Communist Sun Yat-sen

Could Sun Yat-sen adopt communism while in exile in the west

Would he be as successfully in making alliances with other Chinese groups

What would be the impact of communist Sun Yat-sen
 
As I noted at https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/wi-song-jiaoren-doesnt-get-shot.454663/#post-17795313 even the Principle of Livelihood of Sun in OTL was too "socialistic" for many early GMD leaders like Song Jiaoren. A Sun who had been converted to Marxism before 1912 would have had little influence on most Chinese revolutionaries (many of whom were anxious to get merchant and gentry support).

Maurice William did claim that Sun was on the verge of becoming a Marxist-Leninist in 1924 and that only a reading of William's The Social Interpretation of History "saved" him. See https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...ed-world-history-spoiler-probably-not.463667/ for why I find this totally unconvincing.
 
The main problem is that China barely had any industry and virtually no middle class to speak of. Trying to go "socialism of the peasants!" Will end in disaster
 
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