President Harry Truman is remembered by many servicemen because of Executive Order 9981. This order was “issued by President Truman on 26th July 1948 to ensure all people in the US armed services were treated equality without regard to religion, culture, color, and race” (Davis 22). This executive order played a significant role in ending inequality and racial segregation in the military. According to different experts, these malpractices had defined the military throughout the Reconstruction Period. The order has been embraced by many people because it supported the rights of many American citizens. Racial inequality had affected the performance and effectiveness of the armed forces for decades (Taylor 41).
Despite the political and social issues associated with Executive Order 9981, many scholars have argued that it established a new path for race relations in the country’s armed services (Taylor 72). The order also led to the establishment of an advisory committee in the military.
The role of this committee was to examine the procedures, rules, and practices of the US armed services (Wynn 18). The committee was also expected to recommend the most desirable ways of dealing with segregation. However, the effects of this order were felt after the end of the infamous Korean War (Davis 84). Most of the units in the army remained segregated after the Second World War and throughout the Korean War. Wynn indicates clearly that segregation in the country’s military ended in 1954 (92). This order is therefore relevant because it presented new opportunities to many Americans from different minority groups. Taylor believes that Executive Order 9981 established the best ground for every serviceman in the US military (68).
Significance of the Korean War
Historians believe strongly that “the Korean War played a major role in redefining the postwar era” (Stueck 17). To begin with, the end of the war presented new race relations in America’s military. As well, this war led to new changes that are still embraced in different parts of the globe today. The war forced the US government to increase its military expenditure. This move “resulted in a military-industrial complex that defined the future of the Cold War” (Edwards 29).
For the first time, the United States managed to use jet aircraft. Many nations across the globe took similar paths to strengthen their military capabilities. As well, the United States was able to establish a strong relationship with Britain (Malkasian 41). The war also made it easier for the US to acknowledge the strength of different communist nations. It was quite clear that all communist countries were ready to support each other. The Soviet Union also supported China thus making it a powerful nation.
Edwards also believes that the Korean War proved to the world that it was impossible to have a limited war without involving other nations (38). At the very beginning, the US used effective measures to ensure the war was of a small scale (Stueck 59). However, nations such as China joined the conflict thus creating new tensions. At the same time, the major rivals of the Cold War managed to avoid a major confrontation. Experts believe strongly that the countries never wanted to use nuclear weapons (Stueck 81). The pattern manifested during the Korean War continued throughout the infamous Cold War (Edwards 74). The history and aftermath of the Korean War explain how global conflicts continue to threaten the lives of many people today.
Works Cited
Davis, Theodore. Black Politics Today: The Era of Socioeconomic Transition. New York: Routledge, 2011. Print.
Edwards, Paul. The A to Z of the Korean War. Metuchen: Scarecrow Press, 2005. Print.
Malkasian, Carter. The Korean War. New York: Osprey Publishing, 2001. Print.
Stueck, William. The Korean War in World History. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2012. Print.
Taylor, Jon. Freedom to Serve: Truman, Civil Rights, and Executive Order 9981. New York: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Wynn, Neil. The African American Experience during World War II. New York: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2013. Print.