"The Korean War 1950–53: Still Settling the Score" Topic

"The three countries that started the Korean War in June 1950—Russia (USSR), China and North Korea—are still manoeuvring to secure a better outcome. When World War II ended in August 1945, American and Soviet troops had met more or less amicably at about the 38th parallel on the Korean peninsula. In 1949, both those powers withdrew their forces, leaving behind feeble local administrations in the north and the south that each aspired to lead the first government of the whole of Korea following the decades of Japanese colonial rule.

Kim Il-sung, a northerner who had fought in the resistance against Japanese rule and was accepted by the occupying Soviet forces as the leader of the north, lobbied the Soviet leader to support using force to take over the south and bring the whole of the peninsula into the socialist camp. Stalin eventually agreed that that was an attractive and feasible objective. On the condition that Kim Il-sung also secure China's support for the venture, Stalin undertook to provide equipment, training and planning but ruled out any direct involvement by Soviet forces.

China's Mao Tse-tung approved the plan and North Korean forces launched the attack on 25 June 1950. The north overran the southern forces, who retreated to a small enclave around the southern port of Pusan before the American-led UN forces reversed those gains and routed the north's forces only to encounter, in October 1950, a large force of Chinese ‘volunteers'…"
Main page
link

Amicalement
Armand

The cease-fire line of today, and since 1953 de facto border, is NOT the 38th Parallel.

Anyway, arguing over who's most to blame for the Korean crisis and insisting that everyone else meet US demands is not helping resolve this mess. The writer is advocating more of the same failed approaches that have characterized US policy for 50 years or more. The best you can say about these is that there hasn't been a resumption of open hostilities (yet). The other guys are not going to knuckle under and give in to threats any more than we would and the sooner this is recognized and everyone negotiates on equal terms, the better. Some folks say that you can't negotiate with NK in good faith. But the US managed to do this with China, the USSR, even North Vietnam in time. It's negotiate and seek collective agreements or seek to dominate the world through conquest and fear, which is it going to be?

Right now I'm reading an excellent book on the subject of the Korean War. It has been filling in a lot of the the history that I did not know till now.

The Coldest Winter by David Halberstam.

Now I'm getting together a list of miniatures for the conflict.

I enjoyed reading The Korean War by Max Hastings.

That one is next on my list. The more I read the more annoyed I get by how the soldiers in that war got treated, starting wonder which is worse the Korean soldier experience or the Vietnam soldier experience.

While I was in the ROK, with a Mech Bn, for 22 months '84-'85. We were reminded of that daily while on the DMZ. My Bn deployed there twice. In the Western Corridor. Where the most forward deployed units were. With 3d Bde/2ID, which my Mech Bn was part of.

The War was/is not over. It was only a "Truce" We still flew the UN flag on our Guard Posts and Warrior Base, the Base Camp on the DMZ.

Peace Talks went on almost daily at Pan Mun Jom, near/about the same place it was in '53. We could see the hatred in the Norks eyes towards us and ROKs when we where there. With a white line that divided the location of the talks.

The ROK being part of SEATO during Vietnam, had ROK ARMY & Marines deployed in the fight against Communism there. As the hated the what the Communist leadership did with their invasion of South Korea, in '50-'53. The ROK units were said to be very effective in combatting the VC and NVA. As again, they hated the Communists. One of my ROTC Instructors was an FO attached to a ROK unit. He had a lot of good things to say about them.

The ROKs generally looked down on the ARVN, etc. As they didn't think they were effective and efficient in combatting the Communists.

And it does seem that a restarting of the conflict might be the "best" way to unite the two Koreas. But as many have said it would be an absolute blood bath with many civilian losses as well. With Seoul being only @ 35 miles from the DMZ.

So many think that the PRC intervening to "take control" over Un and the Nork leadership would be the most acceptable method to end the war. But it seems the current situation is to the PRC's liking.

As just like with the US having troops in Poland on the Russian border. The PRC does not want to have US troops or their Allies along their border either. So it seems to me. Very little can or will change. At least not anytime soon. And God forbid if it becomes a Hot War again …

Legion 4,
Poland does not have a border with Russia apart from the former East Prussian territory still occupied by Russia. If Russian does not want the US troops on the border they could simply evacuate the Kaliningrad region which should have been returned to Poland or Germany after the end of the Cold War.

Yes, Thank you Dan, I was aware of that. I would have been more accurate in saying, "As just like with the US having troops in Poland so close to Russian.", yes ?

But regardless, the US[and Poles] has a border/area where they and Russian troops could stand toe-to-toe ? As you said, "apart from the former East Prussian territory still occupied by Russia." … As good a place as any to start a war, I'd think someone like Putin could possibly believe. Of course I can't read his mind.

None-the-less Putin and Co., does not like the US and it's NATO Allies so close to "home". He likes a "buffer zone" so to speak, etc., I believe. And as we see in the Ukraine "official(?)" borders may not mean too much to Putin.

Plus I don't think the Russians will want to evacuate from any territory, e.g. Kaliningrad. Especially after losing so much land after the Cold War. That appears to be a very big issue with Putin and some of the other old school types from the former CCCP.

But you live in the Region, generally. So you may know better than I. Please correct me if I'm incorrect anywhere in my post here.

Here's a current map … so you can see my "confusion" … ‌

The place to talk about Korean War gaming:

link