Chapter 34 6. Clark throws in the towel

The U.S. authorities have clearly seen that the longer the war drags on, the more positions the "United Nations Army" will lose. The sooner the war stops, the less positions will be lost.Under the dual pressure of strong political protests and condemnations from the DPRK and China, as well as severe military strikes, the always arrogant United States had to soften down.The United States exerted pressure on Syngman Rhee and assured the DPRK and China to abide by the armistice agreement. U.S. President Eisenhower admitted in his memoirs that the Communist Party had a "reasonable reason" to ask "whether the United States can guarantee the implementation of any agreement involving South Koreans", and Clark was unable to answer it.

In order to make Syngman Rhee accept the truce and to enable Clark to reply to Kim Il Sung and Peng Dehuai, the United States exerted pressure on Syngman Rhee. On June 25, Eisenhower sent Assistant Secretary of State Walter Robert as the President's special envoy to South Korea to persuade Syngman Rhee.Clark also asked the Joint Chiefs of Staff that "if the Republic of Korea violates the armistice agreement, the United Nations should withdraw its military support." Meanwhile, according to Taylor, "Clark was empowered, despite Syngman Rhee's objections, to expeditiously resolve the Armistice negotiations." Taylor was also authorized to explain to senior military officers in South Korea: "The United States' patience with Syngman Rhee is close to the maximum." Taylor said in his memoirs: "In order to express our urgent intention, we By reducing supplies to the South Korean military, especially ammunition and petroleum products, and cutting or even stopping deliveries of equipment to augment the South Korean military, I am trying to remind the Korean generals that their country and military are dependent on In the United States, if Syngman Rhee continues to resist the armistice, there will be no hope of aid." Taylor also said: "To further emphasize this point, I held a press conference and publicly stated my position: If South Korea decides to go alone Keep fighting and the 'United Nations' can emerge from this conflict without much difficulty."

Beginning on June 26, Robert held 14 meetings with Syngman Rhee. On the one hand, he threatened and intimidated Syngman Rhee to understand the benefits of losing American help; The old guy who doesn't like it, but no one else can replace it, can follow the command of the United States.On July 11, when the talks ended, the United States stated to Syngman Rhee: 1. After the armistice, the United States will continue to promote the reunification of Korea through peaceful means; 2. Conclude a joint defense treaty between the United States and South Korea; The economic aid, and first aid 200 million U.S. dollars.The United States took this as a condition in exchange for Syngman Rhee's statement that he would not violate the armistice.For Syngman Rhee, it is not his wish to cease the war, but he is also very clear that without the help of the United States, he will accomplish nothing, and even the whole of South Korea and his puppet president's throne will also be lost.He also tasted the benefits of being punished for breaking the truce.Originally, his unpopular act of sabotage, on the one hand, expressed his unwillingness to cease the war, and on the other hand, he asked the United States for this.Now that the United States has met his asking price, the farce cannot continue.He told Robert that he had no intention of acknowledging the armistice agreement, but he would no longer engage in activities against the armistice.

On June 29, Clark also made a convincing statement, and made a reply and assurance to Kim Il-sung and Peng Dehuai. He admitted that Syngman Rhee's "release" of prisoners of war "is a serious incident" and assured that "the 'United Nations' The governments of the countries concerned will make every effort to obtain the cooperation of the Government of the Republic of Korea, and where necessary, the United Nations forces will make every effort to establish military defenses to ensure that the terms of the armistice will be observed."At the same time pleading for the resumption of negotiations.

Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai believed that although Clark did not give a comprehensive and clear answer to the questions raised by the DPRK and China, he had already shown softness and made some guarantees.In view of this, you can reply in the names of Jin and Peng, expressing your agreement to resume regular meetings between the two delegations.After the resumption of the meeting, the U.S. side must make a complete guarantee. It must be clarified whether the truce signed by the "United Nations Army" includes Syngman Rhee's army?The United States must have an unequivocal answer, otherwise there will be no truce, or there will be destruction after the truce.

