Transcript NS 110 - Sea Power & Maritime Affairs

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Lesson 22
The Navy in the Early Cold War
1945-1953
Learning Objectives
• Know the reasons for the post World War II
decline of the U.S. Navy.
• Comprehend the impact of the defense
reorganizations in 1947 and 1949 on the role of
the U.S. naval service.
• Know the impact of the balanced force strategy
on the role of U.S. naval service.
• Know the factors which provided the impetus for
change in national military strategy in 1950.
• Know the major contributions of the Navy and
Marine Corps during the Korean War.
Remember our Themes!
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The Navy as an Instrument of Foreign Policy
Interaction between Congress and the Navy
Interservice Relations
Technology
Leadership
Strategy and Tactics
Evolution of Naval Doctrine
The Cold War
The Cold War
1947-1989
• Constant global confrontation between the
Soviet Union and United States.
• Avoidance of direct armed conflict between the
two “Superpowers”.
End of World War II
• United Nations established
• MacArthur commands U.S. army of occupation in
Japan
• Germany divided into zones of occupation
– Federal Republic of (West) Germany - 1949
• U.S. initially enjoys atomic bomb monopoly
– Neglect of conventional military forces begins
• Communist control of Eastern Europe.
– “Puppet” states dominated by the Soviet Union.
U.S. Naval Forces after WW II
• Rapid demobilization begins.
• Postwar tasking:
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Return troops, POWs, and refugees to the U.S.
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Minesweeping.
• Must make do with still-new World War II
equipment.
• Drastic reduction in size of force - 1945 to 1950:
• Small numbers of ships stationed in the Far East
and Mediterranean.
Reduction in Force: Navy and
Marine Corps
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Personnel: Navy
Personnel: Marines
Major Combatants
Aircraft
1945
3,400,000
475,000
1,200
40,000
1950
500,000
75,000
237
4,300
Search for New Roles
• Austerity
– No weapons systems except nuke
– Navy makes do with WWII equipment
• Instability
– Pacific
• U.S. ambivalence toward China
• Role of 7th Fleet and Naval forces Far east
– Europe
• Instability in Turkey, Greece, Italy and France
• Gradual withdrawal of Brits
• Groundwork for U.S. role in Med.
National Security Act of 1947
• Created DOD as cabinet-level agency
– SECDEF with SECNAV underneath
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Added Air Force to Armed Forces
Created Joint-Chiefs-of-Staff
Created Unified Geographic Commands
Created CIA
Unified Commands
Effects for Navy and USMC
• Preserves naval aviation and the Marine Corps
• Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal becomes
Secretary of Defense
• Defense Reorganization Act - 1949: Department
of Defense
– Strengthens Secretary of Defense: Johnson replaces
Forrestal.
The Air Force
• “Massive Retaliation” Strategy
• Deterrence
• Air Force strategic bombing:
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New first line of defense to replace Navy
– No need for naval air (carriers) or Marines
• Massive reduction of the Department of the
Navy proposed
• B-36 introduced
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Air Force long-range atomic bomber.
Revolt of the Admirals - 1949
• SECDEF Louis Johnson cancels construction of
USS United States.
– First “Super Carrier” of the fleet.
– Secretary of the Navy John Sullivan resigns in protest.
• Marine Corps squadrons cut
• CNO Admiral Louis Denfeld relieved of duties by
Truman.
• Balanced forces strategy eventually accepted.
– Soviets detonate atomic bomb - 1950.
Containment of Communism
“I believe that it must be the policy of the United States
to support free peoples who are resisting attempted
subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressure.”
- Harry S Truman evincing the Truman
Doctrine
Geographic Concerns
• Pacific
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China - Civil War between Communists and
Nationalists.
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Leaders: Mao Tse Tung and Chiang Kai Shek.
Japanese Constitution adopted - relies on U.S. for
defense.
• Europe
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Communist threat to Turkey and Greece
Economic and Military aid to Greece and Turkey.
