Matthew B. Ridgway
Matthew Ridgway is best known for his effective use of strategy in the Korean War, and his ability to reclaim a relative success in Korea. Ridgway was called upon to correct MacArthur’s faults, and developed a strategy that remained in use until the Iraq War of 2003.
Ridgway graduated from WestPoint in 1917, but did not serve overseas during World War I. He did spend time in both China and the Philippines during the years between World War I and World War II, and played an important role in World War II. In World War II, he commanded first the 82nd Airborne, and later the 18th Airborne Corps. His efforts were essential in the Battle of the Bulge, or the Ardennes Offensive.
After General Douglas MacArthur’s efforts allowed North Korea to make significant gains, including the city of Seoul, Ridgway was called to Korea to lead United Nations’ forces. Ridgway was able to stop the North Korean counter-offensive and gradually push North Korean troops back to the border between North and South Korea.
Ridgway adopted a strategy of containment; he did not push further into North Korea, nor did he try to take additional lands. He sought to simply keep North Korean forces within their own boundaries. For some time, North Korea continued to try to push into South Korea, and Ridgway continued to fight them back behind their own borders.
The containment strategy remained in active use for a great many years. No attempt was made to eliminate communism, or to push into communist countries; however, they were actively discouraged from expanding into additional lands. In many ways, this was a defensive strategy rather than an offensive strategy.
This was the key military and diplomatic strategy throughout the Cold War and in the years directly after, with one notable exception. That exception, Vietnam, was not a success.