Triumph of Mao and the CCP: 1934-49

Question 1

Jiangxi Soviet

Answer 1

The site of the CCP’s efforts to create a peasant based government following Communist values.

Question 2

When was the Jiangxi Soviet operational?

Answer 2

1927/31-34

Question 3

Reforms made within the Jiangxi Soviet

Answer 3

> 1930- Land Law passed. Divided up the cultivated land among the farming population.
Taxes on land were reduced.
Peasant Councils were set up to give peasants some say in running their own affairs.
The strict discipline of the Red Army meant peasants were treated with respect.

Question 4

The Five Encirclement Campaigns

Answer 4

> 1930-34
GMD launched attacks and tried to take over CCP areas by winning battles.
CCP employed Guerilla tactics.

Question 5

GMD Problems- 5 Encirclement Campaigns

Answer 5

They made no progress, but were instead just continuously ambushed.

Question 6

CCP Problems- 5 Encirclement Campaigns

Answer 6

They made no progress, were just defending + being gradually worn down. Many also deemed Guerrilla tactics to be cowardly.

Question 7

The Fifth Encirclement Campaign

Answer 7

> Autumn 1933
By October 1934 60,000 Red Army soldiers killed and Jiangxi was completely surrounded.
Led to the necessity of the Long March.

Question 8

What was revolutionary warfare?

Answer 8

The CCP taught the peasants about their ideology, and showed them how life could be better for them under a communist government, therefore earning themselves the support of the people.

Question 9

The Long March

Oct 1934- Jan 1935

Answer 9

> 16th October
> 87,000 soldiers fled Jiangxi.
> Took as much equipment as they could carry.
> Took 6 weeks to break out.
> Lost half of their men.
> Had been going in a straight line.

Question 10

The Long March

Jan 1935

Answer 10

> Braun (current commander) was removed from power.

> Mao and Zhu De put in charge.

Question 11

The Long March

Jan - Oct 1935

Answer 11

> Army took an erratic route to confuse the GMD.
Split up at times.
Crossed the Dadu river.
Traversed the Snowy Mountains and Grasslands.
Constantly battling the GMD.

Question 12

Crossing of the Dadu River

Answer 12

> May 1935
22 soldiers, under enemy fire, swung across a gorge on suspension bridge chains to make it possible for the rest of the army to follow.

Question 13

The Long March

Oct 1935

Answer 13

> an estimated 10% of the army arrived at Yunan, after crossing 6,000 miles in 368 days.

Question 14

Why was the Long March important?

Answer 14

> The CCP now had a safe and secure base.
Mao was seen as a great leader and became unchallenged in his power.
The Long March became immortalised in Communist propaganda.
By crossing so many different provinces, the CCP were able to circulate the Communist message.

Question 15

The Second United Front

Answer 15

> 1936- 46

> Chiang was kidnapped and forced into working with the CCP against the invading Japanese.

Question 16

Start of war with Japan

Answer 16

July 1937

Question 17

Japanese capture Shanghai

Answer 17

November 1937

Question 18

What tactical mistake did Chiang make during the Second Sino-Japanese war?

Answer 18

> Flooding of the yellow river to halt the Japanese.

> 11 cities were wiped out. hundreds of thousands died.

Question 19

GMD Corruption 1940’s

Answer 19

> Millions of dollars were given to fund the GMD.
Most of it disappeared.
Soldiers weren’t given food or clothing. 1.5 million soldiers died as a result.

Question 20

Example of GMD’s continual focus on the CCP during the Second Sino-Japanese war.

Answer 20

> Jan 1941, GMD attacked CCP and were wiped out.

> Chiang sent his best forced to Yunan and hoped the Americans would win the war for him.

Question 21

When/ Why did the U.S agree to back the GMD against the Japanese?

Answer 21

> December 1941

> Pearl Harbour.

Question 22

Who was sent from America to boost the GMD’s war effort?

Answer 22

> Stilwell.
He saw the corruption and demanded direct control of GMD forces.
Disagreed with Chiang over arming the CCP.

Question 23

Where did the GMD retreat to?

Answer 23

Chongqing.

Question 24

Madam Chiang

Answer 24

> Visited the U.S in 1943.
Asked for money + supplies.
Most of it disappeared.
Damaged the Nationalist’s reputation as they were seen as corrupt.

