S3: What role did initiative play for UN Forces in the Pusan Perimeter and their subsequent breakout?

Initiative was regained by MacArthur with his landing on Incheon. While Walker fought to maintain his forces tactically in the Pusan Perimeter, MacArthur shifted the balance of power by taking the fight to the DPRK’s rear with a landing west of Seoul. His goal was to cut their supply lines and reestablish ROK control of Seoul, thereby denying DPRK forces reinforcement in the south and taking the propaganda victory of South Korea existing without its historical capitol.

Macarthur’s plan put the Americans finally in charge when it came to initiative on the Peninsula. They chose where and when to land, as well as how quickly to roll up the DPRK’s forces. While Walker did not know it at the time, the DPRK that had him encircled in the Perimeter was not numerically superior to American forces in the Perimeter at the time of the breakout. Additionally, these troops had been bled white of north Korean veterans. Only when Americans charged out did they experience how much the DPRK’s fire had dimmed.