Chinese Civil War

Cause and Course

2 main groups in conflict

• Chinese Communist Party (Communist, far left)

• Kuomintang (Nationalist, right wing)

Period of the war

• 1927 to 1949

When was the long march?

• 1934 to 1936.

Who was leader of the CCP?

• Mao Zedong, specifically after the long march in 1935.

Who was the leader of the KMT?

• Chiang Kai-shek, specifically after Sun Yet-Sen’s death in 1925.

Which group was in power?

• The Kuomintang (KMT) was in power during the early years of the Chinese Civil War.

When did the CCP take power over the KMT?

• 1949, after winning the war.

Which military group held the more powerful army in the early stages of the war?

• The KMT far outnumbered the CCP.

How many troops did the KMT and CCP have between 1927 and 1930?

• KMT: Roughly 1 to 2 million

• CCP": Roughly 10,000 to 70,000

What military tactics did the CCP have to resort to?

• Guerilla Warfare (Sabotages, Ambushes, etc.)

• Mobile Warfare (Fast moving units)

When was the KMT officially instated as the government of China?

• 1928

What are Warlords?

• Wealthy landowners

What was a feature of Warlords that led to discontent among the working and rural class?

• The Warlords often mistreated peasants.

What was Maochun Li’s thesis on the success of the CCP?

• Maochun Li believed their success stemmed from their militaristic ability to adapt and use guerrilla warfare.

• TLDR: Military

What was Philip Short’s thesis on the success of the CCP?

• Philip Short believed that the CCP had succeeded primarily due to its ability to empathize and mobilize with the rural peasant class with a blend of Marxism.

• TLDR: Peasant Focus/Support

What was Michael Lynch’s thesis on the success of the CCP?

• Michael Lynch believed, similarly to Philip Short, that the CCP's success was rooted in its ability to connect with and gain the support of the rural population through effective leadership and revolutionary ideals. But he notes that this was largely because of propaganda.

• TLDR: Peasant Focus/Propaganda

What, and when was the May 4th movement?

• The May 4th movement called for modernization and cultural reform, taking place in 1919 Beijing

• The May 4th movement consisted primarily of students.

Where did the CCP end up after the Long March?

• Yun’an.

What was the troop decrease before and after the Long March?

• They decreased from roughly 80,000 to 8,000.

When did the Japanese first invade China?

• 1931

What did Chiang Kai Shek do in response to this invasion?

• Rather than defending against the Japanese, he remained focused on suppressing the CCP.

What did the KMT do about Chiang’s decision?

• They kidnapped him and urged him to focus on the Japanese

When was the first united front against Warlordism?

• 1924 - 1927.

When was the second united front against the Japanese?

• 1937 - 1945.

What was significant about the second united front?

• The CCP became more recognized.

• KMT stopped perusing the CCP.

• The CCP managed to garner more support among the public through propaganda.

Who did the CCP appeal to primarily?

• Rural peasants

• Women

• Working class

What was arguably the main factor that led to the KMT’s downfall?

• Loss of the peoples support

When did the KMT escape to Taiwan?

• 1949