My answer is no, the Korean War would not have been averted if the US had kept more troops in South Korea. Averting the war would have required an entirely different US foreign policy that supported the UN charter we signed and supported the promises the US and the USSR made when they took over their respective territories in Korea. The US would have had to work to create a democratic government that reflected the will and needs of the people instead of a dictatorship that crushed all dissent and ignored elections. The US military advisors would have had to train the South Korean government in defense and stabilization techniques that would have defused disputes with the North Korean government instead of teaching them how to run raids into North Korea. The US government would have had to denounce Rhee's constant threats to march north or at least advise against them instead of advising for them as a prod to make North Korea make the first public move.
I you'd like I can post the transcripts of the conversations with stalin which indicate the weakness of the south korean military was a deciding factor in attacking.
North korea has had reunification as a basic tenet since th communist government was formed.
South korea seems to have worked out pretty well.
The north is a different matter.
I'm about ready to lose all hope here. Are you seriously saying that if the u.s. did not support the south everything would have been better? You don't believe that the south would now be in the same horrible condition the north is?
well I guess I was wrong about the potential for conversation.
It might help your hopes if you would take the time to establish my meaning instead of broad-jumping to conclusions and then basing your judgements on your assumptions. I did not say that "if the u.s. did not support the south everything would have been better."
I would love if you would post the transcripts of Stalin. For one thing, it points out the idea that North Korea was as much of a pawn of the USSR as South Korea was a pawn of the USA. We could discuss this idea on its merits. If you could get transcripts that discussed the plans for Korea from the beginning, that would be particularly useful.
As for my comments, what I said was that the USA should have been supporting the people of Korea, instead of propping up a dictatorship that crushed dissent and ignored democratic elections. I meant that the USA should have poured money and resources into the diplomatic, economic and social work that would have created a strong, democratic society in the South, while also calling on the UN to likewise comply with its promises.
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North korea has had reunification as a basic tenet since th communist government was formed.
South korea seems to have worked out pretty well.
The north is a different matter.
I'm about ready to lose all hope here. Are you seriously saying that if the u.s. did not support the south everything would have been better? You don't believe that the south would now be in the same horrible condition the north is?
well I guess I was wrong about the potential for conversation.
good luck with the forum
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I would love if you would post the transcripts of Stalin. For one thing, it points out the idea that North Korea was as much of a pawn of the USSR as South Korea was a pawn of the USA. We could discuss this idea on its merits. If you could get transcripts that discussed the plans for Korea from the beginning, that would be particularly useful.
As for my comments, what I said was that the USA should have been supporting the people of Korea, instead of propping up a dictatorship that crushed dissent and ignored democratic elections. I meant that the USA should have poured money and resources into the diplomatic, economic and social work that would have created a strong, democratic society in the South, while also calling on the UN to likewise comply with its promises.
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