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This may be irrelevant to the discussion, but as a Canadian I am interested
in the Canadian participation in the UN Temporary Commission on Korea at
the close of the 40s. Hugh Deane mentions the Commission in his book The
Korean War 1945-1953, to the effect that at onset of Commission, Canada
and Australia (among others) were ‘shocked and dismayed’ by repressive,
anti-democratic realities of SK. They made their doubts known as a result,
the occupation military labelled such participants in condemnation as ‘covert
commies’(Deane, The Korean War 1945-1953, p. 63).
Does anybody know this to be true? Where might have Deane gleaned such
an accusation regarding the occupation military? I know we have free health
care, but it's hardly a communist state up here...
HJM
AMPSOne@aol.com wrote:
In a message
dated 2/25/2002 4:51:22 PM Eastern Standard Time, donskil@msn.com writes:
The
USSR and the PRC were not "sucked" into the war.
They were consulted extensively
by Kim Il Sung
on his plans for the invasion
of the south. They gave their
full approval and promise
of continued materiel support,
and the Soviets developed
the military plan for the
invasion. Both the
USSR and the PRC released Korean
ethnic troops from their
armies for participation
in the invasion. Once
the invasion was defeated, and
the communists were on the
verge of complete defeat,
the PRC and the USSR made
good their promises of support,
if Kim were to get into
trouble. Albeit, they did not
expect the U.S. to enter
the war and their client to
be so completely defeated.
It is clear, however, that
Stalin was testing the waters
for military exploits in
other areas of the world.
Don,
Most contemporary accounts
indicate it was the other way around -- Kim sucked THEM into supporting
his adventures by playing Mao and Stalin off against each other. Chinese
offered up training bases and other logistics and Soviets offered up weapons,
to include tanks, artillery up to 76mm caliber, and over 200 aircraft (86
post-war metal Yak-9s and 86 Il-10s, but only training for less than 70
pilots!)
John2's arguments are turning
more Soviet -- unilateral action can only be taken to support "just wars"
like "Wars of National Liberation" which is how they classified Korea.
Defending oneself, and calling on one's allies for aid, whether the government
is a right-wing dictatorship or a democratic republic, doesn't enter into
the picture when denigrating the right of self-defense on the part of the
Communists.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
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