(1880–1964)
a US military officer. In World War II General MacArthur became Allied Supreme Commander of the Southwest Pacific Area. He left the Philippines when the Japanese were about to capture it, but promised ‘I shall return.’ He accepted the Japanese surrender in 1945 and was head of the forces that occupied Japan. MacArthur also led the UN forces in Korea in 1950, but was ordered back to the US in 1951 because he wanted to attack China.