The Civil War, 1945-1949
GMD strengths:
- Official government of China
- Received military and economic aid from the USA
- Controlled most of China’s major cities – controlled factories and could produce large quantities
of weapons, vehicles and other essential goods
- Controlled around 75% of the population
- Army totalled 2.5 million soldiers – twice the size of the PLA
GMD weaknesses:
- Failed to improve working conditions in factories – lost support from the working class
- Did little to enforce women’s rights – lost support from many women and feminists
- Refused to allow land reform – lost support of the peasants
- The corruption of GMD officials and policies led to unemployment and inflation
CCP strengths:
- Controlled most of China’s northern countryside
- Had the support of the peasants – due to the CCP’s policy of land reform
- Had the support of the USSRs
- The PLA had experience in guerrilla warfare – from fighting the Japanese in WW2
CCP weaknesses:
- They had fewer and more poorly equipped troops
- Had no aircraft support
- Controlled fewer cities
Phases of the Civil War
Phase 1: The Ceasefire
- From February to April 1946, the US led peace negotiations between the two sides however it
was unstable due to:
o The two sides had very different beliefs
o There was mistrust between the two sides due to years of conflict
o Mao and Chiang both wanted to be the sole leader of China
- During the ceasefire both sides secretly worked with their allies to strengthen their positions
o The CCP extended its control of the northern countryside
o Chiang persuaded the USA to provide more economic and military support
Manchuria
- In August 1945, the USSR invaded Manchuria in order to defeat the Japanese. This created
problems for the GMD as:
o Chiang suspected that the USSR would aid the CCP by giving weapons – Manchuria had
a modern industry and large stocks of Japanese weapons
, o He was concerned the USSR invasion would lead to the CCP gaining control of the whole
of Manchuria and all of northern China
- To prevent the CCP gaining control of Manchuria, Chiang made an agreement with the USSR
that Soviet forces could control the region until Chiang’s forces took over.
o However, in November 1945 when US aircraft flew 110,000 GMD troops to Manchuria,
the USSR had already allowed the PLA to take 100,000 guns and several thousand pieces
of artillery left by the Japanese.
- GMD control was not popular in Manchuria as:
o The locals saw the GMD as “southerners” and therefore as “foreign invaders”
o The GMD only opened 852 of Manchuria’s 2,411 factories – unemployment rose
o They found it difficult to control the rural areas where the PLA guerrilla units had fought
GMD forces
o By early 1946, the GMD had effectively lost control of all of Manchuria’s rural areas
Phase 2: GMD advances
- From July 1946, the GMD fought to end communist control in the north
- By May 1947, the GMD controlled all of the cities across the north of China – except from Harbin
- The role of Mao in the CCP
o He ordered the PLA to retreat as the GMD advanced – meaning they lost control of the
northern cities, but this allowed the PLA to survive
o He ordered the speeding up of land reform which made the peasants from the north
join the PLA in large numbers
o He supported the change of military tactics from guerrilla fighting to the PLA fighting like
a regular army by mid-1947
o Backed the advance over the Yellow River
Phase 3: PLA attacks
- By mid-1947, unemployment, inflation, corruption and lack of reform led to a loss of faith in the
GMD
- In June 1947, Mao ordered the first major attacks which were extremely successful
o Around 400,000 PLA troops attacked across the Sungari River
o PLA also pushed south as they crossed the Yellow River
- These attacks led to a change in the balance of power
o The GMD lost control of much of Manchuria and the PLA secured its hold on north-east
China
Phase 4: PLA advance
- GMD lost its last cities in Manchuria
o Achieved by the PLA first gaining control of the countryside, cutting off the GMD in the
cities. Then the PLA stormed the cities and seized control
o This loss was significant as:
The GMD had large numbers of troops in Manchuria. By the end of 1948, the
GMD had lost around one-third of its troops
GMD strengths:
- Official government of China
- Received military and economic aid from the USA
- Controlled most of China’s major cities – controlled factories and could produce large quantities
of weapons, vehicles and other essential goods
- Controlled around 75% of the population
- Army totalled 2.5 million soldiers – twice the size of the PLA
GMD weaknesses:
- Failed to improve working conditions in factories – lost support from the working class
- Did little to enforce women’s rights – lost support from many women and feminists
- Refused to allow land reform – lost support of the peasants
- The corruption of GMD officials and policies led to unemployment and inflation
CCP strengths:
- Controlled most of China’s northern countryside
- Had the support of the peasants – due to the CCP’s policy of land reform
- Had the support of the USSRs
- The PLA had experience in guerrilla warfare – from fighting the Japanese in WW2
CCP weaknesses:
- They had fewer and more poorly equipped troops
- Had no aircraft support
- Controlled fewer cities
Phases of the Civil War
Phase 1: The Ceasefire
- From February to April 1946, the US led peace negotiations between the two sides however it
was unstable due to:
o The two sides had very different beliefs
o There was mistrust between the two sides due to years of conflict
o Mao and Chiang both wanted to be the sole leader of China
- During the ceasefire both sides secretly worked with their allies to strengthen their positions
o The CCP extended its control of the northern countryside
o Chiang persuaded the USA to provide more economic and military support
Manchuria
- In August 1945, the USSR invaded Manchuria in order to defeat the Japanese. This created
problems for the GMD as:
o Chiang suspected that the USSR would aid the CCP by giving weapons – Manchuria had
a modern industry and large stocks of Japanese weapons
, o He was concerned the USSR invasion would lead to the CCP gaining control of the whole
of Manchuria and all of northern China
- To prevent the CCP gaining control of Manchuria, Chiang made an agreement with the USSR
that Soviet forces could control the region until Chiang’s forces took over.
o However, in November 1945 when US aircraft flew 110,000 GMD troops to Manchuria,
the USSR had already allowed the PLA to take 100,000 guns and several thousand pieces
of artillery left by the Japanese.
- GMD control was not popular in Manchuria as:
o The locals saw the GMD as “southerners” and therefore as “foreign invaders”
o The GMD only opened 852 of Manchuria’s 2,411 factories – unemployment rose
o They found it difficult to control the rural areas where the PLA guerrilla units had fought
GMD forces
o By early 1946, the GMD had effectively lost control of all of Manchuria’s rural areas
Phase 2: GMD advances
- From July 1946, the GMD fought to end communist control in the north
- By May 1947, the GMD controlled all of the cities across the north of China – except from Harbin
- The role of Mao in the CCP
o He ordered the PLA to retreat as the GMD advanced – meaning they lost control of the
northern cities, but this allowed the PLA to survive
o He ordered the speeding up of land reform which made the peasants from the north
join the PLA in large numbers
o He supported the change of military tactics from guerrilla fighting to the PLA fighting like
a regular army by mid-1947
o Backed the advance over the Yellow River
Phase 3: PLA attacks
- By mid-1947, unemployment, inflation, corruption and lack of reform led to a loss of faith in the
GMD
- In June 1947, Mao ordered the first major attacks which were extremely successful
o Around 400,000 PLA troops attacked across the Sungari River
o PLA also pushed south as they crossed the Yellow River
- These attacks led to a change in the balance of power
o The GMD lost control of much of Manchuria and the PLA secured its hold on north-east
China
Phase 4: PLA advance
- GMD lost its last cities in Manchuria
o Achieved by the PLA first gaining control of the countryside, cutting off the GMD in the
cities. Then the PLA stormed the cities and seized control
o This loss was significant as:
The GMD had large numbers of troops in Manchuria. By the end of 1948, the
GMD had lost around one-third of its troops
