Saving the KMT

Can anyone come up with POD's that could save the KMT from ultimate defeat and retreat to Taiwan? I came up with four:
  • Mao dies in the Autumn Harvest Uprising of 1927 and is replaced bu Zhu De, the founder of the Chinese Red Army
  • Zhou Enlai goes to Moscow for training as a revolutionary (instead of to Paris where he coordinates an effort of coordinating CPC and KMT factions in Europe which then leads to him going back to China and being appointed a position in the Whampoa Academy where he rises in the ranks of the CPC) and remains there as a sort of organizer and guide for other traveling Chinese in Russia, no Zhou Enlai, no spyring
  • Mo Xiong is captured and exposed to be a Communist spy. The intelligence he provides IOTL never reaches the CPC HQ's in Jiagnxi and Sichuan), Chiang's offensives work in defeating the CPC. The CPC is gone before the Japanese invade.
  • No Operation August Storm and the Chinese get to harness Manchurian industry to the fullest during the Civil War.
I'm not so sure about the second POD but I am sure that eliminating Zhou Enlai would do it, so how else could he be taken out of the picture so that he doesn't organize the spy ring that reveals Chiang's plans?
 
Interesting! But could KMT have properly ruled China? They were truly quite a corrupt government in many ways, and I doubt they would have made the most competent or capable rulers. Then again, you don't get much worse than Mao.
 
I doubt KMT can control the entire China for long period of time. Since its foundation, its major supporters are the middle and upper class. After WWII, japanese carpet bombing made everyone poor and KMT lost most of their supports. It will only be a matter of time for up rising to spring up from rural areas, force KMT to give up Northen parts of China and concentrate on solidifying the south.
 
I doubt KMT can control the entire China for long period of time. Since its foundation, its major supporters are the middle and upper class. After WWII, japanese carpet bombing made everyone poor and KMT lost most of their supports. It will only be a matter of time for up rising to spring up from rural areas, force KMT to give up Northen parts of China and concentrate on solidifying the south.

Yes but with the Commies gone before the Japanese invade (if Zhou Enlais is taken out of the picture and the offensives in Jianxi work), who will be left to oppose the KMT?
 
In order to KMT to survive successfully in Mainland China, KMT should kill Mao Zedong in 1930s before Sino-Japanese War of 1937 and Chang-Kai Shek must clean up his party from corruption. Corruption is the first reason why majority of Chinese reject KMT because Chang-Kai Shek tolerates it.
 
In order to KMT to survive successfully in Mainland China, KMT should kill Mao Zedong in 1930s before Sino-Japanese War of 1937 and Chang-Kai Shek must clean up his party from corruption. Corruption is the first reason why majority of Chinese reject KMT because Chang-Kai Shek tolerates it.

Yeah I figure he'd die in the 1927 Autumn Harvest Uprising.
 
Yes but with the Commies gone before the Japanese invade (if Zhou Enlais is taken out of the picture and the offensives in Jianxi work), who will be left to oppose the KMT?

But Chiang has connection with gangs, making him untrustworthy in the eye of chinese. Also, his strategy of flooding the Yellow River regions to stop the Japanese advance made his image even worse. It probably would be better for some one else to step in.
 
But Chiang has connection with gangs, making him untrustworthy in the eye of chinese. Also, his strategy of flooding the Yellow River regions to stop the Japanese advance made his image even worse. It probably would be better for some one else to step in.

Like who? I'm not too familiar with KMT personnel other than Chiang.
 
Like who? I'm not too familiar with KMT personnel other than Chiang.
Like... well, arguably, a longer-lived Sun Yat-Sen could fit the bill.;)
Altough the general idea for challenges is to make the POD as late as possible, but, if one wants to be technical, Faeelin's The Legacy of Sun Yat-Sen does save the KMT/GMD from ultimate defeat and retreat to Taiwan. Sure, it is a quite different KMT...
 
KMT was like a less competent and more oppressive version of the Burmese junta. Saving it would not be as easy as killing a few opposition leaders. Your best bet is to get rid of Chiang as soon as possible. I have no idea who could replace him though.
 
Yes but with the Commies gone before the Japanese invade (if Zhou Enlais is taken out of the picture and the offensives in Jianxi work), who will be left to oppose the KMT?

I'd like to ask this question again? Maybe a coalition of warlords? Even that won't be able to form a rival government against the ROC. Corruption will be a rampant problem yes, but if no one great enough is left to oppose Chiang, nothing will stop the KMT from taking over.

Like... well, arguably, a longer-lived Sun Yat-Sen could fit the bill.;)
Altough the general idea for challenges is to make the POD as late as possible, but, if one wants to be technical, Faeelin's The Legacy of Sun Yat-Sen does save the KMT/GMD from ultimate defeat and retreat to Taiwan. Sure, it is a quite different KMT...

Hmm..... Sun did die pretty young at 58 but what exactly could happen if he survives? Also, couple his survival with the death of Mao in 1927...
 
KMT was like a less competent and more oppressive version of the Burmese junta. Saving it would not be as easy as killing a few opposition leaders. Your best bet is to get rid of Chiang as soon as possible. I have no idea who could replace him though.

To be fair, they had to reunite China in the middle of the Depression while the Japanese were slicing off parts of China. I sincerely doubt Mao would have done better.
 
To be fair, they had to reunite China in the middle of the Depression while the Japanese were slicing off parts of China. I sincerely doubt Mao would have done better.

It's a herculean task for anyone, but mission impossible with poor leadership to begin with. KMT's biggest enemy wasn't the Communist but rather themselves. To save the KMT you'll have to gave them a new leader determined to clean house. Basically they were doomed when Sun Yat-sen named Chiang as his successor. Before Chiang the Communists were just the left wing of the KMT. With someone more inclusive in charge the Communists may have been co-opted and there would be no civil war.
 
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