...In many respects, China had been in a state of civil war since the Shanghai Massacre and the collapse of the First United Front in 1927. The main phase of the Chinese Civil War, however, is usually regarded as the period from late 1945 to 1949. After the Japanese surrender in August 1945, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Guomindang (GMD) agreed to hollow peace talks and an abortive ceasefire. By the start of 1946, however, the two groups were again fighting for control of China. This final phase of the Chinese Civil War culminated in the CCP’s capture of Beijing and its leader Mao Zedong (Wade-Giles: Mao Tse-tung) declaring the formation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in October 1949. Nationalist generalissimo Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-shek) was forced to retreat to Taiwan, where he established an alternative government called the Republic of China (ROC). The civil war inflicted major suffering on China’s civilian population, already exhausted and economically ravaged by decades of revolution, warlordism and conflict with the Japanese. The war caused millions of casualties, triggered economic disintegration through hyperinflation and corruption, and displaced millions of refugees. The CCP may have secured victory in 1949 but like the republicans of 1912, they inherited an unstable, dysfunctional and economically depleted nation. With the Japanese surrender in August 1945, most observers believed the CCP and Guomindang would resume their struggle for control of...
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...• The seed that planted the Chinese Civil war lies in its social, political and economic instability within the Chinese society. The Chinese civil war was an armed conflict between two ideologically opposed forces - the Nationalists Guomingdang (GMD) and the Communists People Liberation Army (CCP) – to see who could ultimately restore power and regain central control over China. As Historian Jonathan Spence argues, the Chinese Civil War should refer more narrowly to this latter conflict between 1946 and 1949, as this produced a decisive result. Although there are many causes to the outbreak of the war, the main long term, mid-term, immediate and catalyst causes will be discussed. The overthrow of the Manchu Dynasty coupled with the Warlord era, followed by the ideological divide between the CCP and the GMD during the First United Front led to the catalyst cause during the Sino-Japanese war, in which the two parties truly showed the extent to which they will go to, to become the leader and unifier of the country, unleashing the ultimate trigger to the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War. The most significant long term cause of the civil war in China was the collapse of the Qing Dynasty, as it played a fundamental role in creating the conditions for the event. The Qing government became weakened economically, socially and politically from internal and external threats by the end of the 19th century. European imperialist powers and Japan forced their way into China to take advantage...
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...The Chinese Civil War KMT vs. CCP The Chinese civil war of 1946-49, is considered one of the most brutal and bloody conflicts near the final stages of the Second World War, which took the lives of millions of soldiers and civilians. The war was fought between two parties, the Kuomintang (KMT or Nationalists) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP or Reds). The leaders of these parties respectively were Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong. The war between the KMT and CCP wasn’t a new struggle but a continuation that dates back more than a couple decades and resumes after the Japanese had surrendered in 1945. In 1949, the better armed KMT were ultimately defeated by the CCP. The reasons for the CCP’s decisive victory are due to the poor mismanagements of Chiang Kai-shek combined with the corruption of the KMT, the superior leadership and tactics of Mao Zedong and the communists, the positive support from the peasants, and the aid provided by the Soviet Union. Although Chiang and his Nationalists looked like they had all the advantages over the CCP at the end of the Japanese war, Chiang’s leadership and the corruption of officers in the KMT’s forces known as the “Nationalist Revolutionary Army” (NRA), would be a major cause in the KMT’s defeat. One of Chiang’s military goals was to be the head of a national army that would heed all of his orders which was never fully accomplished. Throughout the civil war, the armies he controlled were a mixed bag. There were...
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...won the Chinese Civil War? Ever since 1934, two main political parties in China, Communist Party of China and Nationalists, were in a constant struggle for power. This animosity led to the Chinese Civil War, which started after the defeat of Japan in 1945 and lasted until 1949. Throughout those years GMD gradually lost its support and in the end CCP won. Although the surrender of Japan meant a great victory for China, the situation had not developed as expected for the head of GMD, Chiang Kaishek. First of all, the war ended too early. Had the Japanese resisted longer, Chiang believed that the Americans would set up their air bases and armies in China and as a result they would defeat not only the Japanese but also overwhelm the Communist party. However, the Americans chose the Pacific Islands instead of China and Chiang´s plans fell apart. Another problem was the Russian occupation of Manchuria after their declaration of war on Japan, issued after the bombing on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 9. Furthermore, CCP resistance disabled GMD to claim the liberated areas. All of these factors undermined the power of GMD and contributed to the rise CCP. Although CCP was much weaker when it came to military power, their strategy, morale and public support was considerably higher than those in GMD. Chiang´s incapability to destroy CCP when they were considerably weakened in 1945 proved fatal in the following years, when their popularity and numbers rose. During the war against...
