Should we have attacked China head on in the Korean War?

[fstarcstar]

So I pose a question for you.

During the Korean War, General Mcarthur wanted to attack Chinese forces head on in N. Korea, but Truman was bent on keeping the war smaller instead of possibly causing WW3. Do you think this was a bad move or a smart move? If we had kept Mcarthur in power and he attacked the Chinese forces, do you think we could of won? Could we of had a unified Korea? Could we have used nukes to repel their forces back? I had been doing some recent research on the Korean War and I couldn't help but think about this.

[The Dharma Bum]

I think we are far better off that that conflict did not spread beyond what it did. Especially if nukes would have came into play. That would have been a calamity.

[The Dharma Bum]

Remember we were allies shortly before this.

[Stratego]

If the US had attacked China directly it would have triggered a hot war with Russia. At the time of the Korean War, the Chinese Communists hadn't solidified power yet. There were probably still a lot of people loyal to the KMT or at least had more faith in them than the Communists. The US probably could have allied with the KMT and beat the Communists on the tactical war front. But if the Communists get a beating, the Soviet Union definitely would have stepped in. It would definitely make it more chaotic in China, but it wasn't a war that the US can win, at least not the hot war. May have made it more problematic for Russia in the Cold War though.

[Mr.Bill]

The Korean War was only 5 short years after WWII ended.. NO ONE in the west had the stomach for another long, drawn out World War.. 20 years after WWI no one in the West had the stomach for WWII.. So no matter what we thought or wanted, expanding the Korean War wasn't going to happen, no one except some in the Army wanted that.

MacArthur was a great general, but at times he was an A'hole.. BTW being an A'hole is a common trait with most generals. Not just American, but all nationalities.. One of the great things about our political system is the generals and the Army answer to civilians, thankfully.

[The Dharma Bum]

Do they?

[spacemonkey]

We are NOT the world police. We can't afford it and its not our job.

[Mr.Bill]

[spacemonkey]

[Mr.Bill]