korean war
Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: Regional History or Period History
Forum Name: History of Oceania, South-East Asia and Pacific
Forum Discription: Discuss the history of SE Asia: Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore etc.
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29023
Printed Date: 15-Jun-2024 at 14:41
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.56a - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: korean war
Posted By: Goliwog
Subject: korean war
Date Posted: 29-Dec-2010 at 01:44
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I just wanted to collect everyones opinion 1) why did australia get involved in the korean war ? 2) in retrospect, should australia have fought in the korean war ?
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Replies:
Posted By: opuslola
Date Posted: 29-Dec-2010 at 07:50
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Here are the pat answers for question 2;
http://www.anzacday.org.au/history/korea/overview.html The "should" question, of course, is open to discussion! ------------- http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/history/ |
Posted By: Cryptic
Date Posted: 02-Jan-2011 at 14:45
I addition to the material supplied in the link, I would not be surprised if there was an awful lot of U.S. pressure on Australia to send troops.
Millions of veterans had been discharged from the U.S. military. Inexpereinced draftees tended to be unmotivated and felt they were missing out on the booming post war economy. In addition, many believed that the next war would be "push button" and not an infantry war.
With the exception of Marine units, many of the U.S. units were from very light garrisson duty in Japan and were not ready for infantry combat agaisnt a dedicated opponent. Knowing that it was going to take time to bring U.S. units up to standard, Washington was desperate for capable infantry units.
So.... they turned to Australia, Turkey, Greece etc.
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Posted By: opuslola
Date Posted: 11-Jan-2011 at 22:32
Maybe Cryptic to be more Politically Correct you should have substituted the "United Nations" rather than the USA?  ------------- http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/history/ |
Posted By: ultrakhmer
Date Posted: 14-Jan-2011 at 15:20
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the Korean War was really an extension of the 'domino theory' war that the US kept in it's idea similar to the Vietnam War. SO when Australia was probably asked to help as well.
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Posted By: lirelou
Date Posted: 13-Apr-2011 at 18:48
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Goliwog, to answer your questions:
1 - Because Australians in 1950 saw it as interest to do so. Remember, their point of view had been forged in the late 30s and 40s. There was no 'domino theory' yet, but 1945-50 had produced enough Communist victories to convince reasonable people that Communism, like Fascism before it, was a threat.
2 - Should they have fought it? If they had the advantage of a 2010 viewpoint, certainly not. But they had no magic crystal balls to foretell the future. They did, and one of Asians poorest countries rose to be the 10th largest economy in the world (Not sure of where they are now, maybe 14 or so) and a democracy to boot. ------------- Phong trần mài một lưỡi gươm, Những loài giá áo túi cơm sá gì |
Posted By: madee
Date Posted: 18-Apr-2012 at 01:24
ok guys if anyone is out there then i need help, i am doing an assignment and i cannot find any clear answers th one question, why did australia get involved in the korean war?
all iv got so far is
1. allies to us
2. stop communism
3. seato treaty
help please and fast
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Posted By: Don Quixote
Date Posted: 18-Apr-2012 at 01:39
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Mostly 2, IMHO. They were worrying about a possible domino effect from Korea to Indonesia to Australia. The SEATO Treaty was created exactly to counter the communist threat, so it was the effect, not the reason. 1 is a reason too, but one of the reasons why Australia was ally of the US was in order to get help to counter the communist threat. Australia became ally to US in the WWi and then in WWII, when it started to see US as a primary defense partner/protector. ------------- |
Posted By: Centrix Vigilis
Date Posted: 18-Apr-2012 at 03:43
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The best answers for all the op's original questions to include Aussie participation can be found by reading the best work in 35 years on the subject: The Forgotten War: America in Korea, 1950–1953 , Clay Blair jr. It remains a internationally recognized classic and definitive telling of the conflict in accurate, concise and objective terms. Blair was a master military historian and prolifically successful author and a superb example of the proper use of the historical method.
------------- "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" S. T. Friedman Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true' |
Posted By: lirelou
Date Posted: 18-Apr-2012 at 09:12
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Yes, forget SEATO. The Korean War was, in many ways, a holdover from WWII. Australia fought in the Korean War as part of the Commonwealth contingent of the U.N. Command. Truman was looking for a way to commit the U.S. to Korea's (i.e., the ROK) defence, thereby avoiding the necessity of a declaration of war, and happened upon the U.N. solution, which assisted by a USSR absence in the U.N. meeting, contributed to a 'police action' to restore the pre-invasion status quo (which was the U.N. writ). MacArthur drove north bent on clearing the NK forces from Korea, and the Chinese intervened. Pay attention to the time line. The invasion by and later defeat of the North Koreans, saved from extinction by Chinese intervention, followed by a Chinese attempt to sweep the U.N. forces from Korea, which the U.N. stopped below Seoul, all took place in the first year. By July 1951 everyone had agreed to meet and settle the war issues, so the next two years of fighting were all over where the demarcation line between the two hostile forces would be. ------------- Phong trần mài một lưỡi gươm, Những loài giá áo túi cơm sá gì |
Posted By: Nick1986
Date Posted: 18-Apr-2012 at 19:17
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This Australian website might be of some use: http://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/korea/ - http://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/korea/ ------------- Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains! |
Posted By: Centrix Vigilis
Date Posted: 18-Apr-2012 at 21:20
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Good link. I would have recommended the old digger history forum but it appears to have been tossed into the crap can. ------------- "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" S. T. Friedman Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true' |
Posted By: lirelou
Date Posted: 18-Apr-2012 at 21:49
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Goliwog, I assume you've googled 3 RAR history Korean war? Also, google Australia or Korean War and "K Force". That should give you an idea of how Australia viewed the war. Andrew Salmon's Scorched Earth Black Snow is available as an ebook. It covers the early days of the Commonwealth Brigade which included the Middlesex Regiment, The Argyl and Sutherlands, and 3 RAR (which arrived from Japan after the Brigade had already been committed. ------------- Phong trần mài một lưỡi gươm, Những loài giá áo túi cơm sá gì |
Posted By: Nick1986
Date Posted: 19-Apr-2012 at 19:08
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Australian Korean War veterans: http://www.koreanroll.gov.au/ - http://www.koreanroll.gov.au/ ------------- Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains! |