MacArthur not removed, realistically what happens next?

WI Truman decides it's politically untenable to remove MacArthur but remains opposed to the use of nuclear weapons or anything else that might escalate the conflict into WWIII? How will the war progress? Does the war end like IOTL, or does MacArthur's continued presence change things dramatically?
 
If the joint Chiefs of Staff grant MacArthur nuclear authorization WITHOUT presidential approval (seriously considered at the time), then Truman could probably do little but watch mushroom clouds rise in North Korea and see nukes used on China. But without nukes? Im not sure. Probably still a divided Korea
 
If MacArthur uses nukes

That spells trouble back home. Essentially MacArthur has successfully staged a coup d'etat against Truman. Although he wasn't asking for Presidential power, he would be placing a hard stop on Presidential authority (and all civilian authority, for that matter) over the military. Even if it does not escalate the war (which it likely would), the changes in American government would be so severe that I doubt we would recognize it today.
 
That spells trouble back home. Essentially MacArthur has successfully staged a coup d'etat against Truman. Although he wasn't asking for Presidential power, he would be placing a hard stop on Presidential authority (and all civilian authority, for that matter) over the military. Even if it does not escalate the war (which it likely would), the changes in American government would be so severe that I doubt we would recognize it today.

I'm not quite sure I follow, MacArthur isn't defying Truman ITTL he's just not removed from his post.
 
If the joint Chiefs of Staff grant MacArthur nuclear authorization WITHOUT presidential approval (seriously considered at the time), then Truman could probably do little but watch mushroom clouds rise in North Korea and see nukes used on China.

What is your source for this allegation?
 

Asami

Banned
If the joint Chiefs of Staff grant MacArthur nuclear authorization WITHOUT presidential approval (seriously considered at the time), then Truman could probably do little but watch mushroom clouds rise in North Korea and see nukes used on China. But without nukes? Im not sure. Probably still a divided Korea

The Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as Dugout Dougie, are all hauled in front of a court martial for committing treason. You can't just bypass civilian authority like that. That's an inexcusable act of treason.
 
I'm not quite sure I follow, MacArthur isn't defying Truman ITTL he's just not removed from his post.

If Macarthur uses nuclear weapons despite Truman's order not to do so, he usurps the decision which had rested solely in Truman's hands. It had been rumored that Macarthur planned exactly this, although we may never know for certain what he had in fact planned to do. But if he chooses to disobey the direct order of his commander-in-chief, and manages to make it stick, he has essentially created a coup-d'etat in which the military is no longer subject to civilian control.
 
The Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as Dugout Dougie, are all hauled in front of a court martial for committing treason. You can't just bypass civilian authority like that. That's an inexcusable act of treason.


The Constitution clearly defines treason...what this is doesn't fit, but there a whole lot of other things he could be tried for...at the end of the day, he could be stripped of his stars and face the gallows at Leavenworth...
 
If Macarthur uses nuclear weapons despite Truman's order not to do so, he usurps the decision which had rested solely in Truman's hands. It had been rumored that Macarthur planned exactly this, although we may never know for certain what he had in fact planned to do. But if he chooses to disobey the direct order of his commander-in-chief, and manages to make it stick, he has essentially created a coup-d'etat in which the military is no longer subject to civilian control.

Just remember two minor details. At no time during his time in command in the Far East did MacArthur ever have physical access to any operational nuclear weapon in his AOR , and nor did he ever have command over any nuclear delivery force. Prior to his relief there were no functioning US nuclear weapons to be found anywhere west of the Continental United States. Bombs without nuclear fissile cores were deployed to Guam, an island not under Mac's command. Only AFTER his relief did Truman authorize fully operational nuclear weapons to be deployed to Okinawa, and the B-29 units which could deliver those weapons direct-reported to Strategic Air Command and ONLY to Strategic Air Command. MacArthur's numerous requests to have nuclear weapons assigned to him were all turned down, and there is no evidence that I am aware of which suggests any senior member of the Department of Defense was prepared to defy President Truman's instructions in this matter.
 
The Constitution clearly defines treason...what this is doesn't fit, but there a whole lot of other things he could be tried for...at the end of the day, he could be stripped of his stars and face the gallows at Leavenworth...

If it's politically popular enough, or popular enough with the generals at MacArthur's court martial, he might just get away with it.

That said, if it didn't work, MacArthur would likely end up stripped of his stars and in prison.

That said, given the above info it would have to be multiple generals supporting MacArthur, in which case the military has effectively acted on its own in a wartime scenario. That said, that is very different from the military launching a coup against the US government. You might see a purge of generals after the war is over.
 
Top