Bull Tiger Biographical Library · Giant Hundred -- MacArthur

Author: 38534
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-10-01
Features: Douglas MacArthur (January 26, 1880 – April 5, 1964), a five-star general of the U.S. Army. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, to a military family. After completing elementary school, he attended the West Texas Military Academy. In 1899, he entered the U.S. Military Academy (West Point). In 1903, he graduated with honors and served in the Corps of Engineers, deploying to the Philippines. From 1905 to 1906, he accompanied his father on military inspections to Japan, China, India, and Southeast Asia. Upon returning to the U.S., he briefly served as a deputy aide-de-camp to President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1912, he was assigned to the War Department. In 1917, he became the chief of staff of the 42nd Infantry Division and deployed to France to participate in World War I. In 1919, he became the president of West Point Military Academy and implemented a series of reforms. In 1922, he returned to the Philippines to serve as the commander of the Manila District. In 1925, he was promoted to major general and returned to the U.S. to serve as the commander of the Third Corps Area. In 1928, he became the commander of the U.S. forces in the Philippines. In 1930, he became the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army and vigorously promoted the modernization of the U.S. military. In 1935, he became the military advisor to the Philippines and was awarded the title of Field Marshal of the Philippine Army the following year. In 1937, he retired from active duty in the U.S. Army. In July 1941, he re-entered the military as the commander of the U.S. forces in the Far East. After the outbreak of the Pacific War, he commanded the U.S.-Filipino forces in the Philippines to resist Japanese attacks. Due to operational setbacks, he was forced to abandon Manila and retreat to the Bataan Peninsula. In March 1942, he was transferred to Australia and soon became the Supreme Commander of the Southwest Pacific Area. He emphasized the importance of the Pacific theater and held to the "Europe first, Asia later" strategy. From July 1942 to January 1943, he commanded the Southwest Pacific Allied forces to achieve victory in the Battle of Papua, then advanced westward, employing "island-hopping" tactics to conduct multiple amphibious landings. By July 1944, he had captured New Guinea. In October 1944, he launched the Philippine Campaign, capturing the island of Leyte in December. In January 1945, he landed troops on Luzon, capturing Manila in early March, and occupied the entire Philippine archipelago by July. In August 1945, he was appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied forces to oversee the occupation of Japan. On September 2, 1945, he accepted Japan's surrender on behalf of the Allies. During the occupation of Japan, he implemented comprehensive democratic reforms, which had a significant impact on post-war Japanese history. In June 1950, after the outbreak of the Korean War, he became the Supreme Commander of the United Nations Command, ordering the U.S. Eighth Army into Korea and coordinating with South Korean forces to hold the Pusan Perimeter. In September, he commanded the U.S. landing at Incheon, crossing the 38th Parallel to occupy Pyongyang, and advancing toward the Yalu River. However, after facing strong counterattacks from the Chinese People's Volunteer Army and the North Korean People's Army, he was forced to retreat south of the 38th Parallel. Due to his strong advocacy for expanding the scale of the Korean War and his public criticism of President Truman's global strategy, he was relieved of his command in April 1951. After returning to the U.S., he ran for president but failed. In 1952, he became the chairman of Remington Rand Corporation. We are delighted to recommend the "Giant Biographies Series" to young friends. At the turn of the century, having such a premium series accompany you is a joy in wisdom. We believe that from the footsteps of these giants and masters, you can learn how to handle success and failure, comfort and hardship, joy and pain, smoothness and adversity, and understand how to approach life, how to be a person, how to pursue knowledge, how to shape oneself, and how to shape the future. Principal of Peking University High School, Zhao Yulin Secretary of the Party Committee, Dong Lingsheng Principal of Tsinghua University High School, Zhao Qinggang Giants are the elite of humanity, who have made outstanding contributions to the progress and civilization of human society. Their fighting spirit and extraordinary achievements are deeply admired and serve as role models for people to learn from. Giants are human, not gods; they come from ordinary people but surpass them. Their lofty ideals and the belief that they must serve their country and humanity are the driving forces behind their relentless pursuit and fearlessness of difficulties. Principal of Tianjin Nankai High School, Kang Xiuyan By carefully reading this series, you will feel as if you see their appearance, hear their words, and experience their ideals, beliefs, ambitions, and moral character. This will help you learn how to be a person, how to pursue knowledge, and how to build a career. Principal of Fudan University Affiliated High School, Cao Tianren