Eisenhower overruled nuke attack on China

[rasczak]

Whoa!

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Eisenhower overruled some of his military commanders in summer 1958, ordering them not to use nuclear weapons against China if communist forces blockaded the Taiwan Strait, according to declassified Air Force documents.


President Eisenhower had the support of a congressional resolution to use force in defense of Taiwan.

Eisenhower "made it clear that the Chinese would be given a warning with conventional explosives before he would authorize dropping of the deadlier ordnance" on Chinese territories, according to the documents made public by George Washington University's National Security Archive.

The president had the support of a congressional resolution to use force in defense of Taiwan. His decision not to use nuclear weapons still left them available if needed for subsequent attacks, according to the newly released narrative by a contemporary Air Force historian, Bernard Nalty.

The top-secret document was one in a collection obtained by a freedom-of-information lawsuit filed by the Archive after more than a decade of requests that the documents be declassified, said William Burr of the Archive.

As the crisis grew, according to the papers, five B-47 bombers on Guam went on alert in mid-August to conduct nuclear raids against Chinese airfields.

The idea of using nuclear weapons to prevent the Chinese from using ships and aircraft to isolate Nationalist-held islands in the strait was accepted by Eisenhower's Cabinet -- except Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, who was on vacation.

The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Air Force Gen. Nathan Twining, had explained at a Cabinet meeting that U.S. planes would drop 10- to 15-kiloton nuclear bombs in the vicinity of Amoy, a coastal city on the Taiwan strait now called Xiamen.

The idea was that the Chinese would have to lift their blockade. Otherwise, the United States would proceed to attack Chinese airfields.

But Eisenhower ruled out the initial use of nuclear weapons, concluding that the fallout would cause civilian casualties in China and on Taiwan, risking nuclear escalation.

The Pacific Air Force commander, Gen. Lawrence Kuter, whose operations plan had assumed the United States would carry out nuclear strikes as necessary to defeat attacking Chinese communists, characterized the idea of a "limited response" as disastrous.

As tensions grew, Chinese artillery fired thousands of rounds against Big and Little Quemoy, but there was no evidence that a Chinese invasion was in the works. Eisenhower approved recommendations by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to strengthen Taiwan's air defenses and the Seventh Fleet. The U.S.-backed nationalist air force shot down 32 communist MiG fighters during the crisis.

In October, China announced a ceasefire. Shelling subsequently resumed and then tapered off, possibly because the Chinese concluded that the United States might reply with its own use of force.

What would the world be like if this had happened? Wow.

 

[flxnimprtmscl]

Originally posted by: rasczak
Whoa!


What would the world be like if this had happened? Wow.

Less crowded probably.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

The Chinese wouldn't be making my lead painted toys

 

[irishScott]

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
The Chinese wouldn't be making my lead painted toys

No, they'd be radioactive.

 

[maddogchen]

that sounds like a stupid plan

it would probably have led to more US use of tactical nukes maybe even in Vietnam. Might have even led to nuclear war eventually down the line with the Soviets.

 

[sdifox]

I always pegged Eisenhower as a smart one. So good that people don't know he's good.

 

[buck]

Interesting read.

 

[Phokus]

THe military was batsh*t f***ing insane back then (see operation northwoods). Now it's pretty much switched: crazy stupid f***ing president and a more sensible military leadership.

 

[rasczak]

Originally posted by: Phokus
THe military was batsh*t f***ing insane back then (see operation northwoods). Now it's pretty much switched: crazy stupid f***ing president and a more sensible military leadership.

Funny how it works out isn't it? Wasn't GHW Bush in the military? You think he got his warmongering skills from that era and passed them down to his son?

 

[rpanic]

Didn?t they also want to use nukes to help build some freeways through mountainous areas back then? They seems a little nuke happy.

 

[techs]

Uh, this is has been well reported and common knowledge for like 30 years.
In fact, when Nixon was planning his China trip, he let it out so the commies would:
1)see how peace loving America was
2)fear the U.S.
It was also revealed that in the 1970's the Soviet Union approached the U.S. proposing a joint nuclear strike on China.
Welcome to History.
Its fascinating, which is why I have a degree in it.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: rpanic
Didn?t they also want to use nukes to help build some freeways through mountainous areas back then? They seems a little nuke happy.

There was Operation Plowshare which investigated the use of nuclear explosives for commercial applications (harbors, canals, etc...)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Plowshare

 

[Rumpltzer]

Nukes from the US seems a bit overkill for this situation... and my family is from Taiwan.

I'm guessing we wouldn't be partaking in the Beijing Olympics, we would have made a lot more money selling/leasing weapons systems to Taiwan (more than we already do), and Mexico would be a lot richer as we'd be buying our cheap junk from them instead of the Chinese.

 

[Regs]

Why it's sometimes good to have an elected civilian as commander and cheif.

I''m sure they're about 100x of other close incidents amongst the chain of command and the rules of engagement.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: Phokus
THe military was batsh*t f***ing insane back then (see operation northwoods). Now it's pretty much switched: crazy stupid f***ing president and a more sensible military leadership.

You do know that prior to his life as a politician, Eisenhower was a career soldier...right?

 

[Baked]

Prices of electronic goods will cost 5x more, and it would be the norm.

 

[Fox5]

It was also revealed that in the 1970's the Soviet Union approached the U.S. proposing a joint nuclear strike on China.

Details, never heard this before, and it's quite surprising too.

 

[maddogchen]

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
Nukes from the US seems a bit overkill for this situation... and my family is from Taiwan.

I'm guessing we wouldn't be partaking in the Beijing Olympics, we would have made a lot more money selling/leasing weapons systems to Taiwan (more than we already do), and Mexico would be a lot richer as we'd be buying our cheap junk from them instead of the Chinese.

But Eisenhower ruled out the initial use of nuclear weapons, concluding that the fallout would cause civilian casualties in China and on Taiwan, risking nuclear escalation

your family might have died in the nuclear fallout and you might not have been born. :Q

 

[crystal]

Originally posted by: Fox5

It was also revealed that in the 1970's the Soviet Union approached the U.S. proposing a joint nuclear strike on China.

Details, never heard this before, and it's quite surprising too.

Yeah.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Wasn't it General McAurther that was basically booted out after proposing using 13 nukes on North Korea?

 

[LongCoolMother]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
Wasn't it General McAurther that was basically booted out after proposing using 13 nukes on North Korea?

that, and pretty much mouthing off against the president, disregarding orders, etc.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
Wasn't it General McAurther that was basically booted out after proposing using 13 nukes on North Korea?

Don't remember the # but that was one of the reasons he was removed.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
Wasn't it General McAurther that was basically booted out after proposing using 13 nukes on North Korea?

Actually he wanted to nuke China as well.
Bill