Could combatants besides the Communists have taken over China in the 40s?

Lots of different parties were all contending for control of China ever since the Revolution; the KMT were the frontrunners for a long time, delivering heavy blows to the Communists and the warlords, but were bled white during the war with the Japanese, and eventually driven to Taiwan. In military terms, there was plenty of friction and fog within all contestants, which makes me think very different decisions could have been made.

Could the KMT have crushed the Communists if Chiang hadn't been forced into a truce at gunpoint? Could the United Front or KMT have defeated the Japanese (assuming the West doesn't cut off their oil supply and obliterate their military first), and if the KMT falls, would the Japanese be able to defeat the Communist guerrillas?
 
Lots of different parties were all contending for control of China ever since the Revolution; the KMT were the frontrunners for a long time, delivering heavy blows to the Communists and the warlords, but were bled white during the war with the Japanese, and eventually driven to Taiwan. In military terms, there was plenty of friction and fog within all contestants, which makes me think very different decisions could have been made.

Could the KMT have crushed the Communists if Chiang hadn't been forced into a truce at gunpoint? Could the United Front or KMT have defeated the Japanese (assuming the West doesn't cut off their oil supply and obliterate their military first), and if the KMT falls, would the Japanese be able to defeat the Communist guerrillas?

Yes, the GMD probably could have crushed the Communists after the Xi'an Incident, but they might 'revive' during WWII when the GMD is reoccupied.

The United Front and GMD could probably defeat the Japanese.

If the GMD falls, the Japanese would not be able to defeat the Communist guerillas. They didn't have much power outside of the heavily urban areas, and the Communists were self-sufficient, especially in rural areas.
 
My concern is that the GMD lost all their best troops in the first months of the war, and the Japanese made rapid progress all the way to Hubei, before the Yangtze front stabilized between Wuhan and Changsha. Even with the Navy getting the first share of the military budget (and getting obliterated by the U.S.), the Japanese managed to launch Ichi-Go as late as 1944, which would have put them in a much stronger position if the War of Resistance didn't get pulled into the broader World War. Linking Beijing, Kaifeng, Wuhan, Changsha, and Guangzhou by rail makes their supply situation much easier, so they can shift unengaged forces from the north for a drive towards Chongqing and Chengdu. Yeah, the Japanese's strongest control is along the rivers, rails, and seas, but that's where 90% of the population lives.
 
My concern is that the GMD lost all their best troops in the first months of the war, and the Japanese made rapid progress all the way to Hubei, before the Yangtze front stabilized between Wuhan and Changsha. Even with the Navy getting the first share of the military budget (and getting obliterated by the U.S.), the Japanese managed to launch Ichi-Go as late as 1944, which would have put them in a much stronger position if the War of Resistance didn't get pulled into the broader World War. Linking Beijing, Kaifeng, Wuhan, Changsha, and Guangzhou by rail makes their supply situation much easier, so they can shift unengaged forces from the north for a drive towards Chongqing and Chengdu. Yeah, the Japanese's strongest control is along the rivers, rails, and seas, but that's where 90% of the population lives.

They might have access to those areas, but it doesn't mean that they held enough control to defeat the Communists: the GMD could because there were at least some pro GMD people who could help them - nothing for the Japanese
 
My concern is that the GMD lost all their best troops in the first months of the war, and the Japanese made rapid progress all the way to Hubei, before the Yangtze front stabilized between Wuhan and Changsha. Even with the Navy getting the first share of the military budget (and getting obliterated by the U.S.), the Japanese managed to launch Ichi-Go as late as 1944, which would have put them in a much stronger position if the War of Resistance didn't get pulled into the broader World War. Linking Beijing, Kaifeng, Wuhan, Changsha, and Guangzhou by rail makes their supply situation much easier, so they can shift unengaged forces from the north for a drive towards Chongqing and Chengdu. Yeah, the Japanese's strongest control is along the rivers, rails, and seas, but that's where 90% of the population lives.

They might have access to those areas, but it doesn't mean that they held enough control to defeat the Communists: the GMD could because there were at least some pro GMD people who could help them - nothing for the Japanese
 
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