Earlier Sino-American Alliance

Okay, this one might be a little crazy, but bear with me. What if Stalin had convinced Kim Il Sung to abandon his designs on unifying Korea (perhaps by simply not supporting the entire plan), and thus Truman does not become suspicious of the Communists, so he allows China to take down Chiang in Taiwan without American intervention. As a result, Mao has a much better opinion of the United States (or is at the very least less hostile).

Assuming this is all plausible so far, do you think Mao's paranoia about Stalin will push China towards the United States more in result in an earlier alliance of convenience aimed towards the Soviet Union?

Obviously the aim is to have this happen before Nixon visits China in 1972.

Extra awesome bonus points and cookies and such if it still happens after a visit by Nixon to China, whether it be during a Eisenhower's term or an alt-Nixon as President in the 60s.

Go!
 
No way, Chiang was our old buddy from way before Truman ever became president. A lot of the KMT had American education, it really could not have gone that way.
 
No way, Chiang was our old buddy from way before Truman ever became president. A lot of the KMT had American education, it really could not have gone that way.
Sorry, I should have put an AH Challenge before the title. But either way, I don't think American education has jack shit to do with whether or not we support them. We're Americans, we're really good at throwing our friends under the bus for our own gain. Communist China is a much better ally than little Taiwan, and I believe that prior to the Korean War the entire Cold War thing was more America vs Russia than Capitalist vs Communist, hence why this would be a good chance to get it to happen.

Thanks for your response, though. :)
 
For all the American sympathy for Chiang and the KMT, Chiang viewed the Americans as another set of foreigners to be used for his domestic agenda. Prior to the Korean War, Truman had no intention of propping up Chiang, and Chiang prepared to form a government in exile in Manila. The White House also strongly believed Mao would follow Tito: another Communist who gained power indigenously through a peasant revolt and was far too proud to submit to Stalin.

So just as Tito became a western-friendly Communist, Mao begins relations with the US in 1950. Mao and Tito form the nucleus of a second Communist Bloc, to which most Communist movements in the Third World ally with.

When Mao visited Moscow in late 1949, behind closed doors there was plenty of disagreement around Soviet interests in northern China. Simply make these disagreements more bitter and open, and then have Stalin order Kim to abandon his plans for Korea.

If nothing else, it would curb the sheer insanity of Mao's mass campaigns.
 
For all the American sympathy for Chiang and the KMT, Chiang viewed the Americans as another set of foreigners to be used for his domestic agenda. Prior to the Korean War, Truman had no intention of propping up Chiang, and Chiang prepared to form a government in exile in Manila. The White House also strongly believed Mao would follow Tito: another Communist who gained power indigenously through a peasant revolt and was far too proud to submit to Stalin.

So just as Tito became a western-friendly Communist, Mao begins relations with the US in 1950. Mao and Tito form the nucleus of a second Communist Bloc, to which most Communist movements in the Third World ally with.

When Mao visited Moscow in late 1949, behind closed doors there was plenty of disagreement around Soviet interests in northern China. Simply make these disagreements more bitter and open, and then have Stalin order Kim to abandon his plans for Korea.

If nothing else, it would curb the sheer insanity of Mao's mass campaigns.
That was my understanding of the situation, but apparently others differ.
 
Of course Tito was in charge of a small nation almost entirely surrounded by Soviet client states, and ran a moderate regime the West could do business with.

Mao is a Stalinist diehard who was happy to work with Moscow in the 1950s. His weakening due to the Great Leap Forward and Khrushchev's liberalisation scheme is what led to a distinctive Maoist ideological brand.

Best bet is avoid Korea by having the US provide the South with some decent firepower - its puts off ever cautious Stalin and Kim has to sit tight.

Then come Stalin's death, Mao feels the Soviets are impeding the world revolution, becoming increasingly reactionary etc. he decides to deal with America to screw Moscow. He blocks aide to North Vietnam in return for economic aid and international recognition. America encourages Sino-Pakistani links to isolate pro-Soviet India.
 
Of course Tito was in charge of a small nation almost entirely surrounded by Soviet client states, and ran a moderate regime the West could do business with.
Fair enough.
Then come Stalin's death, Mao feels the Soviets are impeding the world revolution, becoming increasingly reactionary etc. he decides to deal with America to screw Moscow. He blocks aide to North Vietnam in return for economic aid and international recognition. America encourages Sino-Pakistani links to isolate pro-Soviet India.
Kind of got to it in a backwards way, I like it.

Also, pro-Soviet India was not something I considered. Would they be nearly as useful as the Chinese? Maybe with Soviet support they would develop faster.
 
Wasn't India already pretty pro-Soviet OTL?

Yes that's what I meant. Earlier pro-US stance in China equals earlier Sino-Pakistani links based on existing ties between Moscow and Delhi.

Be interesting to see how such a China would react to the Bangladesh War. Nixon after all backed Pakistan in 1971. China didn't sign an official alliance with Pakistan until 1972. Shift the dates and it could get messy.
 
Be interesting to see how such a China would react to the Bangladesh War. Nixon after all backed Pakistan in 1971. China didn't sign an official alliance with Pakistan until 1972. Shift the dates and it could get messy.
That could be fun to explore in itself!

Also, with earlier (and IMO closer) ties between Soviets and India, I wonder if would see some Communistic revolutions in the Middle East (Persia?) instead of Nam and Korea.

For that matter, how would Nam play out ITTL? They asked for American help up after World War I(!), I wonder if there is any chance to avoid that. If not, Chinese help mighty make it into a curb stomp. This also has potential effects on Japanese-American relations - maybe we see a longer occupation?
 
A good POD would be 1964-65 when the US withdraws the last of its military personnel from South Vietnam and the Cultural Revolution never takes place. JFK visits China in 1966 or 67 and afterwards rapprochement with Mao and Zhou Enlai.
 
Top