沒有國民黨就沒有中國, Without the Kuomintang there would be no China, A Republic of China Story
- Thread starter CELTICEMPIRE
- Start date
I'm definitely going to have him be one of the candidates at least.
I think the fact that he wasn't made a martyr + years of being away may hurt his chances a bit. His OTL assassination basically turned him into a Rizal figure for the anti-Marcos movement. @KingSweden24 did this "martyr no longer" issue very well when he made Rizal the first Philippine president in Cinco De Mayo!
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uhh what, is this spam, (@CalBear ?), please clarify what do you want to talk about...
Oh its alright, just wondering why there was suddenly a random video without any text. Sorry.
EDIT: Now that I (re)watched the video, I think the fact that China ITTL will be in a much stronger footing to face the challenges it will face, whether the newfound democracy will be a burden or an advantage for ITTL China is not yet determined (although, IMO I think it will be the latter.)
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That was an interesting video, thanks for posting it. I will say that this China has one major advantage over OTL in that the sex ratio won't be so skewed.
1.25 billion as of 1994.
0.12 billion more than our world, what will the largest population be you think?
Yes.
It will probably peak somewhere in between 1.5 and 1.6 billion.
Considering that the population of China OTL is about 1.4 billion, this bodes well, especially if without the disastrous one child, the disastrous aging and gender imbalance is avoided, ensuring China can maintain a relatively young average age going into the 21st century.
一百九, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos
In the latter half of the 20th century Cambodia developed very differently than its neighbors. It won its independence from France at the same time as Vietnam and Laos. Vietnam and Laos soon were engulfed in civil war, conflicts that would rage on from the 1950s to the 1980s. Some were worried that internal conflict would come to Cambodia. But the country remained at peace. It also pursued a neutral foreign policy, where it would try to maintain good relations with China, the USSR, and the USA. After the 1966 coup in Indonesia, Cambodia and India became the only countries in the region to be on good terms with the USSR. While Vietnam and Laos violently suppressed Communism, Cambodian Communists were allowed to participate in politics.
Communist participation in Cambodian politics was contingent on the Communists not becoming too popular or influential. The Communist Party of Cambodia would not have more than 10% of seats in the National Assembly. The Cambodian Communists were not as radical as others, and the party was even led by a member of the royal family. Radicals split from the Communist Party of Cambodia in the 1960s and were promptly imprisoned. The Cambodian economy grew during this time, though the country remained poor. In the 1970s, the government offered incentives for foreign investment. Chinese and Japanese businessmen especially took advantage of this. Around the same time the pro-democracy movement began to pick up steam. In the 1980s the government agreed to a transition to democracy, and the first fully free elections were held in 1992. Sihanouk, who was king upon independence, remained as king until he died in 2012.
(Sihanouk)
In the 1950s it looked as if Vietnam might not even remain united. Upon independence, the country was split between six factions. However, the monarchist faction would soon fade into irrelevance. Then four factions eventually put their differences aside in order to fight the Viet Minh. The anti-Communist coalition would come to be dominated by the Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng (VNQDD), a party backed by China and modeled after the Kuomintang. Without Chinese help, the party would not have been able to rule the country. In 1958 China intervened in Vietnam’s internal conflict in order to impose VNQDD rule on the country. The other anti-Communist factions understood that it was in their best interests to cooperate with the VNQDD and China; they accepted that they would be junior partners in the new ruling coalition at best. Eventually the VNQDD merged with the smaller DVQDD to form the Vietnam People’s Party.
Vietnamese President Nguyễn Tường Tam looked up to China in many ways, and appreciated China’s support, but he was concerned about being seen as too dependent on China. He was a Vietnamese patriot and nationalist, even if he was seen as a puppet. During his presidency, Vietnam seemed like the most likely country in the region to become a democracy. Nguyen promised fully free democratic elections as soon as the insurgency was defeated, and free elections were held at the local level at various times in the late 60s and early 70s. His assassination in 1973 changed that. The assassination remains an unsolved mystery, but a group of army officers were executed after pleading “not guilty” to the charge of killing the president. Nguyễn Văn Thiệu would lead Vietnam after the assassination.
