Civil War

Question 1

what are the stages of the Civil war

Answer 1

• July 1946 - May 1947 GMD offensive, CCP defensive
• May 1947 - Nov 1948 PLA swap to conventional warfare, took territory
• Dec 1948 - Oct 1949 CCP offensive, GMD retreat

Question 2

july 1946 - may 1947 summary

Answer 2

• GMD offensive, CCP defensive.
• The GMD managed to capture a corridor along coast of Manchuria, also took Yan’an.
• As a result, Lin Biao moved the Eighth Route Army to Manchuria = strengthen their defences.
• The CCP had to abandon their positions in the Yangzi River and their only stronghold city outside of Manchuria, Zhangjiakou.
• However, the GMD’s renewed offensive against the Communist stronghold in Northern Manchuria in October 1946 failed to break the PLA defences there.

Question 3

May 1947 - Nov 1948 summary

Answer 3

• After PLA unsuccessful against GMD, by 1948, the PLA had moved from guerrilla warfare to conventional battles using infantry and artillery. Took territory eg Luoyang (important city on the yellow river

Question 4

Dec 1948 - Oct 1949 summary

Answer 4

• Xuzhou offensive, Beijing, Nanjing, and Wuhan taken
• CCP continued to consolidate their presence
• CKS flees and PRC is declared
• Overall shift, GMD abandons defence as loss is inevitable at this point

Question 5

when is mao’s post-war declaration

Answer 5

august 25th 1945
issues a public declaration outlining the CCP’s post-war policy, focusing on unity, peace, democracy, improved livelihood, national unification, and building a new china

Question 6

October Agreements

Answer 6

1945
agreed on principles of a peace agreement
- a democratic political system w free elections and personal freedoms
- release of political rpisoners
- unified military force
- elections for a national assembly
= failed as CKS was determined to have nationalist control over entire china and immediately sent his troops into manchuria + stalin ordered communists to hand over manchurian cities to GMD.

Question 7

when does truman send in marshall

Answer 7

dec 1945 to mediate between the GMD and CCP, and broker a peace agreement. USA dont want a civil war as this might allow the USSR to exploit the situation to its own advantage

however fighting becomes more serious and widespread as GMD adanced into CCP territory and manchuria drama

Question 8

when is mao declared chairman of the ccp

Answer 8

1945
the personality cult had began, lin biao enforced it

Question 9

when does marshall convince a ceasefire

Answer 9

july 1946, was made with the threat of withholding economic aid from GMD forces
it only lasted 15 days

Question 10

1yvhg87when did stalin delay the removal of soviet forces from manchuria

Answer 10

april 1946
delays removal of soviet forces from manchuria until now to give the CCP time to establish a strong presence. last troops were withdrawn and before leaving, USSR stripped factories of machineries.

Question 11

when did land reform begin

Answer 11

1946 Mao began to inroduce the more radical style of land reform in the “land to the tillers” programme.
village rallies were held in which landlords and richer peasants were denounced and subject to humiliation and violence.

Question 12

when is the outbreak of civil war

Answer 12

july 1946 - all hope of negotiated peace was lost

Question 13

when does the PLA launch conventional warfare

Answer 13

May 1947 after failed full-scale assaults on GMD, the fighting inflicted serious losses on GMD troops and morale.
by spring, they had adopted guerrilla warfare and had captured control of northern manchuria.
offensive strategy was now taken, they switch to conventional warfare

Question 14

when was the truman doctrine and marshall aid

Answer 14

offers any aid to countries that are threatened inside/outside of borders, to prevent the expansion of communism

Marshall Aid, stalin didnt allow the eastern bloc to applot
in 1947 $135million given to the GMD

Question 15

when does the PLA capture Shandong and Luoyang

Answer 15

april 1948 - isolated the GMD’s stronghold in Jinan

Question 16

how does the PLA move up the yellow river

Answer 16

april 1948 capture luoyang
june 1948 capture kaifeng - city on yellow river and a crucial gateway from the coast to inland china.

Question 17

when was US aid withdrawn

Answer 17

Nov 1948 as CKS did not implement democratic political reform
USA had provided around $3bil in economic ad and war supplies since 1937

Question 18

oct-nov PLA victories

Answer 18

significant victories in manchuria - isolated GMD from rest of china

Question 19

when was land reform violent

Answer 19

by 1948 CCP members had began so violent, so they petitioned Mao to exercise restraint. Mao called for a brief halt, blaming lower level officials

Question 20

when does CKS try to finance the war

Answer 20

in order to finance the war, CKS printed more banknotes.
GMD took action to curb inflation by withdrawing them and starting a new currency - the gold yuan.
they rationed food, commodities, controlled wages and prices.
= support wavering in middle class and cities
= economic collapse in GMD controlled areas by 1949

Question 21

when did CCP seize Xuzhou railway

Answer 21

Jan 1949 left GMD isolated

Question 22

when was beijing captured

Answer 22

january 1949 - northern china now under CCP control

Question 23

when do PLA capture nanjing

Answer 23

april 1949

Question 24

when do PLA capture shanghai and wuhan

Answer 24

may 1949

Question 25

When does PLA capture Xian and Lanzhou

Answer 25

august 1949 - udner peng dehuai

Question 26

when is political consultative conference

Answer 26

september 1949 - PCC called by mao in beijing with 14 other parties. elected members of the PRC, mao is elected as chairman on PRC`

Question 27

declaration of PRC

Answer 27

october 1 same time as GMD resistance is eliminated, capturing Guangzhou and Chongqing

Question 28

what is ccp membership in oct 49

Answer 28

4.4 million

Question 29

when does CKS flee

Answer 29

december and sets up a GMD

Question 30

what was industrial production and food production by 1949 compared to 1937

Answer 30

industrial was only 44% of its 1937 level food production was only 30% of its 1937 level

Question 31

how many railways were destroyed by 49

Answer 31

about all half railways had been destroyed.