Question 25

Rape of Nanjing

Answer 25

> December 1937
200,000 civillians killed.
Genocide.

Question 26

How did the Japanese treat Chinese civilians?

Answer 26

> Massacred them.

> Killed animals and burnt property.

Question 27

What tactics did the CCP use against the Japanese?

Answer 27

> Guerilla Warfare
Land mines
Gunfire
Peasant’s hatred of the Japanese.

Question 28

What reforms were made in Communist controlled areas?

Answer 28

> Reduced land rent + taxes
Held elections
Built middle class support by asking them to donate just whatever they could.
Men + Women were equal.

Question 29

Japanese Surrender

Answer 29

> Aug 1945

> Hiroshima

Question 30

Marco Polo Bridge Incident

Answer 30

July 1937

Question 31

First Phase of Civil War

Answer 31

1927 (Shanghai Massacre) - 1937 (Japanese Invasion)

Question 32

Second Phase of Civil War

Answer 32

1946 (End of Second Sino Japanese War) - 1949 (CCP victory)

Question 33

Why were the CCP able to survive the First Chinese Civil War?

Answer 33

> Guerilla Tactics
Mao’s leadership
The safety of Yunan + Shaanxi Province
Mao’s Clever ploy

Question 34

Mao’s Clever Ploy

Answer 34

Mao’s plan to make the CCP seem more nationalist by attacking the Japanese.

Question 35

Strengths of the CCP

Answer 35

> Guerilla Tactics
Better Leadership
Appeal of Communism to peasants
Spies in GMD and Peasantry

Question 36

Weaknesses of the GMD

Answer 36

> Failure to reform China.
> Corruption
> Economic Collapse (Inflation led to EC in 1949)
> Low morale of GMD army
> Poor military decisions

Question 37

American aid to the GMD

Answer 37

> USA helped both at first but favoured GMD.

> USA restricted GMD with negotiations at crucial points in the war.

Question 38

Why was the Second Sino Japanese was bad for the GMD?

Answer 38

> No tax income
> Corruption
> Lack of training for officers.
> Conventional warfare.
> Planned to rely on America.

Question 39

Why was the Second Sino Japanese was good for the CCP?

Answer 39

> Social reform
Rectification Campaigns
CCP resisted, GMD fled
Mao’s propaganda.

Question 40

USSR aid to the GMD

Answer 40

> USSR encouraged a coalition but favoured CCP.
USSR gave less aid than USA.
USSR gave military help to the CCP, but also tried to control them.
Stalin tried to limit Mao.

Question 41

Military mistakes made by the GMD during the Second Phase of the Civil War

Answer 41

> Focused too heavily on Manchuria where they had no power base.
Called a ceasefire which allowed the CCP to regroup.

Question 42

CCP strengths in the 2nd Civil War

Answer 42

> The leadership of Mao who ensured that the PLA was well behaved.
The support of the peasants who were impressed with the policies of the CCP and the behaviour of the PLA which contrasted to the soldiers of the Kuomintang who treated the peasants badly.
Successful guerrilla tactics 1946- 48.
The Red Army had grown to 1,000,000 men by 1945 because of peasant support. By 1949 the CCP claimed that it was 4,000,000.

Question 43

GMD weaknesses in the 2nd Civil War

Answer 43

> Chiang’s government was unpopular because it was seen as corrupt.
High inflation and the brutality of the Blueshirts in Kuomintang controlled areas.
The American government, which had given Chiang $200 million in aid since 1945, could see that the Kuomintang were going to be defeated and, in 1947, cut off all aid.
At the same time the GMD forces had fallen to 1,500,000 as many deserted to the PLA.

Question 44

Battle of Huai-Hai

Answer 44

> November 1948
Turning point of the Civil War
First head on battle
GMD lost half a million men and masses of equipment.
It became clear that the GMD were losing.
Allowed the CCP to capture Shanghai and Beijing.

Question 45

Chiang’s Resignation

Answer 45

21st January 1949

Question 46

Mao establishes the People’s Republic of China

Answer 46

> 1st October 1949

> In Tiananmen Square, as a sign that the Communists now held complete control.