderly transition into a peacetime world. • The U.S. Britain, and France decided to unify their divided regions of Germany. • Stalin found this to be a threat and ordered the Berlin Blockade. 106 • The blockade would cut off supply lines into the allied occupied zone. • Marshall & Truman responded with an airlift (Operation Vittles) whereby tons of food, fuel and supplies were dropped into West Berlin. • The Soviets removed the barriers. 107 • In 1948 with Marshall’s strong support, the Allies created a defensive pact called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). • Also, Palestine was partitioned creating the Jewish state of Israel. • Marshall did not agree with this since he believed Arab opposition would lead to much bloodshed. 108 • Truman was in favor of creating Israel. • The Jewish people in the states threatened not to support him in the upcoming election if he did not recognize Israel. • Truman won an upset victory over Thomas Dewey in 1948. • He recognized the state of Israel immediately. 109 • The Marshalls again retired to Dodona Mansion in Leesburg. • In March of 1949 visited the Marshalls and asked him if he would be president of the Red Cross. • Marshall accepted and handled this job with the typical zeal that he had demonstrated in all previous assignments. 110 • Meanwhile Korea, which was supposedly temporarily divided after WWII, at the 38th parallel until elections could be held began to have problems. • The Soviets were against unification. • On June 25, 1950, the North Koreans attacked South Korea. 111 • The UN labeled North Korea the aggressor & called for military action. • General MacArthur was ordered to command U.S., UN & South Korean forces. • Truman summoned Marshall back to Washington as Secretary of Defense. 112 • The National Security Act of 1947 prevented an officer who had been on active duty with the past 10 years from becoming Secretary of Defense. • The National Security Act was amended and Marshall was confirmed. • Marshall biggest task was to mobilize an army. 113 • Once again Marshall, drawing on past experience, built an army into a fighting force. • The draft was extended, the age for draft was lowered and active duty was increased to two years. • The North Koreans had pushed the South Koreans almost to the southern tip of the peninsula. 114 • MacArthur landed at Inchon, behind enemy lines, while UN forces pushed up from the south from Pusan. • The North Koreans were pushed back past the 38th parallel. • Many government officials wanted Korea to return to the policy of reunifying Korea. • Marshall agreed. 115 • In order to accomplish this, MacArthur had to go North of the 38th Parallel. • MacArthur was warned not to cross the Yalu River, or take any action against the Chinese or Soviets. • MacArthur’ forces took the North Korean capital & was close to the Chinese border. 116 • The fact that the UN troops were so close to the border worried Truman. • General Omar Bradley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs & Truman went to Wake Island & met with MacArthur. • MacArthur was optimistic & said opposition from North Korea would be over by Thanksgiving. 117 • MacArthur told Truman that American troops would be home by Christmas, and the Chinese would not cross the border into Korea. • In spite of his confidence, on November 25, 1950, U.S. troops were brutally attacked in the mountains of North Korea by 300,000 well-trained Chinese communists. 118 • The U.S. could not risk the possibility of war with China. • Military leaders, including Marshall concluded that they must rethink the policy of reunification of Korea. • MacArthur wanted to launch a major counteroffensive. 119 • MacArthur continued to act as if unification of Korea was the goal of the U.S. • He protested to the Joint Chiefs. • He insulted the Red Chinese, calling them militarily weak. • President Truman became angry since he was attempting to arrange peace talks with the Chinese to resolve the Korean issue. • Marshall met with the Joint Chiefs, and recommended that MacArthur be relieved of his command. • On April 10, 1951, President Truman fired MacArthur. 120 • Truman was highly criticized. • MacArthur returned home to a huge welcome with a ticker-tape parade in New York City. • He gave an address to Congress and was given a thunderous applause. • Marshall testified that MacArthur had overstepped his orders. 121 • Meanwhile the Republicans continued to attack the Democratic party. • Senator Joseph McCarthy accused Marshall of treason. • Many congressmen, military men & journalist defended Marshall. • On September 12, 1951 Marshall retired. 122 • Marshall & his wife returned to Dodona. • He took on some nontaxing jobs such as chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission. • The Marshall’s were invited to Eisenhower’s inauguration and included in many White House dinners. 123 • In October of 1953, Marshall learned that he would receive the Nobel prize for Peace for his sponsorship of the European Recovery Plan. • He was the first professional soldier to receive this prize. • By 1958, Marshall’s health was failing. 124 • Not long after his 78th birthday, Marshall had a stroke and shortly thereafter another. • He was visited at Walter Reed Hospital by Eisenhower, Truman and even Winston Churchill. • Marshall died on October 16, 1959, just shy of his 79th birthday. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. 125