5. Communist victory in the Civil war 1946-1949

Question 1

civil war timeline

Answer 1

1927 fighting begins
1946 July start of Civil War
1947 Jan end of Marshall Mission
1948 Nov Communist victory in Manchuria
1949 Jan Communist capture Beijing
April PLA captures Nanjing
May PLA captures Shanghai
Oct PLA captures Guangzhou
Mao declares foundation of People’s Republic of China

Question 2

events following start of the civil war

Answer 2

GMD establish a controlled ‘corridor’ along coast of Manchuria
Communists lost base in Yan’an
Lin Biao moved the Eight Route Army to Manchuria
communists attacked nationalists with guerrilla warfare where they were spread thinly
1947 PLA moved to full scale assaults on the GMD

Question 3

who were the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)

Answer 3

Communist forces reorganised into a singular command structure

Question 4

CCP taktics

Answer 4

warfare: used guerrilla, full scale retreat, tactical retreats
political indoctrination: motivated troops and allowed them to make sacrifices, able to win over the local population
disciplined: to respect the local population
strong leadership: Lin Biao, a very strong military commander helped lead long march

warfare, political indoctrination. discipline, leadership

Question 5

GMD weaknesses

Answer 5

Jiang sent his best troops to Manchuria without securing complete control over central and northern China
forces in Manchuria were spread too thinly so vulnerable to guerrilla warfare

corrupt leadership, leaders didn’t organise plans properly or have an efficient system for equipment, supplies or food, officers stole from workers wages

jiang was a poor military leader didn’t delegate/spread power to subordinates to make military decisions and tried to make demands from afar which were contradictory

promotion was based on loyalty rather than ability

army was conscript and were without food and water, lacked fighting spirit, died from cold and hunger, willing to surrender to CCP

reputation for brutality

Question 6

Political factors within the CCP

Answer 6

Political unity: Mao Zedong Thought was followed and he was recognised as the undisputed leader of the CCP

Democratic dictatorship: areas under Communist control were under a form of government including elements of democracy and dictatorship

peasant support: land reform was popular amongst the poorest, rent reductions came from confiscating land from the landlords which was violent and humiliating, members of the CCP called for this to stop so was temporarily stopped

broad range of supporters: peasant farmers, factory and railway workers, teachers, students, policemen, middle class who saw them fight patriotically against the Japanese

Propaganda: posters and political indoctrination of PLA troops meant a patriotic nature ‘national liberation’ and promise to bring democracy

Question 7

GMD political weaknesses

Answer 7

Loss of popular support
jiang’s failure to deliver the Three Principles
failure to defend national interests
little to improve livelihood of the people

corrupt and inefficient regime
bribed and took from locals
unfair taxes which failed to reach local government, meant Jiang was forced to borrow so cause permeant debt

fear of landlord revenge
GMD used landlord armies to regain control of villages, once back in control landlords took revenge on peasants who partook in land reform violently. eg some would execute a member of each family who took part

inflation
printed more money due to debt
government didnt take action till 1948
withdrew old bank notes and introduced new currency gold yuan
rationed food
all too little too late
1949 economic collapse