Chinese Civil war: Phase One

The Main Players

The Kuomintang (KMT)

National Party (Kuomintang) Dr. Sun Yat-sen Founder Sun Yat-sen died in 1925 Chiang Kai-shek assumes leadership

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

Mao Zedong Student of Marxism –However, he believed the communist revolutions would not begin with urban factory workers, but with RURAL PEASANTS –“The force of the peasantry is like that of the raging winds and driving rain. It is rapidly increasing in violence. No force can stand in its way. The peasantry will tear apart all nets which bind it…They will bury beneath them all forces of imperialism, militarism, corrupt officialdom, village bosses and evil gentry.”

Big Idea – First Civil War Period of chaos and power vaccuum Fight for control Former allies against the monarchy split and civil war continues

Background: The Monarchy For centuries China had been ruled by emperors In 1908 the throne of China was inherited by Pu Yi In 1912 Pu Yi was forced to abdicate and a republic was formed,

CCP and KMT The KMT was outlawed, and they set up a rival government under Sun Yat-sen In 1915, Yuan Shih-kai died, leading to a period known as the “ The CCP and KMT joined together to form a united front In 1925 Sun Yat-sen died, and General Chiang Kai-shek succeeded him as leader of the KMT The CCP and KMT joined together to form a united front

Formation of the Chinese Republic Sun Yat-sen(Yatsen) –Leader of the Kuomintang  China’s Nationalist Party Kuomintang  China’s Nationalist Party Overthrows Qing Emperor in 1911 and becomes China’s first president,

War Lord Era “The Chinese people…do not have national spirit. Therefore, even though we have four hundred million people gathered together in China…they are just a heap of loose sand.” Sun could not unite China China becomes a military dictatorship overrun by warlords

World War I & The Treaty of Versailles In 1917, China declares war on Germany –China believed by fighting for the allies that at the end of the war, territories controlled by Germany would be returned to the people of China –Treaty of Versailles gave Japan the former German territory

Jiang Jieshi & the Nationalists After Sun Yixian’s death in 1925, Jiang Jieshi becomes the head of the Kuomintang Jiang –Feared communism –Supported by bankers and businessmen –Over saw a corrupt government

Chinese Civil War 1927 Jiang Jieshi starts a campaign against communists –Has troops and armed gangs kill members of the Communist Party and union members on the city streets of Shanghai In 1928 the US and Britain recognize Jiang Jieshi as president of China –The Soviet Union does not due to persecution of Communist Party in China

Chinese Civil War Between Communist manage to hold on to southern provinces (Jiangxi and Fujian) 1934 retreat from urban areas

The Long March

Chinese Civil War The Long March –Jiang sends 700,000 men after Communists and surrounds them –100,000 Communists flee and begin a 6,000 mile-journey (The Long March) Tens of thousands die due to –Starvation –Battle wounds –Exposure to the cold –Mao and 8,000 survivors take shelter in the caves of northwestern China.

Luding Bridge Red Army soldiers marching part of the 6,000 miles

Mao on the Long March Communist leader addresses the survivors of the Long March Cave dwellings in Shaanxi Red Army troops crossing the snowy mountains

Effects of the Long March Though a great loss to the Red Army, the Long March had positive effects for Mao: – –It decisively cemented his position as leader of the CCP – –Provided a base area for the communists away from the direct control of the nationalists (and later, the Japanese)

Effects of the Long March Mao forms the Red Army by recruiting peasants –Established themselves in the countryside of south-central China –Trained Red Army in guerilla warfare with help from Soviet Union Jiang sends Nationalists soldiers after them, but can’t completely wipe them out due to guerilla warfare

Chinese Civil War Time Out!!! –The Civil War between the Nationalists and Red armies is suspended JAPAN INVADES MANCHURIA IN 1931 By 1937 Japan invades all of China Nationalists and Communists unite to repel Japanese invasion TO BE CONTINUED AFTER WORLD WAR II… Japanese troops entering Shenyang

The Manchurian Crisis

The Manchurian Crisis – Japanese invasion of China Led to a truce between nationalists and CCP Example: Rape of Nanking

Effects: The CCP seemed more effective at fighting off the Japanese CCP expanded their military forces Established political control over as many as 90 million people Creation of Maoism Consolidation of Mao’s power