ABSTRACT
North Korea's invasion of South Korea in the summer of 1950 led to the United Nations' (UN) first experiment with voluntary enforcement action, initially through the Security Council and then, briefly, through the General Assembly. Having authorized limited UN operations in North Korea, the General Assembly bears some responsibility for the chain of events that led to China's intervention. The intention was to permit UN forces to prepare the way in North Korea for UN supervision of elections for an independent, democratic, and united Korea. The United States made all of the central decisions on the time and place for terminating the Korean operation. Korea carries its own lessons, although important elements of the situation were unique. Certainly no commanding general is likely to reappear with the extraordinary military reputation, open disdain for government policy, and special appeal to the far Right as General Douglas MacArthur.
