The Triumph of Communism in China 1945-50
Nationalists and Communists in China 1927-45
● The Chinese Civil War between the nationalists led by Chiang Kai Sheck and
the communists led by Mao Zedong
● When Japan launched an invasion of China in 1937, the CCP and KMT
formed an uneasy anti-Japanese alliance which lasted until Japan’s defeat in
August 1945
● At the Cairo Conference of 1943, Chiang was recognised as the leader of
China and a key ally in their war against Japan
● However, the KMT suffered a series of devastating defeats by the Japanese
in 1944, which combined with high inflation and governmental corruption in
the areas it controlled, undermined Chiang’s claims to become the national
leader
● In contrast, the strength of the CCP increased
● It had an army of nearly a million people, supported by an additional force of
about 900 000 militiamen and had over a million people as party members
● To exploit the unpopularity in 1944, the CCP decided on two new strategies:
○ The best CCP troops would penetrate into the area south of the
Yangtze River to establish bases from which they would be able to
confront the KMT after the war
○ Mao proposed replacing Chiang’s one-party leadership with a coalition
government that included the CCP, which would allow him to try and
take control of key ministers within the coalition, similar to what
happened in Eastern Europe
● Initially, Mao won support from the US for his coalition programme, as
Roosevelt thought that it would stabilise China and lead to a more effective
campaign against Japan
● This strategy failed, as Chiang declared that it would enter the coalition with
Mao if he gained control of the CCP’s armed forces, a condition Mao couldn’t
accept
US involvement with Chaing Kai Shek and China
● The US found Chiang to be an irritating ally because the KMT-CPP hostility
weakened the Chinese war efforts against Japan
● Although Roosevelt claimed that China was an important ally, aid to Chiang
was low on the list of US priorities
● Chiang complained that the US gave him insufficient aid and treated him
badly
, ● Chinese mistreatment was evident when Roosevelt handed over Chinese
territories to Stalin at Yalta without any consultation with Chiang
● While some American observers were optimistic about Chiang’s capabilities,
others were highly critical and more impressed with the communists
● When Roosevelt sent General Vinegar Joe Stilwell to be Chiang’s Chief of
Staff in 1943, Stilwel ridiculed the leadership qualities of Chiang and called his
regime unpopular and corrupt
Soviet invasion of Manchuria, August 1945
● When the USSR declared war against Japan on 8 August, Mao ordered his
forces to cooperate with the Soviet forces and occupy key cities and rail links
in central and northern China
● He was convinced that a good relationship with the USSR could grant certain
opportunities to the CCP, which would help the CPP in its struggle with the
KMT
● Mao also told his generals to prepare for a renewed conflict between the CCP
and the KMT once Japan surrendered
● It was vital for Chiang to stop Mao from illegally occupying the territory
liberated from Japan by the USSR, as he was the internationally recognised
leader of China and it would undermine his power
● On 12 August, he ordered the CCP forces to remain where they were and not
to accept the surrender of Japan’s troops
● As his own army was still in southern China, he was not in a position to
enforce this without Soviet and US assistance
Soviet and US Policy in China
● Initially, Soviet and US policies in China coincided
● Both assumed that the KMT would reassert dominance in China once
Japan surrendered
● Both wanted Mao to accept this and join a coalition government with Chiang
USSR
● Mao and the other leaders of the CCP were convinced that Stalin wouldn’t
tolerate a victory by the KMT as it would benefit the US
● However, Stalin’s main concern was the defence of Soviet interests in China
and he believed that only the KMT would deliver these concessions
● On 14 August 1945, he signed the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and
Alliance
● In this, Chiang acknowledged:
○ the independence of Outer Mongolia
○ the Soviet military occupation of Port Arthur
Nationalists and Communists in China 1927-45
● The Chinese Civil War between the nationalists led by Chiang Kai Sheck and
the communists led by Mao Zedong
● When Japan launched an invasion of China in 1937, the CCP and KMT
formed an uneasy anti-Japanese alliance which lasted until Japan’s defeat in
August 1945
● At the Cairo Conference of 1943, Chiang was recognised as the leader of
China and a key ally in their war against Japan
● However, the KMT suffered a series of devastating defeats by the Japanese
in 1944, which combined with high inflation and governmental corruption in
the areas it controlled, undermined Chiang’s claims to become the national
leader
● In contrast, the strength of the CCP increased
● It had an army of nearly a million people, supported by an additional force of
about 900 000 militiamen and had over a million people as party members
● To exploit the unpopularity in 1944, the CCP decided on two new strategies:
○ The best CCP troops would penetrate into the area south of the
Yangtze River to establish bases from which they would be able to
confront the KMT after the war
○ Mao proposed replacing Chiang’s one-party leadership with a coalition
government that included the CCP, which would allow him to try and
take control of key ministers within the coalition, similar to what
happened in Eastern Europe
● Initially, Mao won support from the US for his coalition programme, as
Roosevelt thought that it would stabilise China and lead to a more effective
campaign against Japan
● This strategy failed, as Chiang declared that it would enter the coalition with
Mao if he gained control of the CCP’s armed forces, a condition Mao couldn’t
accept
US involvement with Chaing Kai Shek and China
● The US found Chiang to be an irritating ally because the KMT-CPP hostility
weakened the Chinese war efforts against Japan
● Although Roosevelt claimed that China was an important ally, aid to Chiang
was low on the list of US priorities
● Chiang complained that the US gave him insufficient aid and treated him
badly
, ● Chinese mistreatment was evident when Roosevelt handed over Chinese
territories to Stalin at Yalta without any consultation with Chiang
● While some American observers were optimistic about Chiang’s capabilities,
others were highly critical and more impressed with the communists
● When Roosevelt sent General Vinegar Joe Stilwell to be Chiang’s Chief of
Staff in 1943, Stilwel ridiculed the leadership qualities of Chiang and called his
regime unpopular and corrupt
Soviet invasion of Manchuria, August 1945
● When the USSR declared war against Japan on 8 August, Mao ordered his
forces to cooperate with the Soviet forces and occupy key cities and rail links
in central and northern China
● He was convinced that a good relationship with the USSR could grant certain
opportunities to the CCP, which would help the CPP in its struggle with the
KMT
● Mao also told his generals to prepare for a renewed conflict between the CCP
and the KMT once Japan surrendered
● It was vital for Chiang to stop Mao from illegally occupying the territory
liberated from Japan by the USSR, as he was the internationally recognised
leader of China and it would undermine his power
● On 12 August, he ordered the CCP forces to remain where they were and not
to accept the surrender of Japan’s troops
● As his own army was still in southern China, he was not in a position to
enforce this without Soviet and US assistance
Soviet and US Policy in China
● Initially, Soviet and US policies in China coincided
● Both assumed that the KMT would reassert dominance in China once
Japan surrendered
● Both wanted Mao to accept this and join a coalition government with Chiang
USSR
● Mao and the other leaders of the CCP were convinced that Stalin wouldn’t
tolerate a victory by the KMT as it would benefit the US
● However, Stalin’s main concern was the defence of Soviet interests in China
and he believed that only the KMT would deliver these concessions
● On 14 August 1945, he signed the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and
Alliance
● In this, Chiang acknowledged:
○ the independence of Outer Mongolia
○ the Soviet military occupation of Port Arthur
