Q&A · 4:47:04-4:47:38

Would a different World War II also delay the Korean War?

A later conflict is possible, but the answer does not support a firm date or assume the same postwar settlement.

Question

Would the Korean War occur later after a delayed Second World War?

Short answer

A later conflict is possible, but the answer does not support a firm date or assume the same postwar settlement.

Notes

Changing the larger war alters many later decisions and relationships. The follow-up asks whether Korea would be divided at all, which remains unresolved. It also notes that Japan could spend longer fighting in China while the Allies increased support to the Kuomintang. Those changes prevent a simple shift of the historical Korean War by a fixed number of years.