Li Bai wrote in "Battle City South": "In the Long March of Ten Thousand Miles, the three armies are aging. ”
The most terrible thing in wartime is to expose shortcomings to the enemy, which will cause a fatal blow, and a particularly tricky thing happened during the period of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. There is a very important bridge between China and North Korea, the Yalu River, and it is precisely because of this bridge that the manpower and materials of the volunteer army can be smoothly transported in wartime.
In early November 1950, MacArthur, then-commander-in-chief, started the idea of building a bridge. He immediately reported to his superiors that he wanted to use the Yalu River to deliver a fatal blow to the Chinese volunteers.
Indeed, if the Yalu River had been blown up at that time, it would have had an immeasurable impact on the Chinese Volunteer Army.
But what he never expected was that the instruction given by the US high level was not to move the Yalu River, and even within five kilometers of Northeast China, it was impossible to move. MacArthur, who had been ready, had felt the joy of victory, but was defeated by this reply. So why are the U.S. top brass not allowed to implement this plan?
After the end of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union became the two most powerful countries in the world. These two powerful states occupied the north and south sides of the Korean Peninsula.
Although two powerful countries have rules, the idea of a powerful country is to occupy each other and make themselves the most powerful. In this process, there are some things that cannot be done on the surface.
The real point that gave the United States a chance to do things was after the outbreak of the Korean Civil War. At that time, the Americans believed that without the encouragement of the Soviet Union, how could a poor and relatively weak country take the initiative to launch an attack, so the Americans felt that the Soviet Union was constantly testing its own bottom line.
But at that time, the United States also had a concern, at that time, our country was an ally with the Soviet Union, and at the same time the distance with North Korea was very close, and the United States came to the conclusion that China would send troops to help. But things didn't go in the direction imagined by the American leadership, even somewhat unexpectedly.
On October 8, 1950, an incident occurred in which American aircraft bombed Soviet North Korean airfields. It was thought that a war between the two countries would break out, but although the Soviet Union took certain measures and issued a protest after learning of this matter, it did not cause a war between the two countries.
After the first bombing of the airfield, the United States continued to do its own thing, perhaps also to provoke the Soviet Union. But the Soviet Union was not angry, but hoped that the two countries would continue to be friendly and maintain cooperative relations.
What was even more surprising was that the Soviet Union made the neutral Country Norway a "peacemaker", hoping to solve the North Korean problem by peaceful means. However, the United States has used the "hooligan" method, and in their position, it has never said that it "takes a step back from the sea and the sky".
Instead, because of the Soviet Union's attitude toward the Korean incident, the top american leadership decided to take further measures against the Korean Peninsula when they learned that the Soviet Union wanted to value peace.
It was thought that the war would be stopped by hitting the 38th Parallel, but the new order received by the Un Forces was to annex the Entire Korean Peninsula.
In the face of the Soviet Union's attitude toward things, the Americans can be said to be full of confidence. Because China and the Soviet Union were allies at that time, and since the Soviet Union had decided not to care, the Americans felt that China was at the time of the founding of New China and might not have time to take care of other things, so they were also determined to win for North Korea.
For various reasons, it has been more arrogant and has been going north. But what the UN forces never expected was that when the DPRK sent a request for assistance to China, the Chinese volunteers sent by our country entered the Korean battlefield to participate in the war.
On October 19, 1950, the volunteer army sent by our country went north into the battlefield, and in just six days, with the cooperation of great victory, it also stopped the plan of the United Nations army to occupy in time.
For the news of China's entry into the war, the commander-in-chief at the time, MacArthur, did not believe it at all, and even felt that China should not send a large number of troops to participate in the war, perhaps only a small group came to support, or even did not pay attention to the Chinese volunteer army.
Why was MacArthur's request to blow up the Yalu River rejected?
It is possible that MacArthur regretted his initial underestimation of the Chinese volunteers, because after the volunteers attacked, they were beaten and had to retreat backwards, and the army was also severely damaged and paid a big price.
At this time, MacArthur, in order to win back a round and make the Chinese volunteers pay a big price, focused on the Yalu River Bridge on the border between China and North Korea as the only way for the Chinese volunteers to transport supplies and personnel. If it is blown up, it will certainly be able to win a complete victory, and the Chinese army will return in ashes.
Thinking of this, he began to prepare for a meticulous study, wanting to blow up the Yalu River Bridge and prepare the most advanced bombers in the United Nations for the mission. However, it also took into account diplomatic issues, so it sent a message to the United States Board of Chiefs of Staff asking whether to approve the destruction of the Yalu River Bridge.
After receiving his news, the Joint Staff Did not dare to jump to conclusions about this plan, so it chose to inform Truman, and finally concluded that the bombing of the Yalu River Bridge was not allowed.
MacArthur, who was ready to start bombing the bridge on the front line, jumped to his feet when he learned of the bombing of the Yalu River Bridge and his request was rejected.
But he never gave up, asking his superiors for instructions to blow up the Yalu River Bridge, but it was rejected again and again. So what caused Truman to reject the proposal to blow up the Yalu River Bridge?
First, I don't want to be the inferior party of public opinion
At that time, it was shortly after the end of World War II, for all countries in the world, it was the time for cultivation and recuperation, if a large-scale war was triggered again, then it would usher in the criticism of all countries in the world, and it was already at a disadvantage in terms of public opinion.
Moreover, the blow-up of the Yalu River Bridge is not just a matter of what happened between North Korea and the United States, but has risen to the diplomatic level, so it needs to be handled with more caution.
Second, undermining relations between states
Although the United States is a great power, it does not exist independently, and before the war with Korea, it has reached an agreement with Britain and some countries in Western Europe, and will not take the initiative to launch a large-scale war or expand outward. If the Yalu River Bridge is blown up this time, it is likely that all countries will be involved, and the relations between countries that have been difficult to maintain are likely to break down.
Third, the Chinese Volunteer Army will spare no effort to repair the Yalu River Bridge
From the perspective of the situation of the war at that time, the willpower of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army was also seen by everyone, and since he could think of the Yalu River Bridge as a very important bridge, then the Chinese People's Volunteer Army could also think that even if it was blown up, it would be repaired as much as possible in a short period of time to complete the transmission of manpower and materials. Therefore, blowing up the bridge is equivalent to doing useless work in a short period of time.
Behind the war is the promotion of interests and the help of desire. The outbreak of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea was an expression of THE ambitions of the United States. Assuming that the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea was not successful, the United States really completed its plan to annex North Korea at that time, and history is likely to be rewritten. It is also unknown where China, as a neighbor of North Korea, will go. But fortunately, the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea was victorious and became a war for the founding of the country.