Question 32

desertation of GMD soldiers stat

Answer 32

up to 70% annually

Question 33

1947

Answer 33

the communists moved into manchuria. whilst CKS shouldve moved his army to centralised areas to secure power, he concentrated 500,000 of his 3 million soldiers for this battle alone. he lost 470,000 soldiers communication and supply lines were too thin and vulnerable to guerilla attacks

Question 34

1948 - the battle of huai-huai

Answer 34

nov 1948 Mao's attempt to destroy the KMT troops that wew north of the Yangtze River. if he defeated these forces, it would leave a clear path to the KMT's power bases in Nanking and Shanghai

Question 35

1949 -

Answer 35

Mao broke through the Yangtze river within 5 days. 500,000 troops were captured and killed. the weather was perfectly miserable which left the KMT vulnerable to guerilla attacks CKS suffered so badly he resigned as this was an overt display of CCP military strength oct - declaration of the CCP

Question 36

infrastuctural implications of war

Answer 36

-**1/2 railways had been destroyed** -rivers blocked by sunken ships -shortage of electrical power -the USSR had stripped machinery when it had left -**industrial production in 1949 was 44% of the 1939 level, and food production was 30% below** -The war destroyed 55 percent of industry and mining, 72 percent of shipping, and 96 percent of railway lines. -**Inflation in GMD territory rose to an annual average of 230 percent.**

Question 37

battle of Xuzhou

Answer 37

jan 1949 - Mao made the decision to switch to a traditional counter-offensive instead of a guerrilla attack as he felt this was appropriate was able to capture the railway which was a key point of GMD communications and supplies

Question 38

Battle of Siping

Answer 38

march 1946 - near manchuria Lin Biao led, he was trained effectively at Whampoa academy -he skilfully adapted guerilla warfare to counter nationalist forces who significantly outnumbered them 3000/3000 nationalist troops

Question 39

zunyi conference

Answer 39

1935 - mao announced the end of left close doorism which opened up the party to more recruits and support.

Question 40

flexibility of the CCP x4

Answer 40

-48-9 used old wartime equipment such as japanese tanks, USSR mortars and Nationalist machine guns -Mao abandoned Ya'nan in 1947 to avoid unecessary battle -Lin Biao at the Battle of Siping in 46 successfuly adopted guerrilla warfare -35 Zunyi conference ended left closed doorism = appeal to a broader range

Question 41

GMD inflexibility x3

Answer 41

-against guerrilla attacks, stayed with traditional counter-defensives which was shown in Siping and 1947 Manchuria when CKS left the lines too thin -he airlifted 500,000 troops and supplies to Manchurian cities despite American advice which used a large portion of his budget -chose to keep the Young Marshall under house arrest for 50 years after the Xi'an incident instead of utilising his skills and contacts and military capabilities

Question 42

GMD wasting time and resources x2

Answer 42

GMD took Ya'nan in 1947 despite the CCP already having left for manchuria, it was retaken in 1948. -airlifted 500,000 troops and supplies to manchuria after the japanese left as a sign of pride or victory which took up a significant proportion of the military budget when soldiers and citizens were starving and dying

Question 43

delegation of ccp v gmd

Answer 43

ccp: mao delegated to Zhu De, and Lin Biao at Siping gmd: CKS held 28 positions within the party.

Question 44

discipline + committment = unity + indoctrination

Answer 44

ccp: 6 main points of attention to ensure discipline, morality. indoctrination of 21 articles and Mao's manifesto. rectification campaign in 41 also weeded out less committed members. contrasted witht he corruption, violence and tyranny of the GMD who raped and pillaged the population AND had ass. chief of staff and head of war planning board as CCP agents

Question 45

evidence that the civil war alienated the population under the GMD and widened the urban/rural divide

Answer 45

-after the shanghai bombings in 1937 after 180,000 died, CKS instructed his soldiers to fight to the death - however he refused to put an counter-offensive in rural areas in 1938, instead opting to flood the yellow river and kill 400,000 and offering no recovery or emergency aid = alienating the rural population which caused them to flee to the CCP

Question 46

how many troops did the GMD have in the civil war

Answer 46

2.7 million

Question 47

how many troops and equipment did the CCP have in the civil war

Answer 47

900,000, no airforce and 600 artillery pieces

Question 48

strengths of the gmd in civil war x3

Answer 48

-internationally legitimate rulers of china -$3 bil in aid from the usa -2.7 mil soldiers and 39 divisions newly trained by USA

Question 49

weaknesses od the GMD in civil war x6

Answer 49

-inflation -corruption, generals kept dead soldiers on wages -GMD soldiers malnourished and less committed -troops raped and pillaged chinese population and were unruly = less public support and effectiveness -over-dependence on foreign aid, so when the USA pulled out in 1948, they were helpless -assistent chief of staff and head of GMD war planning board were CCP agents

Question 50

military strength of CCP x4

Answer 50

although was 900,000 ->2.7 million gmd soliders -Dixie Mission in june 44 reinforced -Xuzhou was done in 65 days in 1949. conventional counter offensive - 1949 took yangtze in 5 days