Major.League.Infidel
Make Love and War
+303|6925|Communist Republic of CA, USA
During the Korean War, General Douglas MacArthur pressured President Trumann to authorize the use of Nuclear Weapons against Chinese forces pushing into North Korea, and also to create a radioactive Buffer Zone between China and North Korea, and North and South Korea.  Amongst other reasons, this led to MacArthur being relieved of his command of UN forces in Korea, only to have his successor make the same request.  How do you think the world would be today, if Trumann had authorized the use of Nuclear weapons against Red Chinese forces in North Korea?  Remember, China had no Nuclear Weapons at this time, and the USSR had few.

Additional Info (Scroll Down to 'A Blocking Blow')
Parker
isteal
+1,452|6841|The Gem Saloon
probably would have led to WWIII eventually.
there are many possibilities, but we wouldnt have been able to hold down china for long.
maffiaw
ph33r me 傻逼
+40|6868|Melbourne, AUS
who knows?
But the reason why Truman refused to use nukes was to prevent a huge escalation. Don't forget that this was during the Cold War. Even if the USSR did not want to get fully involved, they could have given nukes to PRC or DPRK, sparking a massive war.
Plus, it wouldn't do a whole lot of good publicity if you nuke the regions you want to 'liberate' from communism.
blisteringsilence
I'd rather hunt with Cheney than ride with Kennedy
+83|7149|Little Rock, Arkansas

maffiaw wrote:

who knows?
But the reason why Truman refused to use nukes was to prevent a huge escalation. Don't forget that this was during the Cold War. Even if the USSR did not want to get fully involved, they could have given nukes to PRC or DPRK, sparking a massive war.
Plus, it wouldn't do a whole lot of good publicity if you nuke the regions you want to 'liberate' from communism.
I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the Korean police action occurred at about the same time as the beginnings of the sino-soviet split, thereby making it highly unlikely the USSR would have given the PRC or DPRK atomic weapons.
maffiaw
ph33r me 傻逼
+40|6868|Melbourne, AUS

blisteringsilence wrote:

maffiaw wrote:

who knows?
But the reason why Truman refused to use nukes was to prevent a huge escalation. Don't forget that this was during the Cold War. Even if the USSR did not want to get fully involved, they could have given nukes to PRC or DPRK, sparking a massive war.
Plus, it wouldn't do a whole lot of good publicity if you nuke the regions you want to 'liberate' from communism.
I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the Korean police action occurred at about the same time as the beginnings of the sino-soviet split, thereby making it highly unlikely the USSR would have given the PRC or DPRK atomic weapons.
Hmm, i think the sino-soviet split occurred in the early sixties, after the korean war. If memory serves me correctly, some Soviet pilots were documented flying PRC marked MiGs over Korea under radio silence. Anyway, nuking Communiust territory during that time would have been a bad, bad move.
Karbin
Member
+42|6742
If the "Radioactive Buffer Zone" had been done, the then USSR, would have gone nuts!!!
Part of the border is Russian.
Is a small part in the North East near Najin.
Now as the Russian's did have "adviser's" in the air and on the ground and the U.S. had stated that they would never use Nuclear weapons first again, the R.B.Z. would have handed the Russian's and the Chinese a a propaganda win fall.
At best.
At worst, the one thing that Truman didn't want, would have been an escalation. An uncontrollable one.
I really don't think that the Russian's would have backed down before the tanks rolled in Europe.
WW III starts.
Parts of Asia and Europe become Mushroom farms. After that.................well, no good news after that.

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