Nixon Saves China

Many years ago I heard this story from a few Koreans while I was in Korea. And then again from a few military personnel I had met right after Former President Nixon’s death.  Both stories were basically about the same with only a few differences here and there. So please bear with me as I try to type out something that I’m recalling from almost 20 years ago.

During the time of the Nixon Administration, winter time was approaching the Korean people. Separating the Northern and Southern parts of the peninsula was a long series of fences and land mines. All except for one area where a huge lake (or river) which ran across part of the line. This area was patrolled but saw no real action as the water was very deep and in no way could be used as a military target. Except during the winter time.

On many occasions, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il wanted to restart the war but China was becoming more reluctant in supporting another war especially with the threat of nuclear weapons being used by the Americans if they should support the South Koreans. After getting no were with China, North Korea turned to the Soviet Union for help.

After a few meetings a plan was put together for a winter assault where the Americans would be too late to mobilize any form of real counter attack including the South Koreans as well. When the winter weather freezes the water almost all the way to the bottom, North Korean forces would drive across the frozen water and take out any opposition, working their way down towards the southern peninsula.

The Soviet Union would send their troops in behind the North Koreans to secure the area and establish outpost in case of counter attacks from other nations. But the Chinese government was unaware of these plans. And when the Soviet forces came across the Chinese boarder, they would do so without the blessing or support of the Chinese government. But someone was watching these two countries plan their attack on South Korea.

As spy planes and satellites were takings pictures while monitoring the communication traffic between North Korea and the Soviet Union, the U.S. Government knew that something was about to happen.  They saw Soviet troops what looked like an invasion force lining up with the Mongolia and Chinese boarders close to the North Korean border. They also watch North Korean forces move their men and equipment moving towards the South Korean border.

President Nixon was briefed of the situation and decided to notify the Chinese government. But there was a problem. There was no real diplomatic relations with China. And as soon as word got out about their knowledge of what was being planned, the Soviets could easily cancel their plans, making America look like idiots of trying to cause problems between the Soviet Union and Chine. Basically make Nixon look like he wanted another Vietnam War in Korea.

President Nixon decided to try another approach. He had all the reports; pictures, recordings all sent on using multiple planes to meet with the Chinese officials. The currier was non-other than the Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. He presented all the evidence of what the North Korean and the Soviet Union were planning. At first the Chinese officials didn’t believe him but as they sent their own people to investigate, they were surprised at what they had discovered.

The North Koreans were moving all their forces to the area near the border zone as well as seeing Russian troops massing their forces along the Chinese borders. An army so large that they could easily occupy all of Korea but what scared the Chinese leaders was that a section of those forces was angle to go through the capital of Beijing. And then all hell breaks loose.

The Chinese military is called out to the border along the Soviet Union as the Chinese officials make phone calls to the Soviet and North Korean Leaders. As war was about to break out something else happened that caused to Soviets and North Koreans to cancel their invasion plans; warm weather.

The body of water that was to freeze solid so trucks, tanks, armor personnel vehicles as well as troops could cross over never froze. In what many Koreans had called a very unusually warm winter. It was the first time in many years that the Korean people had a warm winter. And with that none of the North Koreans could launch their attacks. Plus US forces was moving their forces near the border being described as training exercises.

Soviet forces leave the Chinese borders as word get to the Soviet leader that the American forces are stepping up their military presence in South Korea as was the Chinese and South Korean forces were on high alert. This was the final chance for North Korea to take over South Korea using their military. After that day, U.S. and South Korean military increased their patrol of the Korean border zone. And the Chinese began increasing their military forces as well for a possible Soviet attack.

Not long afterwards President Nixon was able to go to China and be known as the man who saved China. A trade agreement was made between both nations that are still in place today. For good or bad, a war was averted as nuclear options were suggested to be used on Korean and Chinese soil. And the relationship between the Soviet Union and America were more opened up as the Soviet leaders were fearful of having China and America working together against the Soviet Union.  And to this day the Chinese government still does not trust Russia.

Results of War

I wrote this very quickly so please excuse the grammar errors.

The negative parts of war being death, dismemberment, loss of love ones and property is the most that everyone can agree with. Hollywood has promoted it, rap music glorified it as reporters use it as a stepping stone for their career. But the positive parts of war are often missed until enough time has passed to see the results of it.

As with the traditions of warfare in Europe and Asia, the victory takes everything as the loser becomes subject to a new ruler. As the Kingdom of Israel was conquered and absorbed into the Babylonian Empire. Even as the Roman Empire conquered other nations they set up puppet governments to handle the local subjects. Much like how Communist Russia controlled the bordering communist countries.

Many kingdoms have been absorbed into another country. China is one example of this as small kingdoms were combined into one nation through war. Even Great Britain and Japan are another examples of small kingdoms united into one Nation.

But that changed in the 20^th century as the major countries involved were powerless to stop it. Not even 170 years old as America changed the course of warfare and forgiveness in Europe and Asia. Long ago in Europe, England and France were always at war with each other for centuries. Each new ruler of these countries would plan out warfare that went on for over a hundred years. Or they would trade relatives off in marriage to ease tensions between one another.

In Asia, Japan and China/Mongolian would always rage war with each other. Majority of the time Korea would be caught in the middle of it. The last time China tried to evade Japan, they used Korean slave labor to build the Chinese sailing fleet using Korean natural resources. With the trade routes opened with America, Japan began to embrace Western technology. The main reason was to be better prepared for the next Chinese invasion.  

