The United States and the Republic of Korea have managed to forge a strong working relationship both in wartime and in peacetime; despite an inequality in power between them; through fulfillment of their respective responsibilities. Chay explores how Korean and American actions and inaction affected relations between the two and within the international context of the Korean War. He focuses on how and why war might have been avoided or resolved differently as a result of poor choices and missed opportunities. Using Korean sources; as well as Chinese and Russian materials; this study provides valuable new insights into the relationship between these two unequal powers.The course of the Korean War swung like a pendulum powered by two outside interventions: that of the United States; made largely due to the symbolic value of Korea; and that of China; an action taken mainly for security reasons. Chay identifies key actions; including the division of Korea along the 38th Parallel; the 1949 troop withdrawal; and the failure to build an adequate military and economic deterrent in the South; as events that; had they not occurred; might have influenced the final outcome of the conflict. Restraint on the part of the United States and China and the role of the Korean peninsula as a geographic buffer zone ultimately prevented either side from gaining control of the entire peninsula; resulting in a stalemate. While issues of relative strength and weakness hindered U.S.-Korean cooperation after the end of the Second World War; once war came to the region the two powers built a successful partnership that addressed the national interests of both parties.
#1914928 in Books 2012-10-05 2001-01-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.86 x 6.00l; 2.14 #File Name: 0271058439672 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Detailed and ComplicatedBy Sue FerdigA good book but very detailed. Perhaps Dunning has some real arguments against other writers on the subject; I just did not want to get in the middle of it. I felt he could have stated his position without bringing in so many contras. I am still plowing my way through. It is interesting to note the Russian political maneuverings of the 17th century. Very complicated..0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Four StarsBy Sarah E GarciaVery interesting. It didn't hurt that the author was my professor too. ;)6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. In the eye of the beholder ....By GDPChester Dunning's 'Russia's First Civil War' offers a microscopic look into "history"; not only the period known as Russia's 'Time of Troubles' but also; as a by-product; into the very nature of "history" itself; that is; the shifts that take place in historical judgments based upon re-evaluation of evidence; new evidence; and changes in the perspectives of historians. In the case of the 'Time of Troubles' that means; among other things; sifting through the layers of propaganda produced by successive regimes from Boris Godunov's to the Romanov dynasty; and confronting the long-accepted version of events interpreted through the lens of Marxism (i.e.; the 'Time of Troubles' was a conflict between social classes).To-date there are two reviews of the book; and BOTH are fair based upon the POV of the reviewers. The four-star review (9/7/03) points out a strength of the book; specifically "Dunning's analysis into the underlying social; economic; and political causes of the Time of Troubles" yet warns that the book best serves "Russophiles" (and general readers less so). Agreed. The three-star review (10/19/13) emphasizes that the book "seems to be more a critical survey of the history literature of the period than it is straight historiography". That also seems right and could be off-putting to some readers. Certainly there are books that present a smoother general narrative of events while touching upon the salient features of the time.So why five stars? Dunning reveals the complexity of personal motivations for both the key players and many of the "interest groups" involved in those tumultuous times. Rather than a simplified Tsar vs. Boyars vs. serfs narrative we are shown the varieties of aristocrats (high-born; low born; service gentry; et al); bondsmen (serfs; slaves; et al); cossacks (Volga; Don; or others who have "gone cossack"); and military personnel (pomeshchiki; streltsy; et al); not to mention "pretenders" (false Dmitri I; II; and III; as well as Tsar Petr; et al) that intersected as temporary allies or enemies. History is a vortex of persons jockeying for a chance at advancement; prosperity; or personal freedom not as monolithic groups; but as individuals within a Russia expanding; confronting unrest across its extended borders; grappling with dynastic changes; and subject to the effects of the "little ice age" that impacts all of Europe.One is left with the real sense that throughout this period people were constantly recalculating their best bet as tsars come and go; and as "pretenders" come and ... well; they never seem to go; they miraculously survive and then reappear! Towns are conquered and oaths are sworn to the victors and those oaths remain binding until circumstances change (that is; if you hadn't been thrown out of a tower or cudgeled and stuffed under the ice before reconsidering). The deep cultural and spiritual influence of the Russian Orthodox Church within the populace is also ever-present. History is rarely simple and straightforward; but rather multi-dimensional.So the beauty of Dunning's book is that it presents the complexity of this history (and by extension all 'history') - persons navigating immediate circumstances within the context of longer term factors such as climate change; geopolitical struggles; religious considerations; and inequality ( ... gee; like me; you might feel right at home!). He also comments upon the period's influence upon subsequent periods of Russian history (and some of the consequences are quite ironic).If you want a good "beach read"; forget it. If you are looking for a good general history of the 'Time of Troubles' that provides access to this most remarkable period and place; this might not be your best choice. But if you are familiar with and fascinated by Russia's 'Time of Troubles' and would enjoy the insight into a complex story and the shifting historical judgments made over time then this is a wonderful book; well worth the time and effort. At least; that's how I see it.
