The Chinese Civil War:

The
Communists'
Survival and
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 2 3
INTRODUCTION REASONS FOR GUERRILLA
COMMUNIST
WARFARE AND
SURVIVAL
RURAL BASES

4 5
RUTHLESSNESS CONCLUSION
AND DISCIPLINE
 INTRODUCTION
● The Chinese Civil War was a significant conflict that took
place in China.
● Although this war had several stages, this presentation
will focus on the initial one, which lasted from 1927 until
1937.
● During this time, the Jiang Jieshi-led nationalist
government was actively persecuting the CCP
(Communist Party of China).
● The communists managed to survive and began to rebel
against the nationalist government.
● In this presentation, we will examine the factors that
contributed to the communists' survival and resistance
throughout this initial stage of the Chinese Civil War.
REASONS FOR COMMUNIST
SURVIVAL
● The communists' ability to survive was a result of their division
into small units, which afforded them security and flexibility.
● Jiang Jieshi's opponents were emboldened by strong communist
principles.
● The violence of the repression offered little hope of compromise,
which encouraged desperate and continuing resistance.
● Jiang Jieshi had to deal with warlords, a Japanese invasion, and
criticism from the GMD's leftist wing.
● The enormous breadth of China and the speed with which the
communists were escaping hindered conventional forces and
favored swift, flexible, small guerrilla groups.
GUERRILLA WARFARE AND
RURAL BASES
● The sheer size of China and rapid movement of fleeing communists made
it challenging for Jiang Jieshi's forces to pursue them.
● The communists established over a dozen rural bases between 1928 and
1934 in remote areas with poor communications, hindering the movement
of conventional forces.
● Guerrilla groups attracted support from wandering gangs, former warlord
troops, and GMD deserters.
● The first guerrilla group, E-yu-wan, was established by 200 partisans in
the mountains of southern Hubei.
GUERRILLA WARFARE AND
RURAL BASES
● Military leader He Long developed his force from 20 men to a 20,000
men, winning over peasants with land reforms and establishing a
flourishing local economy.
● Mao led 1,500 men from Changsha to a base in the Jiangxi Mountains,
linking up with men from Nanchang and former members of the Northern
Expedition.
● By 1930, the communist bases had 65,000 men and were even able to
launch attacks on nationalist-held cities.
● The Jiangxi Soviet, based on the town of Ruijin, covered 26,000 square
kilometers (10,000 square miles) by 1931.
 RUTHLESSNESS AND
DISCIPLINE
● Mao Zedong ( a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of
the People's Republic of China (PRC)) used extreme measures to confirm
his power in Jiangxi, including attacking opponents and accusing them of
collaboration with the GMD.
● Mao's approach towards opponents was savage, including castration and
mutilation of their wives
● The communists' ruthlessness enabled them to survive in a hostile
environment.
● The communists' discipline and willingness to accept loss of life were also
factors in their success.
● Despite their extreme methods, the communists were able to offer local
peasants reforms and hope for the future.
 CONCLUSION
● In conclusion, the Chinese Civil War was a complex conflict with various phases.
● During the first phase of the war from 1927 to 1937, the Communist Party of China
was able to survive and resist the nationalist government's persecution.
● The reasons for the communists' survival included their organisation into small
units, the powerful ideals of communism, the violence of repression, opposition to
Jiang Jieshi, and the need to defeat warlords and deal with a Japanese invasion.
● Guerrilla warfare and establishing strongholds in remote areas were also crucial to
the communists' survival.
● Mao's ruthlessness towards opponents and the communists' discipline and
willingness to accept loss of life were additional factors.
● Ultimately, the communists' focus on the peasantry as the key to successful
revolution was crucial to their victory in the later phases of the Chinese Civil War.
THANK
YOU!