America was still young. So young in fact that a civil war broke out. Two different forms of thinking of leadership and respect of human life were played out as being declared the bloodiest war ever recorded in human history. The winner of this war decided the course of thinking and lifestyle of America. The Northern side won leading to a huge expansion as a nation and people. The country grew even larger as the Industrial Revolution fully embraced the nation in creating a huge economic boost.

The 20^th Century

At the beginning of the 20^th century two nations continued the age old quest of warfare. Germany and Japan. Germany basically tricked two other countries into the 1^st world war just to claim land and resources for their own. Japan, having learned Western warfare tactics, began subjugating weaker countries like Korea to build up Japans military forces. Eventually both nations joined together to combine their strengths and intelligence.

The lessons learned from battles between England and Germany help Japan prepare for their 1^st battle with America at Pearl Harbor. This battle took America truly by surprise as years before Japan gave America many Cherry Blossom trees that were planted throughout Washington DC. A thriving trade route between both nations leading many politicians, military officials and people well educated to considered Japan an ally of America.

Japan’s military leaders were trained and well prepared. They planned their battle with America as they have with other wars in the past. A hit and run attack thinking America would be too afraid to counter it or attack back at them. But the ruling Japanese leaders didn’t count of two things. One, they could have been half way to the Mississippi River before the U.S. government could counter an attack. American was an agrarian nation transitioning to an industrial production nation.  American didn’t have a strong military force nor wanted one.

Second, America became extremely pissed. Japan was viewed as a friendly nation to America. Doing what has been called a cheap shot, a hit and run tactic. An act of vandalism looked upon as a sick joke. At least when Germany attacked America they stayed around. Honor in wartime is important and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was viewed as dishonorable.

America was at war. An unproven nation of cocky people experiencing war, outside of their borders. England had to help the American forces at first. But as time went on the American military grew up very quickly. To the point the United States were leading other nations. In providing soldiers, money, mass production of food, weapons and war supplies while housing prisoners of war. And as the war in Europe and Asia both came to an end America stood as a super power nation.

Civil War  

With the victor goes the spoil. Unlike many other nations in history past, America didn’t do what was expected to happened Germany and Japan. Germany was broken into four different sections with each section controlled by America, England, France and Russia. America made it clear that Germany would stay as one country as it was being rebuilt. Only Russia refused and kept control of their section of Germany. Their rule over what became known as East Germany ended when the Berlin Wall came down in 1990.

Japan was to have a similar fate as well. China was to get Hokkaido. Korea was to get everything from Kyushu to the Okinawan Islands as America acquired the middle section of what was left of Japan. General MacArthur went against having a trial for war crimes on the Emperor of Japan and his family and instead used the Emperor to rebuild Japan into a nation that would never repeat those crimes again. The Emperor went along with this not only for the future of a better Japan but because the Japanese military were months, if not days, from transitioning over to a communist form of leadership with plans to kill the Japanese Royal family.

The reason America went this way towards two nation that were killing millions of people, conquering so many weaker nations was due to the lessons America learned from the Civil War. A time that the American people were killing fellow Americans, neighbor’s even family members for what they believed was right for the nation. Americans on both sides of the Civil War were very religious. The Southerners that lost the war were told by General Grant to go home and care for their families. Even allowing them to take their weapons with them. And when President Lincoln was killed, many Southerners who considered him an enemy mourned his death as a great tragedy to the nation. The Christian values that were very strong then were still present after World War Two.  

America still looked towards these two nations as friends. Making sure that each nation could stand on their own, even improving their way of life. Japanese girls could finally go to school for the first time. America sent plane after plane into Berlin during the Berlin Blockade making sure the people there were well supplied with food and other provisions.

Even during the Korean War after the cease fire was proclaimed, America stayed and helped to rebuild the Korean society. After years of Chinese and Japanese occupation the American Government could have easily taken over the southern part of Korea as a military position towards communist China and Russia but they didn’t. They gave everything they could to help the Koreans to stand back on their feet stronger than ever.

These three nations; Germany, Japan and Korea became Superpower Nations. Leading the whole world with new technologies that we take for granted now. Cars, electronic gadgets, medicines; the list is a mile long. But they would never be able to achieve any of this without the support and love of a nation that went against the established norms. America viewed the people of these countries as equals.

If England and France had their say, Germany would be nonexistent with Great Britain having lands bordering France. The Japanese language would be a dead language as the people there would all be speaking Chinese now. As well as Korea would be a lost nation where China rules completely there now. That is the established norm of warfare when the victor goes the spoils.

Unlike World War 1 &2 and the Korean War, Vietnam was a political war controlled by Congressional politicians to abandon it later by taking away all the money going to the war.  Leaving nothing to save the missing and dead servicemen still held prisoner there.

The Gulf War was simply liberating a country that was taken over by its neighbor. The Afghan and Iraq War is still being fought out even though it’s officially over but America is doing what it has done so in the past; rebuilding those countries so they can stand on their own. Even against the wishes of those like the Taliban that want to continue to dominate and oppress the people there.

What came out of these nations so far has spread to other countries in that region. People now have a voice and a vote in their political process. Countries like Egypt, Libya and Syria are fighting against their oppressed government to have the freedoms that they never had before.

In all these wars people have died and sacrificed a lot. But where America was able to truly do what it has done so in the past has created new Nations stronger and better than ever before. Mistakes were made as that is part of being human. But never giving up until the job is done is what America has done best. In time if that influence was to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan like it had in Germany, Japan and Korea then in years’ time these two nations could be the next super power nations of the world with a government, religion and lifestyle of their own choosing.