Feb 18 2018 39 mins 40
This is a VERY detailed episode, and can be best divided into three parts. 1) Explaining the different NSC reports and papers, and how they were reconciled as new developments affected a change in US foreign policy. 2) Stalin's decision to walk out of the UN Security Council, and why he did it! 3) Acheson's speech to the National Press Club on 12th January 1950 - so long lambasted as an example of the Secretary of State's carelessness, but in actual fact representing a veiled attempt to appeal to Mao Zedong. As detailed as it is, it's also chock full of fascinating info, so listen in! Episode 11: Coming Full Circle ties together the last six episodes that examined the Sino-Soviet and Sino-American relations in their different boxes. The countless ways in which American, Soviet and Chinese interests overlapped in the world made hammering out satisfactory deals somewhat difficult, but as 1950 dawned, the Chinese were finally closing in on signing the deal with the Soviets, but not if Dean Acheson had anything to say about it! In the course of his last efforts to drive that wedge between China and Russia, Acheson performed the now infamous speech at the National Press Club on 12th January 1950. Ever since that moment, Acheson came to be regarded as the man who led the world to believe that the US did not care about South Korea, and thus he is sometimes criticised for giving the green light to Kim Il-sung, who interpreted his speech as saying that Washington would leave Seoul to its fate. The reality, as we'll discover, was a bit more complicated, FAR more interesting and had, at its goal, the friendship of China. Acheson was not going down without a fight, but within days, everything he held to be true about American foreign policy would change. See how such an incredible story unfolded, in our latest episode of the Korean War! ****** Music used: "Smoky Mountain Blues" by Wallace Chains, released in 1939. Available:http://www.museumsyndicate.com/item.php?item=82680 Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/ Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below. Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFails Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/ Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207 Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=en Visit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/ Visit the blog: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/ Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/ Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
