The relative effects of pearlite and spherodite on ductile, cleavage, and fatigue failure are summarized. Neither the cleavage strength nor the fatigue endurance limit appear to depend directly on cementite contentper se. Spherodized steels cleave less readily than ferrite/pearlite steels. Ductile fracture resistance is lowered considerably by both types of cementite, pearlite being more deleterious. Ferrite/pearlite steels appear to exhibit slower fatigue crack growth rates at low stress intensity levels than high strength steels. At high stress intensity levels the behavior is reversed. Slip-incuded cracking of carbide lamellae appears easier than that of spherodized carbides. In ductile fracture situations the crack spreads progressively through a pearlite colony via preferential cracking of carbides and rupture of the intervening ferrite accompanied by large local shear strains. Fatigue fracture proceeds with formation of frequent branches, preferentially along the pearlite colony interface.