Question

Why was Mao Zedong successful in overcoming the more powerful Nationalist Chinese during the Civil War of 1928-49?

Answer 1

The victory of the Chinese Communist Party led by Chairman Mao over the reactionary power of Chiang Kai-shek, and the establishment of the “People’s Republic of China” has marked a great event in modern Chinese history. Many political historians have attributed the possible reasons for success of Mao’s party to the political dismay unrest with the Chiang Kai-shek regime and the collective pressure of the worker and peasant movement itself. In particular, the following factors are said to have influenced the success of Mao Zedong:

Popular support Dissatisfaction with the feudal system:

The emergence of Communism in China can be traced back to the democratic nationalist revolutions led by Sun Yat Sen in the early 1910s. This seemed to have set the ground for popular sentiments which demanded greater representation and accountability from the government. The anti nationalist and undemocratic policies of the dictatorial government combined with corruption during the Second World War in fighting against the Japanese invasion in China, made the Republic of China Government vulnerable to the Communist threat. The CCP, for its part, experienced success and popular support for its efforts at land reform

Response to Japanese Invasion:

the nationalist government of Kai-shek at the time was more interested in diverting the state treasury towards preventing the communist movements in the countryside rather than use mainland security against the Japanese as its priority. As a result, the Communist Party at the time emerged as the only authority which addressed the issue of putting a united front against the war with the Japanese army and it therefore was lauded by peasants for its efforts to fight against the Japanese invaders.

International support:

While the Chiang Kai-shek government received aid from the US government in its war efforts against the Japanese expansion in Asia and against the spread of communism in China, the CCP in addition to support from mainland China also began to receive financial assistance for the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union occupied Manchuria and only pulled out when Chinese Communist forces were in place to claim that territory from the Japanese army. As a result, Mao’s CCP had access to strong grassroots support, superior military organization and large stocks of weapons seized from Japanese supplies in Manchuria.

As a result of these factors, the time had become ripe for the changeover in the political atmosphere in mainland China. A Civil war had insinuated between the forces of Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong. Years of mistrust between the two sides reduced any effort towards the formation of a coalition government in China. And as the civil war gained strength from 1947 to 1949, Chairman Mao’s victory seemed more and more inevitable.