(Nguyễn Tường Tam)
Nguyễn Văn Thiệu would continue to fight against the Viet Minh insurgents. They would eventually be defeated, with the last confrontation between the Vietnamese Army and the Viet Minh occurring in 1982. His rule would be marked by authoritarianism and corruption (though his defenders will point out that it was the people working under him who were corrupt). Though the regime was unpopular, many who would otherwise be willing to revolt wouldn’t because any rebellion would invite Chinese intervention. This all changed when the Kuomintang lost its first presidential election in 1990. In 1991, massive protests led to concessions by the government in order to avert a revolution. In 1993, free elections were held and the VNQDD lost its majority, forcing it to form a coalition with other parties to keep control of parliament. General Tôn Thất Đính, an independent, won the presidential election. The VNQDD would occasionally return to power in Vietnam, but only as part of a coalition government.
(Nguyễn Văn Thiệu)
Laos had a much more violent 20th century than Cambodia, though it was a bit less violent than Vietnam. Just like in Vietnam, there was a bloody Communist insurgency. Unlike in Vietnam where the conflict lasted into the 1980s, the Pathet Lao was completely vanquished by 1975. China and the US provided aid to the Laotian government during and after the insurgency. King Sisavang Vitthana was happy to be on the good side of both countries. For the people of Laos, America was winning the popularity contest. Chinese soldiers had killed many Lao civilians during the insurgency. On the contrary, America never put boots on the ground in Laos or bombed any of its land. Nevertheless, the government was friendly with China.
Laos was at peace, but it remained an extremely poor country. Foreign aid only went so far in developing the country. The government was very generous when it came to foreign investment, whether it be Chinese, Japanese, or American. The country was politically dominated by the monarchist faction, led by Prime Minister Boun Oum. Both the king and the prime minister would die in the early 80s (1980 for Boun Oum and 1983 for Sisavang Vitthana). Vong Savang would succeed his father as king. By the 1980s, there was growing discontent with the monarchy. All political parties represented in parliament were led by royals. Attempts to form new political parties and organizations were shut down in the 1980s.
(Vong Savang)
As the 80s progressed, there were more and more protests against the regime. These protests were all suppressed by the government. In 1990, there was a major anti-government uprising that lasted for several months before it too was put down. The government did respond to the uprising by giving its citizens more freedoms and trying to improve the quality of life in the country. Nevertheless, unrest continued as the 90s progressed. Elections were held in 1995 in which the monarchists were defeated. However, the next two years would be full of political violence accompanied by a general rise in crime and rising unemployment. In 1996 officers in the Laotian Army overthrew the government in a coup, stopping the implementation of democracy in the country.
Communist participation in Cambodian politics was contingent on the Communists not becoming too popular or influential. The Communist Party of Cambodia would not have more than 10% of seats in the National Assembly. The Cambodian Communists were not as radical as others, and the party was even led by a member of the royal family. Radicals split from the Communist Party of Cambodia in the 1960s and were promptly imprisoned. The Cambodian economy grew during this time, though the country remained poor. In the 1970s, the government offered incentives for foreign investment. Chinese and Japanese businessmen especially took advantage of this. Around the same time the pro-democracy movement began to pick up steam. In the 1980s the government agreed to a transition to democracy, and the first fully free elections were held in 1992. Sihanouk, who was king upon independence, remained as king until he died in 2012.
(Sihanouk)
In the 1950s it looked as if Vietnam might not even remain united. Upon independence, the country was split between six factions. However, the monarchist faction would soon fade into irrelevance. Then four factions eventually put their differences aside in order to fight the Viet Minh. The anti-Communist coalition would come to be dominated by the Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng (VNQDD), a party backed by China and modeled after the Kuomintang. Without Chinese help, the party would not have been able to rule the country. In 1958 China intervened in Vietnam’s internal conflict in order to impose VNQDD rule on the country. The other anti-Communist factions understood that it was in their best interests to cooperate with the VNQDD and China; they accepted that they would be junior partners in the new ruling coalition at best. Eventually the VNQDD merged with the smaller DVQDD to form the Vietnam People’s Party.
