ABSTRACT
Harry Truman took bold action in his confrontation with General Douglas MacArthur. He adapted to changing circumstances, assessing the degree of MacArthur’s insubordination and concluding that the results MacArthur was getting on the battlefield did not justify keeping him in command during the Korean war. Truman balanced principle with pragmatism, giving MacArthur the benefit of the doubt at first and then moving decisively to remove him. He persevered. And Truman succeeded in protecting his constitutional role as commander in chief.
