raharris1973
Gone Fishin'
In OTL, the division of Korea was almost an afterthought. The US had done no planning and found having to disarm the Japanese and figure out what to do with its zone distateful and unrewarding.
So, here's a what-if- the US Army, pleading a lack of troops in the face of higher priority tasks, presses for a revision of the 38th parallel partition plan. Given the way the Allies were doing things, just handing over Korea to the supervision of just one of the "united Nations", the USSR, just wouldn't have seemed kosher politically - despite being very feasible politically.
So, the US begs Nationalist China to take it's occupation zone. Now, China was busy, and China disclaims any permanent claims to Korea, but it can be persuaded. In OTL it was persuaded to occupy northern Indochina for instance, and I believe Chiang Kai-shek did it with warlord troops that he didn't need to use to maintain his political position within China.
So, to help sweeten the pot for China, the Chinese Nationalists (KMT) are promised ownership of Japanese weapons stocks from the Japanese they disarm and their arsenals in southern Korea. They are given full logistical assistance, and wide autonomy to select from among the Korean exiles who they have been hosting in working out Korean self-government. Their lend-lease allotment is increased by some multiple of the projected cost of the operation. To give them some slack, the Chinese occupation zone in northern Indochina mayy be retracted up to the 19th or 18th parallel.
Not having to do Korea makes General MacArthur very happy. The Soviets have absolutely no objection either, having a weak China share Korea with them is prefereable to having the US there, especially if it comes at no diplomatic price.
Proceeding from there - Some KMT forces are airlifted and sealifted in to take Japanese surrender, which the Japanese do, in compliance with General MacArthur's General Order # 1. In tow, they have borought whoever the most prominent Korean exiles they had been supporting - Kim Koo or Kim Kiussic were the two I can think of.
The two occupying powers, China and Russia have much bigger fish to fry than to make Korea itself a bone of contention at first. Still, Korean rightists and leftists are involved in political violence. The two powers, who have signed a bilateral treaty relating to Manchuria and Port Arthur, modify the occupation zones to comport with their security interests. The peninsula is redivided along a line running north-by-northwest just east of Chosan on the Yalu, to south-by-southeast just west of Pusan.
With eastern Korea, the Soviets secure the martime province (Includes Chongjin, Hungnam, Wonsan, Pohang & Pusan), and the Chinese secure the Yellow Sea with their zone (which includes Siniuju, Taejon Pyogyang and Seoul).
As the Chinese Civil war heats up, the Chinese draw down and delegate to their Korean allies. The Soviets draw down as well. Korean politics become an extension of the Chinese Civil War.
The balance tips in Korea towards the Communists shortly after the Chinese Commnists win in Manchuria in late 1948. Since this has been a conflict throughout the country, fought generally with lighter weapons, and is not an obvious corossing of a delineated border with Soviet tanks, the US doesn't intervene. Indeed, the Korean Communists may not even declare a DPRK, and keep some noncommunist puppet allies on for window-dressing, until just before the PRC is declared.
So, by 1950 we have a red China and red korea, and no potential for a Korean wr. Taiwan remains a bastion for Chiang Kai-shek, but for how long nobody knows. What happens from here?
So, here's a what-if- the US Army, pleading a lack of troops in the face of higher priority tasks, presses for a revision of the 38th parallel partition plan. Given the way the Allies were doing things, just handing over Korea to the supervision of just one of the "united Nations", the USSR, just wouldn't have seemed kosher politically - despite being very feasible politically.
So, the US begs Nationalist China to take it's occupation zone. Now, China was busy, and China disclaims any permanent claims to Korea, but it can be persuaded. In OTL it was persuaded to occupy northern Indochina for instance, and I believe Chiang Kai-shek did it with warlord troops that he didn't need to use to maintain his political position within China.
So, to help sweeten the pot for China, the Chinese Nationalists (KMT) are promised ownership of Japanese weapons stocks from the Japanese they disarm and their arsenals in southern Korea. They are given full logistical assistance, and wide autonomy to select from among the Korean exiles who they have been hosting in working out Korean self-government. Their lend-lease allotment is increased by some multiple of the projected cost of the operation. To give them some slack, the Chinese occupation zone in northern Indochina mayy be retracted up to the 19th or 18th parallel.
Not having to do Korea makes General MacArthur very happy. The Soviets have absolutely no objection either, having a weak China share Korea with them is prefereable to having the US there, especially if it comes at no diplomatic price.
Proceeding from there - Some KMT forces are airlifted and sealifted in to take Japanese surrender, which the Japanese do, in compliance with General MacArthur's General Order # 1. In tow, they have borought whoever the most prominent Korean exiles they had been supporting - Kim Koo or Kim Kiussic were the two I can think of.
The two occupying powers, China and Russia have much bigger fish to fry than to make Korea itself a bone of contention at first. Still, Korean rightists and leftists are involved in political violence. The two powers, who have signed a bilateral treaty relating to Manchuria and Port Arthur, modify the occupation zones to comport with their security interests. The peninsula is redivided along a line running north-by-northwest just east of Chosan on the Yalu, to south-by-southeast just west of Pusan.
With eastern Korea, the Soviets secure the martime province (Includes Chongjin, Hungnam, Wonsan, Pohang & Pusan), and the Chinese secure the Yellow Sea with their zone (which includes Siniuju, Taejon Pyogyang and Seoul).
As the Chinese Civil war heats up, the Chinese draw down and delegate to their Korean allies. The Soviets draw down as well. Korean politics become an extension of the Chinese Civil War.
The balance tips in Korea towards the Communists shortly after the Chinese Commnists win in Manchuria in late 1948. Since this has been a conflict throughout the country, fought generally with lighter weapons, and is not an obvious corossing of a delineated border with Soviet tanks, the US doesn't intervene. Indeed, the Korean Communists may not even declare a DPRK, and keep some noncommunist puppet allies on for window-dressing, until just before the PRC is declared.
So, by 1950 we have a red China and red korea, and no potential for a Korean wr. Taiwan remains a bastion for Chiang Kai-shek, but for how long nobody knows. What happens from here?