On July 7, a letter was sent to Clark in the name of Kim Il Sung and Peng Dehuai, agreeing to resume regular meetings between the two delegations. On July 10, after a 20-day adjournment, the Armistice Negotiations held a meeting of delegations from both sides.At this time, Harrison, the US representative, also changed his original rogue appearance, almost like a child who has done bad things, listening to the adults' questions and making promises one by one.When Nam Il, the chief representative of the DPRK-China delegation, asked whether he could guarantee that South Korea would not undermine the implementation of the terms of the armistice agreement, Harrison assured that the South Korean government "will not in any way obstruct the implementation of the terms of the draft armistice agreement."What attitude will the "United Nations Army" take when asked about South Korea's aggression to break the armistice?Harrison assured: "When the Republic of Korea conducts any aggressive acts that undermine the armistice, the 'United Nations Army' will not support it." What attitude will the "United Nations Army" adopt when resisting aggression and defending the truce?Harrison assured that: "The 'United Nations Army' remains in a state of truce and will not provide any support to the South Korean Army, including no support for equipment and supplies." The 9 questions raised were answered and guaranteed one by one.

In order to allow the world to see Harrison's guarantees for supervision, on July 19, the North Korean and Chinese delegations made these guarantees public to the world.At the same time, he said that although the US's answers and assurances to some questions are not yet satisfactory to the DPRK and China, given the US's assurances, the DPRK and China are still willing to discuss various preparations before the signing of the armistice agreement as soon as possible. On July 24, the staff of both sides revised the military demarcation line for the last time.At this time, compared with the military demarcation line revised when the military demarcation line agreement was reached on November 27, 1951, the DPRK and China had a net advance of 332.6 square kilometers.From the agreement on the military demarcation line reached on November 27, 1951, to July 1953, in 20 months, the modern equipment of the United States, the aircraft and artillery of the United States failed to help them win an inch of land, but instead lost more than 330 positions. square kilometers.At this point, there is no "respect" for the United States at all, but if the war does not stop, it will be even more "decent".

At 10 a.m. on July 27, 1953, Nam Il, chief representative of the DPRK-China delegation, and Harrison, chief representative of the US delegation, signed an armistice agreement in Panmunjom.At 1:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on the same day, Clark, the commander-in-chief of the "United Nations Army", signed the armistice agreement in Munsan, southeast of Kaesong, and Kim Il-sung, the supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, in Pyongyang. On the 28th, Peng Dehuai, commander of the Chinese People's Volunteers, signed the armistice agreement in Kaesong.The negotiating parties agreed that 10 am on July 27, 1953 would be the signing time.According to the provisions of the armistice agreement, the two sides ceased fire at the same time 12 hours after the signing of the agreement, that is, at 22:00 on July 27, 1953, and the Korean armistice was realized.So far, the Chinese people's War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea has ended successfully.

Clark later recalled the situation of the Korean War and said: "In May 1952, I was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the 'United Nations Army', representing 17 countries, to resist the Communist invasion in South Korea. After 15 months, I signed an armistice agreement. The agreement is temporarily suspended... the war on that unfortunate peninsula. To me it also means the end of my 40 years of military service. He is the highest post in my military experience, but he has no honor. In the execution of my government's orders I have the unenviable honor of becoming the first U.S. Army commander in history to sign a non-victorious armistice. I feel a sense of disappointment and pain. I miss my predecessors, MacArthur and The two generals Ridgway must have felt the same way."

The well-known American political writer Joseph Gurdon, in the introduction to his book "Korean War-The Undisclosed Inside Story", said at the beginning of the book: "Averell Harriman, a veteran American politician, talked about the Korean War. , calling it 'a bitter war'." "The Korean War is one of America's less pleasant experiences: when it was over, most Americans were eager to ease it from the chasm of memory." Erase. For some reason, the Korean War was the first US war without a triumphant victor. The US kept North Korea in a stalemate with Communist China, a huge and backward Asian country."

The world hegemon and the "leader" of the free world - "Uncle Sam", lost his glory and prestige on the Korean battlefield - he lost in front of the Chinese People's Volunteers and the Korean People's Army, and he lost badly.