In Korea, he avoided this requirement by citing the emergency precipitated by the surprise North Korean invasion. Had he taken the time to obtain a congressional declaration of war, North Korean forces would have undoubtedly overrun South Korea. Later in the war, his actions came under congressional criticism as the war dragged on without conclusion. Thus, while his unilateral response saved South Korea from conquest, it eventually weakened his presidency (James, 1993, pp. 14-15, 140-141).
The decision to commit American forces to combat in Korea was not one made by Truman on his own. As did all American presidents, he relied heavily upon a circle of advisors within the Executive Branch and the military. In particular, his three most trusted advisors on foreign affairs were Secretary of State Dean Acheson, General of the Army and Secretary of Defense George C. Marshall, and Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy. Of these three individuals, Acheson held the most influence over Truman's decisions. In fact, Acheson was the person most responsible for convincing Truman to intervene in Korea. Truman's relationship with the rest of his military commanders was somewhat more problematic. Between the end of 194
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