5. Communist victory in the Civil War 1946-49 Flashcards
(51 cards)
When was Phase 1 of the Chinese Civil War?
July 1946 - May 1947.
Who was Lin Biao (3)?
) After graduating from the Whampoa Military Academy in 1925, he established himself as a talented
military commander.
2) He displayed his skills in guerrilla warfare in the 1930s in Jiangxi and Yan’an.
3) During the Civil War, he was the PLA commander in Manchuria, and later northern China, transforming
the PLA from a guerrilla force to a modern army.
What was the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)?
The CCP army, after 1946, combining all various communist forces under a single command structure.
What were the key features of Phase 1 of the Civil War (5)?
1) GMD offensive in the first months - established a GMD ‘corridor’ along the coast of Manchuria after
capturing large cities, forcing the CCP northwards.
2) The CCP lost Yan’an, however, Lin Biao had already diverted the Eighth Route Army to Manchuria to
reinforce the CCP forces + Mao uses propaganda - “CKS takes Yan’an, we take the whole of China” - draws upon Confucius’ idea of return.
3) CCP forced to abandon positions around the Yangzi River and lost their only non-Manchurian city
stronghold: Zhangjiakou.
4) October 1946: A renewed GMD offensive failed to breach PLA defences in northern Manchuria - 500,000 + best GMD troops trapped in Manchuria.
5) CCP used guerrilla warfare in Manchuria, wearing down the GMD, taking control of north Manchuria by
Spring 1947.
When was Phase 2 of the Chinese Civil War?
May 1947 - November 1948.
What were the main features of Phase 2 of the Civil War (4)?
1) May 1947: Full scale PLA attack on GMD positions - unsuccessful but GMD suffered heavy losses. GMD
morale was further worn down by continued guerrilla attacks.
2) 1948: CCP changed to conventional warfare, taking Luoyang on the Yellow River in April and making
gains on Shandong.
3) June 1948: CCP took Kaifeng on the Yellow River, opening up the western interior of China and
threatening GMD control of Xian and Sichuan.
4) CCP victories in Manchuria in October and November isolated GMD forces from the rest of China.
Manchuria campaign January - November 1948
GMD General Wei Li-Huang - followed a tactic of retreating forces from cities which allowed them to be seized
- Changchun city starved to death by Lin Biao 30th May 48 - turn into ‘city of death’ - population goes from 500,000 - 70,000 in 5 months - ‘death toll higher than the highest estimate for the Japanese massacre at Nanjing in 1937’
- 2nd Nov - fall of Shenyang + Manchuria to the CCP
- Later, Wei telegrams Mao with happiness at the PRC + participates in it in ‘55
When was Phase 3 of the Chinese Civil War?
December 1948 - October 1949.
Why was Stalin concerned of the CCP success in the Chinese Civil War and how did he try to intervene?
Stalin was worried the USA would intervene if a communist victory was inevitable, so he told Mao to halt at
the Yangzi River and establish a northern Communist Republic. Mao ignored this.
What were the key features of Phase 3 of the Civil War (5)?
1) January 1949: PLA offensives in northern China captured the railway junction of Xuzhou.
2) 31 January 1949: CCP take Beijing and gain control over all of northern China.
3) South China opened up after the CCP took Nanjing on April 23 1949 and Shanghai in late May.
4) After taking Wuhan in May, a CCP force, led by Peng Dehuai, struck west, taking Xian and Lanzhou in
August 1949.
5) A PLA force led by Lin Biao marched south, taking Guangzhou in October, before being tasked with
irradicating remaining GMD resistance in Guizhou and Chongqing.
Why did Mao call a Political Consultative Conference in September 1949?
In order to elect the members of the new central government: the People’s Republic of China.
When and where did Mao announce the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)?
Tiananmen Square, Beijing, 1 October 1949.
What happened to Jiang Jieshi after the Civil War?
Jiang fled to Taiwan to escape CCP capture, where he established a GMD government.
What were the 5 military factors in the CCP victory in the Civil War?
1) Guerrilla warfare.
2) Tactical flexibility.
3) Morale of the PLA.
4) Discipline of the PLA.
5) PLA military leadership.
Why was the use of guerrilla warfare so effective against the GMD?
Having used it against the Japanese, guerrilla warfare, used especially in Manchuria due to the terrain,
enabled the PLA to wear down a numerically larger force, dominate rural areas, and strike at vital
communication/supply routes. This wore down the morale of the NRA and isolated the GMD in their city
strongholds.
How were the CCP tactically flexible in the Civil War (3)?
1) The use of guerrilla warfare in certain areas, e.g. Manchuria.
2) The use of conventional, set-piece warfare in Phases 2 and 3 of the Civil War.
3) The willingness to concede ground, such as in Yan’an and Manchuria, so the PLA could regroup and fight
under better circumstances.
What did Mao say when ordering the retreat from Yan’an in 1946?
“Jiang thinks that when he seizes the devil’s lair, he will win. In fact, he will lose everything. We give Jiang
Yan’an. He will give us China.”
How did the morale and discipline of the PLA help to win the Civil War?
PLA troops were ideologically committed to the CCP cause, allowing them to better endure the dangers and
sacrifices of a long and hard military campaign.
How did Lin Biao and other PLA military leaders help in the Civil War?
Lin Biao, a veteran of the Long March and the Sino-Japanese War, and other PLA military commanders were
excellent at adapting their strategy from guerrilla to conventional warfare.
What was Jiang Jieshi’s tactical error in Manchuria during the Civil War?
Jiang sent his best troops into Manchuria without securing northern or central China. This spread NRA forces
thinly and stretched supply lines, making them vulnerable to guerrilla attacks.
How did incompetent leadership of GMD forces cost the GMD in the Civil War?
Many NRA leaders were unable to plan ahead or organise efficient supply lines, making the GMD
susceptible to guerrilla attacks. Many officers stole the pay of NRA troops.
How did Jiang Jieshi’s leadership cost the GMD in the Civil War (3)?
1) Jiang did not delegate to his subordinates, and tried to manage his commanders on the battlefield far away
from the action.
2) Many of his decisions were contradictory and impractical.
3) Furthermore, Jiang was suspicious of his commanders, offering promotion off of loyalty, not skill.
Why did the NRA cost the GMD in the Civil War?
Most of the NRA were conscripts, and lacked the will to fight. They were treated badly by their officers,
further destroying their morale. They gained a reputation for brutality and ill-discipline when taking
communist areas, losing support.
What were the 5 political factors in the CCP victory in the Chinese Civil War?
1) Political unity.
2) ‘Democratic dictatorship’.
3) Peasant support and land reform.
4) Growth of the base of CCP support.
5) Propaganda.