WI: MacArthur doesn't advance towards the Yalu River

I think that the Republicans would still win the election in 1952. After 20 years of Democrats ruling the White House, the pendulum was bound to swing towards the Republicans. I do not think that even in this scenario in which Korea turns out a little better for Truman, less of a debacle that he decides to run again for President.
 

CaliGuy

Banned
The logical place to stop is about the waist of Korea, north of Pyongyang. Hold there, and also Wonsan on the east coast you can establish a line not too broken by mountains in the middle and not so long as to make the troop density too thin. If the Chinese do decide to intervene, their movement south will be too obvious for even MacArthur to ignore. Establishing a new demarcation line at that point with a new DMZ leaves a rump North Korea, but most industry and a large chunk of the population is now part of the ROK.
So, you don't think that China would be strong enough to breach a U.N. defensive line located at Korea's waist?

Also, do you think that such a success in Korea could embolden the U.S. to invade North Vietnam if the Vietnam War still occurs in this TL?
 
It is my understanding that the defensive line would have been built up with mines, barb wire, and predetermined fields of fire. That combined with coordinated air strikes would have pounded the Chinese army. If UN troops had dug in along the banks of the Chongchon river, then the Chinese would have had to cross a river under fire. The question is would China be able to take the manpower losses that would have been required to break this line?
 
It is my understanding that the defensive line would have been built up with mines, barb wire, and predetermined fields of fire. That combined with coordinated air strikes would have pounded the Chinese army. If UN troops had dug in along the banks of the Chongchon river, then the Chinese would have had to cross a river under fire. The question is would China be able to take the manpower losses that would have been required to break this line?
I would go further than that. I'd say, had UN forces stopped there, the Chinese would never have become involved: the perceived threat would have been much lower. Add in a bit smarter diplomacy (& perhaps a judicious bullet to the back of MacArthur's head:openedeyewink:)...
 
So, you don't think that China would be strong enough to breach a U.N. defensive line located at Korea's waist?

Given that the only real reason Red Chinese forces were able to punch through was because the UN troops were utterly unprepared for both the invasion and the damn cold that makes Russian General Winter seem like a pup..... no, they wouldn't be able to penetrate.
 
I would go further than that. I'd say, had UN forces stopped there, the Chinese would never have become involved: the perceived threat would have been much lower. Add in a bit smarter diplomacy (& perhaps a judicious bullet to the back of MacArthur's head:openedeyewink:)...
Interesting that you mention that, since my TL has the POD be MacArthur be shot dead by a sniper round of which forces the UN to pragmatically end the Korean War (and that China doesn't get involved).
 
Interesting that you mention that, since my TL has the POD be MacArthur be shot dead by a sniper round of which forces the UN to pragmatically end the Korean War (and that China doesn't get involved).
IMO, that's about the best POD you could ask for, with all the chances he took around snipers.
 
IMO, that's about the best POD you could ask for, with all the chances he took around snipers.
There's a good reason I chose that as my POD, since I don't wish to have him interfere with world politics had he lived and not able to invite Chinese intervention somehow (not that I hate him, he's got some ups and downs IMO but that's another discussion for another time).
 
Regarding where the UN forces should have stopped, I am wondering about the location of any Japanese defensive lines? If there are defensive lines that the Japanese built in the Northern part of Korean, then these would have been a good place to stop. Does anyone know if Japan developed any defensive lines in Northern Korea?
 
Regarding where the UN forces should have stopped, I am wondering about the location of any Japanese defensive lines? If there are defensive lines that the Japanese built in the Northern part of Korean, then these would have been a good place to stop. Does anyone know if Japan developed any defensive lines in Northern Korea?
As far as I know, the Chosengun (Japanese Army in Korea) were fortifying Jeju and Jeolla, since they were preparing for an American landing.
 
Top