Since 1945 the United States government has been increasingly concerned with problems all over the world in various continents. Three countries we were concerned with for different reasons were North Korea, Cuba, and South Africa. Difficulties occurred in each of these nations that the United States had to overcome to maintain its worldwide power and influence.

During the final stages of World War II and through early years of the Cold War President Truman ran our country. He opposed the spread of communism in Europe and Korea. One foreign problem he got our country involved in was the Korean War, which took place from June of 1950 until July of 1953. Our country got involved in this war to prevent the spread of communism from North Korea into South Korea. Communist North Korea, under Kim II Sung, started the war and moved troops over the 38th parallel (boundary between North and South Korea) into South Korea. This initial attack led North Korean troops all the way deep into South Korea, which made it difficult from the beginning for the United States to push North Korean troops back into their country. Under President Truman, General MacArthur moved troops into South K

Other difficulties of the war, besides those mentioned above that occurred during the war included the American public. The public was not in favor of war because they were still trying to get out of the depression and build homes and families. They feared that another war so quickly after WWII would hurt the economy and cause shortages, as did WWII. Because of this, people brought all necessary items in bulk. Also we had large defense expenditures. This caused inflation in the United States. Inflation caused prices on goods to go up, incomes to go down and net profit to go up. At this time, congress also approved the Taft-Hartley Act over President Truman's veto, which the working class did not favor. This act was passed because we feared unions because of communist permeation. It outlawed closed shop where membership in a union was required for being hired. It permitted union shops only where state law allowed and where a majority of workers voted for them. It required unions to give 60 days' advance notification of a strike. It defined unfair labor practices, specified unfair union practices, and required union officers to deny under oath any Communist affiliations.

orea to push North Korean troops north back to the 38th parallel and eventually into North Korea. China, who had a treaty with the Soviet Union, then entered the war against the United States because we were striking the North Korean troops on the Yalu River, which was the border of China and North Korea. They entered the war with 180,000 soldiers. This made it more difficult for the United States to keep the South Korean troops in North Korea. MacArthur wanted an air attack on China and Truman rejected it because he feared the Soviets would get involved in the war. MacArthur then hinted that Truman was "soft on communism" and that he favored appeasement. There was a sec

Some topics in this essay:
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