Alternate Korean War: The South Invades the North

The first leader of South Korea, Syngman Rhee, was as big a nationalist as Kim il-Sung was and wanted to unite Korea under his rule. I believe he also threatened to invade but the US opposed it.

If Rhee went and invaded the North, how would the US react?
 
It all depends. If NSC-68 was written, some could take advantage of it. Truman might use force to aid Korea, while others may be even more willing than Truman. And, with the Red Army overstretched, along with the Communist Chinese recovering, there could be a United Korea...at least until the reinforcements cross the Yalu.

(IRL, Rhee did invade the North after the US had gone up to the 38th Paralell...)
 
If Rhee went and invaded the North, how would the US react?


This appears to be a 'damn if I do and damn if I don't' situation.

If the US does not get involved, the weak South Korean army will sooner or later get rolled into the Sea of Japan by the numerically superior and well prepared Korean People's Army. That is, if the ROK Army was as weak as in OTL

If it does, it could give the Soviet Union the perfect excuse to push its cause as the US would then be viewed as the aggressor. The UN would then be pro-USSR instead of the pro-US OTL. Remember that both the USA and the USSR were members of the UN Security Council.
 

MacCaulay

Banned
Expect less international support for the South- no one wants to side with a bully.

True.

But wouldn't Rhee have had to find a sugar daddy? As I recall (and this is from a few articles in Military History and some WEB Griffon books) the South Korean regime was only supplied with the bare bones of light machineguns and artillery so the US could keep Rhee on a leash and stop him from doing that.

So...I guess our challenge would be for Syngman Rhee to find a new supplier. At least for a one-time only showing until he gets to the Yalu.
 

The Vulture

Banned
Spain, France, and Brazil come to mind, but I don't know much about their capability to arm others in this time period.
 

MacCaulay

Banned
Spain, France, and Brazil come to mind, but I don't know much about their capability to arm others in this time period.

Well, France had it's own fish to fry in that part of the world. I was initially thinking about them, or even the Dutch, but I rejected them for the same reason: colonial commitments. Half of Europe is rejected out of hand for that reason or for post-WWII cleanup.

Spain is an interesting proposition. It's definitely original.
 

The Vulture

Banned
Heck, the very idea of Spain becoming a weapons supplier in the divisive world of the 50s and 60s raises some interesting possibilities, this among them.
 
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