WI: German mercenaries in the Chinese civil war

After WWII a not so small amount of German veterans joined the French foreign legion due to a lack of employment, family and perspectives. Considering that there were still quite some experienced and fanatical anti-communist veterans ins Germany in the 40s and 50s who were out of work, in detention or involved in various anti-soviet groups there is a medium sized source of manpower which will remain until the start of reconstruction and the later Wirtschaftswunder and Wiederbewaffnung. The French recruited tens of thousands of Germans which were not always happy with the treatment the French officers gave them. According to Der Spiegel at least 60% of the legionarys in Indochina were Germans. According to Prawda it was about 80%.

Could Chiang Kai Shek convince the French and Americans to allow him recruitment of German PoWs in the western occupation zones? According to various books Chiang was very satisfied with the German training mission in the interwar period. The performance of German trained units in the Sino-Japanese war was quite good in the early battles of the war they performed excellently against the various local revolts.

I believe that he could have formed at least two divisions of Germans and set up a training programm by 1947.

Is this plausible?
 
Perhaps have the German legionnaires in Indochina desert and flee across the border to China where they agree to essentially become mercenaries and establish a training program which attracts other Germans to China?
 
Even if you get a few thousand German men to fight for the Chinese Nationalists, I don't think this would really do much (if anything at all) to alter the Communist victory at the end of the Chinese Civil War.
 
If you want the KMT's forces to win against the Chinese Communists, then I believe this requires a POD before the Second Sino-Japanese War.
 
If you want the KMT's forces to win against the Chinese Communists, then I believe this requires a POD before the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Have Weimar survive, Germany remain an ally of China and China, rather than Spain be the venue for the Heer to test out new materiel and military theory.
 

Kaze

Banned
There were some German advisers (post World War One) in the Chinese Civil War - they were paid quite well (unlike the Chinese conscripts and volunteers) - they trained the troops quite well. The German-trained troops were considered the best units in the civil war - which did later give the Japanese a run for their money in World War Two.
=======================================
There was even a failed attempt by one warlord to purchase part of the German supply of mustard gas. The thinking was if they could buy it before the German government to destroy said poison gas, the warlord could use said gas in his favor.

In a different timeline the warlord was successful to at least purchase part of the supply, he could use it on his own countrymen and if he supply does not run out - the Japanese will be due for an unpleasant surprise.
============
As for post World War Two Germans - I can only think of one that would be welcomed by both the Nationalists and the communists: John Heinrich Detlef Rabe.
 
if a few thousand German go to help KMT but they still lose. Could they work for PRC either willing or by force
 
if a few thousand German go to help KMT but they still lose. Could they work for PRC either willing or by force

They'd probably be interred indefinitely or sent home to avoid spreading dangerous ideas, maybe a few would align with the reds but i imagine that would be discretionary.
 
After WWII a not so small amount of German veterans joined the French foreign legion due to a lack of employment...

...Could Chiang Kai Shek convince the French and Americans to allow him recruitment of German PoWs in the western occupation zones?...
I am doubtful. Time was against him. By the time the French foreign legion was fighting in Indochina, the civil war in China was pretty much won by the Communists already. For the Germans to make any impact, they would have to be recruited streight from the smoldering ruins of the Third Reich in 1945. By 1947, it would already be too late.
 
Top