A hypothetical removal of Mao near the beginning of the Korean War raises questions about how firmly the Chinese Communist Party had consolidated its power. The discussion places this possibility during campaigns against alleged counterrevolutionaries and remnants of the Kuomintang, before the Great Leap Forward. Rural operations described as suppressing bandits also targeted armed groups outside Communist control, including some that had fought against Japan. A different course for the Korean War and Chinese unification is suggested, but the result remains conditional on the party's strength at the moment of removal.
Notable Point · 31:29-33:20
Removing Mao before the Korean War
The possible consequences of removing Mao depend on the timing of Communist consolidation and campaigns against rival political and military groups.