Proposed Orders and Statement on Dismissal of General MacArthur

View the full document here: https://docsteach.org/document/dismissal-general-macarthur/

Description

Formerly classified “Top Secret,” this document is President Harry Truman’s order relieving General Douglas MacArthur of his Korean War commands due to insubordination, and designating General Matthew Ridgway as his successor. It includes a statement explaining MacArthur’s dismissal.

It was featured in the article “Truman’s Firing of General Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War” in the November/December 2000 National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) publication Social Education.

Citation

This primary source comes from the Collection HST-PSF: President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration).

National Archives Identifier: 201516

Full Citation: Proposed Orders and Statement on Dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur; 4/11/1951; General Files, 1945 – 1953; Collection HST-PSF: President’s Secretary’s Files (Truman Administration),; Harry S. Truman Library, Independence, MO. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/dismissal-general-macarthur/, February 11, 2026]

Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.