What would China's fate look like with a KMT victory in the Chinese Civil War?
For instance, would we see rapid economic growth begin three decades earlier than in our TL?
Also, there would be no unnecessary mass deaths in China in this TL after 1950, correct?
There wouldn't be the GLF/CR, but considering how fucked over the KMT was OTL, I'm interested in what circumstances led to their victory. Expect the White Terror at the bare minimum, rampant corruption, and a general worse state of affairs compared to OTL until 1958, when the GLF hit OTL, if only because the GLF was such a massive setback. In other words, yes, expect unneccessary mass deaths.
As for growth, I highly doubt it'd be three decades early. Even if Chiang hits his head on a rock, dies, and lets somebody with more brains to take over, China will still have just emerged from 3 decades~ of anarchy, chaos, mass murder, and destruction. That'll take some time to fix.
Well, what would Stalin do in such a situation? Would he prop up Mao in Manchuria or allow Chiang to totally defeat Mao and the Communists?
Well, the fate of China probably depends on whether there is a PRC-in-Manchuria or all of China is ruled by the KMT.
Aye - I'm interested in that point. Manchuria had some massive manufacturing potential, and even today, still does. Will the RoC have access to this? Did Stalin drop Mao after Chiang/Jiang was winning? I can see him doing that, given how he hated Mao. Then again, Russia's always wanted to steal Manchuria...
Sheng Shicai tried to cuddle up to the KMT when he started to think that the Soviet Union might fall to Germany. To that end, he started expelling Soviet advisors and executing Chinese communists to show his newfound loyalty. When the Soviets didn't fall, and are winning on the Eastern Front, he got cold feet again. When he tried to appease Stalin request his help in removing the KMT, the dictator simply forwarded the letter to Chiang to show him just how much of a chronic backstabber Sheng was. He was removed from power.
Strangely enough, he managed to survive the civil war and escape to Taiwan, but you get the idea.
Sheng Shicai was a steaming pile of shit. I'm honestly surprised he made it to Taiwan without being shot on sight.