Suggested Answers to First Short Quiz

Post Reply
johnkarls
Posts: 2034
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 8:43 pm

Suggested Answers to First Short Quiz

Post by johnkarls »

.
Question 1

What was the fate of Korea during World War II?

Answer 1

Although Japan occupied Korea in 1905, marking the beginning of Japan’s Empire, most historians mark the beginning of World War II as 1931 when Japan began the "Rape of China" by extending its empire of Korea to include most of neighboring Manchuria, the most important part of China and home of the Manchus who had ruled China from 1644 to 1912.

Imperial Japan treated Koreans worse than slaves, especially during World War II. Indeed, hundreds of thousands of Korean women were forced to become sex slaves in the military brothels of Imperial Japan. These sex slaves are the so-called “comfort women” who are to this day the focus of Korean rage against modern-day Japan.

Question 2

Under what American President did the Korean War start?

Answer 2

Harry Truman.

Question 3

Why did Truman sack Douglas MacArthur?

Answer 3

By way of background, Korea had been divided at the “38th parallel” (that is, 38 degrees north latitude) at the end of World War II by the victorious allies.

On 6/25/1950, North Korea invaded South Korea with the blessing of Stalin. President Truman was already haunted by the question “Who Lost China” over which Mao’s communists had achieved complete control when the Nationalists fled to Taiwan in 1949. Accordingly, Truman readily engaged Stalin in the Cold War’s first “proxy war.”

Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Allied World War II Commander in the Pacific and military governor of Japan 1945-1951, was put in charge of the U.N. troops (90% American) defending South Korea. [Unbelievably, the USSR boycotted the UN Security Council session authorizing the defense of South Korea (the Chinese veto was still in the hands of the Nationalists until Nixon/Kissinger).]

MacArthur’s forces pushed the North Koreans up to the Yalu River, which was the border with China. At that point, a Chinese military force of 300 thousand entered North Korea and began pushing MacArthur back.

MacArthur requested authorization to attack China with nuclear weapons. The Joint Chiefs agreed. However, an unpopular President sacked a larger-than-life War Hero on 4/11/1951 to prevent the war from spreading to China geographically, even though 300 thousand Chinese troops were already fighting in Korea.

Question 4

Under what American President did the Korean War end?

Answer 4

Not applicable!!!

This was a trick question -- the Korean War has not ended!!! Only a cease-fire was achieved in 1953.

Accordingly, the Korean War is America’s longest war = 62 years and counting!!!

Question 5

Did America threaten Communist China with nuclear annihilation during the Korean War?

Answer 5

Yes. According to last month’s book (Power Rules by Leslie Gelb, p. 51), MacArthur’s idea of using nuclear weapons against China was threatened by President Eisenhower to end the hostilities after only 181 days in office on 7/23/1953.

Question 6

Incidentally, did Truman and Eisenhower have a hand in sowing the seeds for the Vietnam War?

Answer 6

Yes.

At the end of World War II, the French had no means of transportation back to French Indo-China (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) because Churchill had sunk the French fleet at the beginning of World War II when Admiral Darlan's refusal to sail it to England meant it would be incorporated into the Nazi fleet.

So President Truman had the American Navy transport the French back to Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia.

When the French abandoned Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia after their disastrous battle at Dien Bien Phu in 1953, President Eisenhower quickly negotiated a temporary division of Vietnam with a promise of quick elections in the South, upon which he reneged.

Question 7

How many North Koreans have died of starvation in recent years?

Answer 7

In the 1990’s, between 900 thousand and 3.5 million North Koreans (between 4% and 16% of the total population) starved or died of starvation-related diseases.

Question 8

How many military attacks have there been by the North Koreans on South Korea in recent years?

Answer 8

The 7/27/1953 Cease-Fire Agreement has been violated 221 times including 26 military attacks. The most recent occurred on 11/23/2010 with a North Korean artillery attack that killed 2 South Koreans and wounded six.

As of today (2/25/2012), North Korea is vowing a “sacred war” in response to the annual joint U.S./South Korean naval exercises scheduled to begin 2/27/2012.

Question 9

Why hasn’t there been a nuclear-arms race in response to North Korea’s developing nuclear weapons?

Answer 9

It’s difficult for Westerners to fathom!!!

In the case of Japan, one factor has to be the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II which have left the Japanese electorate reluctant to authorize any military-defense forces and abhorrent of nuclear weapons.

In the case of South Korea, approximately half of its population of 50 million is located in the Seoul metropolitan area which is right on the border with North Korea -- making any kind of military threat non-credible. [In addition, during the critical time period when it still might have been possible to prevent North Korea militarily from acquiring nuclear weapons, South Korea was electing governments that were focused on appeasement. The restoration of hard-line governments in South Korea has come too late for anything other than inherently non-credible military threats.]

Question 10

Why haven’t the U.S. and its allies been able to prevent North Korea from developing and testing nuclear weapons? Ditto, long-range missiles?

Answer 10

North Korea is completely dependent on China to make up critical deficiencies in food and fuel.

It has always been recognized that China could force North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons within a matter of days if not hours by threatening to cut off food and fuel supplies.

The U.S. and its allies have been unwilling to apply the necessary pressure on China to do so.

Question 11

Should the U.S. and its allies make clear to China that China will be held responsible for any misbehavior by North Korea?

Answer 11

Of course!!! Any owner that permits an attack dog to run off leash should be held responsible!!!

Question 12

Is it wise to try to bribe North Korea with food and oil supplies in order to induce good behavior?

Answer 12

Of course not!!!

There are more than 200 countries in today’s world that would see an opportunity to extract similar bribes from the U.S. to induce good behavior, and more than 200 sets of annual bribes would total well in excess of 100% of the annual U.S. Gross Domestic Product!!!

Moreover, our policy of using intelligence to interdict shipments of nuclear materials and know-how to wannabe nuclear powers seems, at least from available press reports, together with pressure on the Chinese, to be adequate.

Post Reply

Return to “Participant Comments - Insight Into Life In North Korea - The Orphan Master's Son by Prof. Adam Johnson - March 14th”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest