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Chinese People's Volunteer Army (CPVA)
The force of Chinese troops that intervened in the Korean War in October–November 1950, officially described as "volunteers" to avoid a formal declaration of war against the United States. The CPVA numbered around 300,000 in its initial intervention and eventually exceeded 1 million troops, transforming the military balance in Korea.
Dismissal of MacArthur (April 1951)
President Truman relieved General Douglas MacArthur of command of UN forces in Korea on 11 April 1951, after MacArthur publicly contradicted the administration's policy of limited war. MacArthur had issued an ultimatum to Chinese commanders and written a letter to a Republican congressman calling for the war to be expanded to China. Truman's dismissal affirmed the principle of civilian control of the military and the strategy of fighting a limited war to avoid escalation to a wider conflict.