Could the Korean War been prevented?

To be fair, most communists systematically attack the premises, conduct and outcomes of soviet-style societies. (This has changed since the 1970s, with the decline of Soviet and Chinese aligned bolshevik communisms, the (relative) rise is prominence of Trotskyist and post-Trotskyist bolshevisms, and the re-emergence of libertarian communisms as a coherent network of thought).

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You could get no Korean war with slightly more competent US diplomats and nation builders in the late 1940s in Korea. This would be neutralisation, unification, and a legal CP. Effectively this does mean handing over North Korea to a very likely CP election victory. It might mean a very different complexion of CP depending on the neutralisation agreement.

yours,
Sam R.
 
A-bombs

The first Soviet nuclear test came not quite a year prior to Kim Il-Sung's invasion of South Korea. As much as anything else, it was the Soviet nuclear 'shield', however thin that enabled the Korean war. Although it can be pushed, 1948 Berlin blockade and Soviet climb-down is an enlightening comparison. On the macro level, I feel the apparent US policy of not preparing for the defense of South Korea was linked to the intelligence estimate (CIA and others?) that the USSR would not possess nuclear bombs until the early 1950's.
Ergo protracted Soviet nuclear development might suffice to avert the Korean War.
 
The South was not the one supplied with jets, medium tanks, and heavy artillery as well as getting a massive boost from de-mobilized veterans who'd won their experience beating another US regional proxy. They were both autocracies, yes, but one was clearly given the power to invade to go along with its will to invade, the other was not.
What "U.S. regional proxy" are you talking about? Nationalist China?
 
You can have no Korean War by having Stalin have either a mild attack of decency, or a raging drunken fit in which he does not lie effectively, whichever you like.

NK would not have attacked without Mao's explicit backing. Mao would not have given it if Stalin hadn't also promised full air support and materiel support. Stalin reneged on his promise (because 'let's you and him fight' is pretty much Stalin's favorite game), it was too late for Mao to back out, and you get what we got. If Stalin never promises Mao the air support (for whatever reason), China and Korea will not go ahead with the war.
 
What "U.S. regional proxy" are you talking about? Nationalist China?

Yes, that's the one. The DPRK was overloaded with what it actually needed to invade the South, the USA gave the ROK armaments suited to patrol within its borders but not even suited to defend against the 1950 DPRK arsenal. For that matter the *US* troops sent in the first bit of 1950 didn't have enough to defend against the DPRK arsenal until Pusan. :rolleyes:
 
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