Vietnamese President Nguyễn Tường Tam looked up to China in many ways, and appreciated China’s support, but he was concerned about being seen as too dependent on China. He was a Vietnamese patriot and nationalist, even if he was seen as a puppet. During his presidency, Vietnam seemed like the most likely country in the region to become a democracy. Nguyen promised fully free democratic elections as soon as the insurgency was defeated, and free elections were held at the local level at various times in the late 60s and early 70s. His assassination in 1973 changed that. The assassination remains an unsolved mystery, but a group of army officers were executed after pleading “not guilty” to the charge of killing the president. Nguyễn Văn Thiệu would lead Vietnam after the assassination.
(Nguyễn Tường Tam)
Nguyễn Văn Thiệu would continue to fight against the Viet Minh insurgents. They would eventually be defeated, with the last confrontation between the Vietnamese Army and the Viet Minh occurring in 1982. His rule would be marked by authoritarianism and corruption (though his defenders will point out that it was the people working under him who were corrupt). Though the regime was unpopular, many who would otherwise be willing to revolt wouldn’t because any rebellion would invite Chinese intervention. This all changed when the Kuomintang lost its first presidential election in 1990. In 1991, massive protests led to concessions by the government in order to avert a revolution. In 1993, free elections were held and the VNQDD lost its majority, forcing it to form a coalition with other parties to keep control of parliament. General Tôn Thất Đính, an independent, won the presidential election. The VNQDD would occasionally return to power in Vietnam, but only as part of a coalition government.
(Nguyễn Văn Thiệu)
Laos had a much more violent 20th century than Cambodia, though it was a bit less violent than Vietnam. Just like in Vietnam, there was a bloody Communist insurgency. Unlike in Vietnam where the conflict lasted into the 1980s, the Pathet Lao was completely vanquished by 1975. China and the US provided aid to the Laotian government during and after the insurgency. King Sisavang Vitthana was happy to be on the good side of both countries. For the people of Laos, America was winning the popularity contest. Chinese soldiers had killed many Lao civilians during the insurgency. On the contrary, America never put boots on the ground in Laos or bombed any of its land. Nevertheless, the government was friendly with China.
Laos was at peace, but it remained an extremely poor country. Foreign aid only went so far in developing the country. The government was very generous when it came to foreign investment, whether it be Chinese, Japanese, or American. The country was politically dominated by the monarchist faction, led by Prime Minister Boun Oum. Both the king and the prime minister would die in the early 80s (1980 for Boun Oum and 1983 for Sisavang Vitthana). Vong Savang would succeed his father as king. By the 1980s, there was growing discontent with the monarchy. All political parties represented in parliament were led by royals. Attempts to form new political parties and organizations were shut down in the 1980s.
(Vong Savang)
As the 80s progressed, there were more and more protests against the regime. These protests were all suppressed by the government. In 1990, there was a major anti-government uprising that lasted for several months before it too was put down. The government did respond to the uprising by giving its citizens more freedoms and trying to improve the quality of life in the country. Nevertheless, unrest continued as the 90s progressed. Elections were held in 1995 in which the monarchists were defeated. However, the next two years would be full of political violence accompanied by a general rise in crime and rising unemployment. In 1996 officers in the Laotian Army overthrew the government in a coup, stopping the implementation of democracy in the country.
Yes.
Yes.
Speaking of Thailand, that country is in the next chapter.
How would Vietnamese people ITTL react if they read a timeline of the OTL Vietnam War?
Probably horrified both by the North Vietnamese victory the incompetence of much of the South Vietnamese leadership. Some might say it's ASB to have America put boots on the ground in China's sphere of influence.