The KMT wins the Chinese civil war.

Technically, AHE already covered this in alternate countries, but shut up and let me live my life mOM.

Anyways, I think we all know how this goes. The Republic of China defeats the People's Republic of China (most likely with stronger US backing than IOTL) in the Chinese Civil War, installing a regime led by the KMT's leader, Chiang Kai-shek. How might this change the Cold War in Asia? How could this affect US-USSR relations? Would the Korean War still break out? And with no Vietnam War to lose in, how would a still clean track record affect morale, and support for capitalism, in the United States?

In our history the Chinese civil war was won by Mao Zedong and the CCP. What if instead Chiang Kai Shek and the Koumintang (KMT) win the Chinese civil war? How does the rest of history change, besides the obvious fact North Korea loses barring direct Soviet intervention.

I merged both topics since they're the exact same thing. Continue.

China would take longer to industrialise and China probably wouldn't be a world power for a long time

I doubt it. A more open economy would allow for earlier investment into the Chinese Economy and China would today look like Taiwan.

Well for starters, the dynamics of the cold war would completely change as the Sino-Soviet split would never happen as there would be no alliance in the first place. The DPRK would have likely fallen in the Korean War do to no Chinese assistance, actually the Chinese would likely invade BEFORE the US and the NATO/UNTF in order to gain additional land.

After that, with three anti-communist powers in East Asia (China, Japan, Korea), the USSR's influence would be drastically reduced on that region of the continent. Anyways, it's likely that the First Indochina War would still occur, as that began even before the Chinese Civil War drew to a close, however, it's unlikely the rebellion would succeed in this timeline, with no PRC to back it. Therefore, no Vietnam War, no United States humiliation, more patriotism/pro-capitalism in the USA.

Also the 1969 Sino-Soviet border war might start WW3.

Commie_China_Champ wrote:China would take longer to industrialise and China probably wouldn't be a world power for a long time

I strongly disagree with this notion. After the Nationalist victory in China, the US would probably invest in China like they did in Europe to prove the strength of capitalism. The first decades of the regime would be shaky, as they were under Mao's rule, but as China industrialized, it would become ever stronger than in our timeline. Korea and Vietnam would be completely free, as China would never join against the South Koreans and North Vietnam would not be getting any support either. Possibly the North Vietnamese would lose if the Chinese supplied America intel and supplies. Overall much more Sino-Soviet tension and after the fall of the Soviet Union communism would be near extinction.

DavidlVofGeorgia wrote:Also the 1969 Sino-Soviet border war might start WW3.

I second this notion. The Sino-Soviet split was very hairy in its own right, and the competing ideologies allowed for world powers to pick and choose their brand of communism. Countries like Albania, North Korea, and Cambodia would have no ally or figure to turn to or emulate in instigating their own regimes other than the USSR.
This would allow the Cold War to be more focused on Europe, but would entail a much more militarized China during that same period. You're looking at U.S. based and joint U.S.-China drills to threaten the USSR. Scary thought.