# Ramifications of deaths of diplomats in military attack? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 27, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ramifications-of-deaths-of-diplomats-in-military-attack/797432 "2017-09-27T15:46:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ramifications-of-deaths-of-diplomats-in-military-attack/797432/1 "2017-09-27T15:46:08Z")
Imagine that Trump does nuke Pyongyang (and elsewhere in North Korea). Now in addition to many North Koreans dying, a large number of foreign diplomats will also die. How would that be treated internationally? Is it seen as a risk diplomats run? How did it operate with American diplomats in the UK and Europe in 1939-41? ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ramifications-of-deaths-of-diplomats-in-military-attack/797432/2 "2017-09-27T16:10:17Z")
Well [NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_bombing_of_the_Chinese_embassy_in_Belgrade) was not well received. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ramifications-of-deaths-of-diplomats-in-military-attack/797432/3 "2017-09-27T16:18:01Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Imagine that Trump does nuke Pyongyang (and elsewhere in North Korea). Now in addition to many North Koreans dying, a large number of foreign diplomats will also die. How would that be treated internationally? Is it seen as a risk diplomats run? How did it operate with American diplomats in the UK and Europe in 1939-41? Since a declaration of war traditionally means that all diplomats of the two countries are withdrawn, any diplomats in London would have been allies of the UK. Since Germany had no diplomatic relations with those countries, diplomatic immunity would not apply. It’d be the same for diplomats in Berlin. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ramifications-of-deaths-of-diplomats-in-military-attack/797432/4 "2017-09-27T16:19:03Z")
I thought that in 1939-41 the US had diplomatic relations with both the UK and Germany? ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2017, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ramifications-of-deaths-of-diplomats-in-military-attack/797432/5 "2017-09-28T11:09:56Z")
Likely in Washington. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ramifications-of-deaths-of-diplomats-in-military-attack/797432/6 "2017-09-29T02:08:08Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Since a declaration of war traditionally means that all diplomats of the two countries are withdrawn, any diplomats in London would have been allies of the UK. Since Germany had no diplomatic relations with those countries, diplomatic immunity would not apply. > > It’d be the same for diplomats in Berlin. There were neutral diplomats (ie Swedes, Portuguese, etc.) in both capitals. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ramifications-of-deaths-of-diplomats-in-military-attack/797432/7 "2017-09-29T02:14:54Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Imagine that Trump does nuke Pyongyang (and elsewhere in North Korea). Now in addition to many North Koreans dying, a large number of foreign diplomats will also die. How would that be treated internationally? Is it seen as a risk diplomats run? How did it operate with American diplomats in the UK and Europe in 1939-41? The outrage over the use of a nuclear weapon would far outweigh any outrage over the deaths of diplomats. The scenario you are talking about probably involves the deaths of hundreds of thousands to millions of civilians; that some number of diplomats were killed would be but the cherry on top of the United States becoming a pariah. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ramifications-of-deaths-of-diplomats-in-military-attack/797432/8 "2017-09-29T02:18:03Z")
It would only matter in that Hillary could be blamed somehow.