Did the Korean War have any lasting effects on U.S. foreign policy?
Yes. The Korean War was the first direct conflict in the Cold War between U.S. and communist forces. Before the Korean War broke out, the United States was embroiled in a policy of containing Soviet/communist expansion through supporting local governments with all means necessary short of military intervention. The Korean War was the first deployment of U.S. troops to a combat zone to contain communist aggression. In later years, to contain communism, the United States would send troops to Vietnam. Stemming the spread of communism was a primary foreign policy goal during the Cold War. Korea was also the first war that saw a United Nations coalition.
