Pete,
While I agree with most of your points in the above post, the following is a great discussion point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by temujin77
If MacArthur had his way, Korean War would've been escalated enough that a more conclusive result would be reached. The two Chinas we see today would be much different (in favor of the Nationalists), and the Vietnam War would've been averted.
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There is no way to
know what would have been the outcome. While the above is indeed possible, it is not the only possible outcome. The Vietnam situation was far more complex than "Communism vs. Democracy". It was more of an uprising against foreign occupiers, first the French, then the Japanese, then the French again, then the United States. Technically the US was not an army of occupation, but US armed forces were supporting a popular insurgency against an unpopular government in Vietnam.
As far as your scenario goes, imagine if the Nationalists in China had in fact won and been allied with the US. Then the Soviets may have felt even
more threatened by the West and the Cold War may have heated up into a real war.