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...Explain why Manchuria was the main battleground of the Chinese civil war in the years 1946–1948. The long-term factor that made Manchuria the main battleground in the beginning of the Civil War was its economic importance. Not only was Manchuria the industrial centre of China at the time, it was a strategic trade zone because of its infrastructure. Manchuria had some of the key railway lines connecting the region with a number of areas in China. Its economic importance was highlighted by the Japanese invasion in 1931, when they had chosen the region seeking for natural resources such as coal. Thus the region had proven to be economically beneficial for both sides, which one of the main reasons it was chosen to be the main battleground at the early stages of the war between the GMD and CPC. The fundamental reason for Manchuria being the key battleground between 1946 and 1948 however was the power vacuum created by Japanese surrender in August 1945. After a sudden retreat of Japanese troops, both the Nationalists and the Communists were determined to seize the abandoned territory, which is why both sent their troops to Manchuria as soon as Japanese had surrendered. The reason why it had been so essential for either side to take control of Manchuria was that seizing Manchuria would considerably strengthened the chances of either GMD or CPC to take over China. Therefore it was crucial to get control over Manchuria in order to have greater control over the whole of China. ...
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...-First sino-japanese war-this war was against China and Japan over the control of Korea -in the first six months China kept on losing which made them call for peace in February 1895 | -Intensification of imperialism -China was seen as weak so many Europeans started to partition China and take land from them which led further on to the Boxer revolution | June 1900 | -Boxer Rebellion to foreign powers and imperialism-Boxers gathered in Beijing protesting against Christianity and their act of taking land under the influence of the church | -Opened the Europeans eyes and saw that China was not as weak and fragile as they thought which made them rethink themselves | October 10, 1911 | -The Manchu Dynasty was overthrown and a republic was created.-Government lost control of the military and many provinces became independent of Beijing | -the key causes of this event would be significant causes for the Civil War that would start 15 years later: imperialism, anti-foreign attitudes, and the central government’s weakness | February 1912 | -Yuan Shikai assumed the role of president.-he was able to achieve so from the role of premier he had during the Qing dynasty and the fact that people in the south recognized him as the man who would bring a new political system which would be better | | 1912 | -GMD formed by Sun Yat Sen | -GMD became very powerful later on where the country was led mainly by the GMD | January 18 1915 | -Japan send 21 demands to the Chinese government asking...
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...Why did the civil war break out in China in 1927? The seed that planted the Chinese Civil war lies in its social, political and economic instability within the Chinese society. During the period 1911-1927, China can be described to be a state of great "unease". The Chinese civil war was an armed conflict between two ideologically opposed forces - the Nationalists Kuomintang and the Communists People Liberation Army – to see who could ultimately restore power and regain central control over China. The civil war was fought in two separate phases, 1927-37 and 1946-49 respectively, as a result of the interruption of the Sino-Japanese war. Although there are many causes to the outbreak of the war, the overthrow of the Manchu Dynasty coupled with the death of Sun Yat-Sei, which resulted in the rise in power of Chiang’s Kai-Shek’s, who was determined to rid China of left wing factions within the government at all costs, unleashed the ultimate trigger to the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War is. In the following, I shall analyze each of this maneuvers and how they sparked the ultimate outbreak of the Chinese Civil war. The destabilization of China’s ruling regime, which ultimately set fire to the outbreak of the Chinese civil war, was heightened when European imperialist powers humiliated and exploited China in the early 20th century. Due to the defeat of the Opium Wars, the Europeans, Americans and ultimately, the Japanese carved up the Chinese Empire into spheres of influence. A...
