Douglas Macarthur (redirected from Gen. Douglas MacArthur)

Macarthur, Douglas 

Bom Jan. 26, 1880, in Little Rock, Ark.; died Apr. 5, 1964, in Washington, D. C. American military figure; general of the army (1944).

In 1903, MacArthur graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point. He took part in World War I (1914-18). In 1930-35 he was chief of staff of the US Army; in 1932 he directed the dispersal of participants in a march of unemployed war veterans on Washington. From 1935 to 1937, MacArthur served as military adviser in the Philippines; in 1936-37 he was field marshal of the Philippine Army. In 1941, MacArthur was appointed commander of the American armed forces in the Far East. From 1942 to 1951 he was supreme commander of the allied troops in the Southwest Pacific area. In 1945-51 he was commander of the occupation troops in Japan.

From July 1950 to April 1951, MacArthur directed the operations of the armed forces of the interventionists in the aggressive war against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In April 1951, as a result of the failures of American troops in Korea, he was removed from all command responsibilities by President H. Truman. In 1952, MacArthur began his career in big business; he was chairman of the board of the Remington Rand Corporation (until 1955) and the Sperry Rand Corporation (from 1955).