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Non-communist governments secured.
Containment Scorecard 194749
• Marshall Plan - June 1947
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U.S. economic aid to rebuild western Europe
• Berlin Airlift: June 1948 - May 1949
• Communist Coup in Czechosolovakia - February
1948
• 1949 - Chinese Nationalists evacuate to Formosa.
– Communist People’s Republic established on mainland
China under Mao
– Pact signed with Soviet Union
– U.S. supports Chiang’s Nationalist government on
Formosa (Taiwan) as legitimate government of China
NATO
• Established in 1949.
– Military Alliance between U.S., Canada, and western
Europe with a formal command structure.
– Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (Brussels,
Belguim)
• U.S. Commander in Chief, European Command
– Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic (Norfolk,
Virginia)
• U.S. Commander in Chief, Atlantic Command
– Warsaw Pact established by the Soviet Union to
counter NATO in 1955 - includes eastern European
communist states.
• The Korean
War
The Korean War
• 25 June 1950 -- North Korea invades South Korea
– Truman orders U.S. troops from Japan to defend S. Korea
• United Nations Security Council Resolution - 27
June
– Called upon member nations to “render such assistance to
the Republic of Korea as may be necessary to repel the
armed attack and to restore international peace and
security to the area.”
– No veto - Soviet Union boycotts Security Council meeting
• General Douglas MacArthur
– Commander in Chief - United Nations Command.
• Includes ships of the U.S. Seventh Fleet.
Course of the War - 1950
• Fall of Seoul to North Korean Army.
– U.S. conventional forces inadequate to stop advance.
• Truman orders U.S./U.N. military response
– 2-3 July 1950 Navy first on the scene
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USS Juneau
USS Valley Forge and HMS Triumph
Establishes control of SLOC
Watched Taiwan/PRC straits
• General Douglas MacArthur is United Nations
Commander
– Conceives of Inchon landing
Inchon
“Frozen” Chosin
• Advances to the Chosin Reservoir
– Attacked by seven Communist Chinese divisions
– Soviet supplied mines sunk naval vessels/delayed 7th
fleet
• Legendary retreat to Hungnam.
– General O.P. Smith
• “Gentlemen, we are not retreating. We are merely advancing
in another direction.”
• Chesty Puller, ”We have the Chinese right where we want
them. They’re all around us. Makes it easier for us to get
them and kill them.”
– 100,000 troops and equipment evacuated by Seventh
Fleet ships.
Course of the War -- 1951-53
• Truman Refuses to use nukes.
– Are nukes practical in limited wars?
• MacArthur relieved of duty by Truman - 11 April 1951.
– Threatened bombing of China.
• Policy contradicted instructions from Truman.
– General Matthew Ridgway replaces MacArthur.
• Peace talks begin at Panmunjom.
• 1953 Armistice yields permanent division of Korea.
– Death of Stalin
– Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) established near 38th parallel.
• Marines lost 4,267 dead and 23,744 wounded. 42
receive Medal of Honor.
Korea Divided
Republic of Korea
(South Korea)
• U.S. Ally - Large military
presence maintained.
People’s Democratic
Republic of Korea
(North Korea)
• Closed society under
communist dictatorship.
• Soviet and Chinese aid.
Public Law 416
• 1952
– Define Marine Corps as separate service within DON.
– Sized it as min. 3 divisions and 3 air wings
– Awarded Marine Corps primacy in Amphibious
warfare
Impact of Korean War on the
Navy
• MacArthur: “The Navy and Marines have
never shone more brightly than this
morning.” (Invasion of Inchon)
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Personnel
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Research and development
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Groundwork for post 1953 modernized navy
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Procurement
Forrestal-class Attack Carrier
(CVA)
USS Forrestal (CVA
59)
USS Nautilus (SSN 571)
• Commissioned September 1954.
• First nuclear-powered submarine.
• First submarine to cruise under the North