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...China (traditional Chinese: 中國; simplified Chinese: 中国) is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and a nation in East Asia. The last Chinese Civil War has resulted in two nations: The People's Republic of China (PRC), commonly known as China, has control over mainland China and the largely self-governing territories of Hong Kong (since 1997) and Macau (since 1999). The Republic of China (ROC), commonly known as Taiwan, has control over the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu. China has one of the world's oldest civilizations and has the oldest continuous civilization.[1] It has archaeological evidence over 5,000 years old. It also has one of the world's oldest writing systems, and is viewed as the source of many major inventions. The first recorded use of the word "China" is dated 1555.[nb 1][3] It is derived from Cin, a Persian name for China popularized in Europe by Marco Polo. History of China Ancient China was one of the first civilizations. Chinese civilization was also one of the few to invent writing,[2] the others being Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley civilization, the Maya civilization, the Minoan civilization of ancient Greece, and Ancient Egypt.[5] It reached its golden age during the Tang Dynasty (about A.D. 10th century). China is home to some of the oldest artwork in the world. Statues and pottery, as well as decorations made of jade, are some classic examples. China's economy and military weakened during the Qing Dynasty (around the 17th...
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...thinking Richest source of power to wage war lies in the masses of the people Introduction: Ever since we started learning the concepts of Mao Zedong’s military thinking, one thing that really impressed me is how strong power is a mass of the people. Especially whence Chinese communist party gained support of peasants and overthrow the power imbalanced war………… By this paper I will attempt to make a more complete explanation of the concept which named “Richest Source of power to wage war lies in the masses of the people” of Mao Zedong's military thought. People’s war Before we start to understand about this concept We should clearly find out What is the people’s war actually. The ones who first created the “people’s war” conception in scientific theory and made distinction from other wars are Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels . There are few famous revolutionary leaders such as Vladimir Ilych Lenin, Fidel Castro and also Mao Tsetung who inherited and developed Marxist theory of the people’s war. As mentioned above Mao Tsetung who was a leader of Chinese completely enriched and developed proletarian concept of the People’s war. He deeply relieved the essence and political basis of the people‘s war, systematically expounded the basic principles of waging a people’s war. Mao Tsetung’s concept of the people’s war is not only concentrated in his military works, but also fully reflected in his great practice of directing people’s war of China on a magnificent scale.[MTST’s...
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...Chiang Kai-Shek lost control of China to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1949 following two and a half decades of mistakes and fundamental errors in ruling the struggling and fractured republic. Under his leadership, corruption was allowed to flourish in the nationalist party, failed military campaigns were commonplace, national unity was never created, and the obsession with personal wealth and gain was the rule among large numbers of the higher ranking members of the nationalist party, all of which lead to a complete breakdown of support for the nationalist party from the Chinese people. Chiang never had a “relationship with the common people.”1 From the time he came to power in 1925, he appeared never to understand his people. His obsession with purging the Kuomintang (KMT) of all Communists, his push for a New Life Movement2, making the claim, “first internal pacification, then external resistance”*3, and his use of foreign relationships and criminal organizations to gain superiority and exterminate the communists each played a role in confirming Chiang’s failure. In the fight against the Japanese in World War II, Chiang’s single-minded focus on the Chinese Communists allowed Japan to gain a strong grip in China and occupy parts of the country. It eventually required the help of the United States to defeat and oust the Japanese. Chiang’s repeated military failures against the Japanese caused him to lose support within his own elite KMT group. In an effort to reestablish...
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...For the first half of the 20th century, China faced political chaos. Following a revolution in 1911, which overthrew the Manchu dynasty, the new Republic failed to take hold and China continue to be exploited by foreign powers, lacking any strong central government. The Chinese Civil War was an attempt by two ideologically opposed forces – the nationalists and the communists – to see who would ultimately be able to restore order and regain central control over China. The struggle between these two forces, which officially started in 1927, was interrupted by the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war in 1937, but started again in 1946 once the war with Japan was over. the results of this war were to have a major effect not just on China itself, but on the international stage. Long-term causes of the Chinese Civil War[edit] Socio-economic factors[edit] Summary of Socio-economic factors In 1900, China was ruled by the imperial Manchu dynasty. The vast majority of the population were peasants. Their life was hard, working the land, and most were extremely poor. It was the peasants who paid the taxes that in turn paid for the great Manchu imperial court.It was also the peasants who faced starvation during floods or droughts, as their subsistence farming techniques often left them with barely enough to feed their families. The population in China grew by 8 per cent in the second half of the 19th century, but the land cultivated only increased by 1 per cent. This imbalance made famines...
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...occurred like this too. A perfect example of the domino effect is the Communist split from the Nationalists, commonly known as the White Terror. This sudden purge only lasted around three nights, but the effects of the split would last for many decades in the future. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) split from the Chinese Nationalists in 1927 affected both China itself and other foreign nations through the triggering of major wars, changes in international relations, and the formation of modern China- one of the world’s leading economies. The effects of the split, both positive and negative, would last for many years to come. After splitting from the Nationalists, Mao Zedong led the legendary Long March- a campaign that would garner support for him and split the country into two parties. Although the route was extremely long and dangerous, the popularity gained along the way sustained the marchers. As Mao Zedong wrote in his 1935 poem The Long March, “the Red Army fears not the trials of the Long March, holding light ten thousand crags and torrents ... Min Mountain's thousand li of snow joyously crossed, the three Armies march on, each face glowing” (Johnson). The Long March mainly crossed the Chinese countryside, a greatly beneficial move, as this is where the Communists were greeted with newfound supporters ready to be enlisted into the Red Army. After Mao took the lead from Otto Braun, a Russian agent sent to...
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...the breakdown of the first United Front, Chiang Kai Shek launched an offensive which forced a retreat from Mao and the Red army. This retreat is believed to have lasted for over a year and covered 6000 miles. By the end of the march, of the 80000 marchers who embarked on the journey, only 6000 made it to Yenan. It was a march rich with heroism and hardship. However to call the Long March a retreat that changed the destiny of china is controversial. The term 'destiny' can be interpreted in two different ways. It can be the outcome of the Long March influencing the civil war by 1949 or the world's perspective of China. According to many historians, such as Richard Cavendish, the Long March was a victorious march for Mao and the CCP. It made the survival of the imperiled CCP possible, gave Mao a secure grasp on its leadership and ultimately led to the creation of the People's Republic of China. “As a bulwark of Chinese pride and patriotism, skillfully exploited as such by Mao and his circle”. It is also sometimes believed that the Long March was a seeding machine, one that spread the Marxist ideology and manipulated the opinions of China and Mao across the globe. Before the epic journey began, the CCP was in a quagmire and the Nationalists seemed on the point of establishing an unshakeable control over China. The communists appeared to be a broken force. At this point, there was no certainty that the CCP will survived. However, as a result of the Long MArch, the survival of...
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...Mao and Stalin were two legend leaders of the Communist Party, it could not be denied that there are merits and demerits through their entire life. In the beginning, Mao was not as infusive as Stalin in the world in many aspects and he made important and strategic decisions with listening to the Stalin’s advices. There are few records or letters recording the communications between Mao and Stalin, however the left ones show that they once had very close and frequent communication with each other. Some scholars also believe that Stalin and Mao were not so satisfied with each other and Mao sometimes disagreed with Stalin’s decisions very much but forced to accept because of some certain realistic factors for example the Anti-Japanese War and the War of Liberation after that. Evidences show that this argument might be reasonable. This essay will use some examples to show the relationship between Stalin and Mao referring to...
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...Chinese Revolution Revolution is a total change. It can be a change that is political, social, economic, cultural or technological. Revolutions change the way people live. There were many revolutions throughout history. The one that will be introduced to you in this essay is Chinese Revolution. Chinese Revolution happened in 1949. There were many events that caused the revolution. Chiang Kai-Shek was the leader of nationalist government and Mao Zedong was the leader of communist group. Nationalist government was trying to suppress the communists and eliminated them. Civil War started in 1927 between these two groups. Sun Yat Sen's impact on the Chinese Revolution Sun Yat Sen is a figure that is impossible not to refer to while studying the Chinese Revolution. His involvement in the early days of the revolution is hard to deny but how effective and important his contribution was is arguable. There are many different arguments to whether Sun was a failed revolutionary or well deserving of the title ‘Father of the revolution”. There is a variance of opinion of how much sun contributed to the 1911 revolution is a great one. By early 1900 Sun had already expressed his need for the overthrowing of the Qing dynasty. To begin this Sun sent followers into China to attempt uprisings to make the most of the turmoil during the boxer rebellion but these uprisings failed. In 1905 two student revolutionary groups in Japan allied themselves with Sun Yat Sen’s Revive China Society to...
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