Transcript Chinese Civil War - Spring Branch ISD

Chinese Civil War
Mao and the use of
Guerrilla Warfare
Guerrilla Warfare
“guerrilla” is Spanish for “little war”
 First used in Spain during the Napoleonic wars
 Sun Tzu, in the Art of War, gives ideas for
fighting a guerrilla war
 In other words, how to defeat an army that is
larger and better supplied than your own






Guerrilla warfare involves the use of small,
mobile, flexible combat groups
There is no front line
Tactics include ambush and sabotage
Mao successfully used guerrilla warfare to fight
the Japanese in WW II
In 1937, Mao wrote “On Guerrilla Warfare”
http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/works/1937/guerrilla
-warfare/index.htm
Mao—On Guerrilla Warfare

Guerrilla warfare is one tool to use alongside
conventional warfare and is one part of the
revolutionary struggle
 It is used by the weaker country to take
advantage of terrain, climate and society
 Mao believed guerrilla warfare to be connected
to the political goal of freeing China from
Japanese imperialist control





Guerrilla warfare is revolutionary, because it
depends on the people (masses) to succeed
Mao wrote that guerrilla warfare was not just a
military matter
He discussed how guerrilla groups are formed
He talked about equipment… lightly armed
with simple equipment; one source of
equipment is capturing it from the enemy
To gain the support of the population,
discipline among the guerrilla fighters is very
important—refer to the handout on 8th Route
Army rules

In the areas that Mao controlled, civil society
was organized with elections, schools, growing
and making what they needed
 The communists were self sufficient
 Cotton production in communist-controlled
areas increased dramatically, from 7,370 bales
in 1938 to 104,302 bales in 1943
Fighting the Japanese

Mao’s troops & guerrilla fighters had some
success fighting the Japanese
 August-December 1940—series of Communist
offensives against the Japanese
 The CCP destroyed major railroad lines,
bridges, made a major coal mine inoperative
for six months
 In October, Communists defeated a larger
force of Japanese
Japanese military responded with “kill all, burn
all, destroy all”
 The population under CCP control shrank from
44 million to 25 million
 The CCP was also attacked by the KMT (in
spite of the “united front”)
 In 1942 the CCP responded to Japanese
destruction with guerrilla attacks, but the
Chinese forces were smaller than had been
earlier in the war


1944 & 1945 the CCP went on the offensive
against the Japanese
 Peasants organized militias & self-defense
groups
 Mao used both the regular 8th Route Army and
peasant guerrilla forces
End of WW II…





More than 10 million Chinese had died
Out of a population of approx. 600 million
people, almost 100 million were refugees
Chongqing, KMT capital during WW II, had
been the most bombed city in WW II
Two weeks after the end of the war, Mao
Zedong and US Ambassador to China, Patrick
Hurley, visited Chiang
US wanted to prevent civil war
US attempt at mediation
Sept. 1945
Prelude to Civil War—1945





Japan surrendered August 14, 1945
At that time, Japan had 1,250,000 troops in
China, 900,000 troops in Manchuria and
1,750,000 Japanese civilians
KMT had 2,700,000 troops
Both the KMT & CCP wanted to gain control of
Manchuria
CCP Commander in chief Zhu De asked the
Japanese commander Okamura to surrender
to the CCP

Gen. Douglas MacArthur issued General
Order #1 telling the Japanese in China to
surrender to the KMT and Japanese in
Manchuria to surrender to the Soviets

The KMT told Okamura to keep his troops and
supplies, eventually telling the Japanese
General to defend territory against the CCP

The US airlifted over 110,000 KMT troops to
the north and east of China
 Chiang had more troops and weapons and
were better trained than CCP troops
 Lin Biao led more than 50,000 CCP troops into
Manchuria, seizing areas not controlled by the
Soviets





On August 19, CCP troops met up with
Russian troops in Manchuria
Russian troops gave the CCP weapons &
ammunition, tanks & airplanes
Russians gave captured Japanese POWs to
the CCP who trained CCP to use seized
Japanese weapons
The Russian took gold worth $3 billion,
machinery & equipment worth $2 billion & food
Russians took generating plants & pumps,
leaving mines flooded

KMT took over factories from the Japanese and
allowed profiteering
 Jiang appointed Chinese officials in Manchuria,
alienating many Manchurians
 Factories & warehouses were closed, but many
were robbed
 A variety of currencies were used, which varied
from city to city and their value varied, allowing
speculators to make profits





Soviets were supposed to withdraw from
Manchuria in Nov. 1945, but did not leave until
May 1946
Inflation was rampant; Jiang had borrowed
money from the US and printed a lot of money
1937-- $1 equaled 3 Chinese yuan
1943-- $1 equaled 98 Chinese yuan
1945-- $1 equaled 3,250 Chinese yuan
Jiang’s unpopularity





There was much rebellion against Jiang due to
his treatment of Chinese during the war
Jiang was accused of keeping the best US
equipment and not using it to fight Japanese
Requisitioned food from countryside; led to
hoarding, corruption & peasant revolts
Poor harvests and a drought led to famine in
1942; peasants rebelled in 1943
KMT monopolized the distribution of salt,
sugar & tobacco





University professors were suspended or
arrested for criticizing the government
Between 1937 and 1945 about 14 million
Chinese men had been drafted into the KMT
army
More than 8 million died from causes other
than battle or deserted
The entire KMT army had only 2,000 doctors;
many died of their battle wounds
There were no reforms—little literacy or public
heath

Before WW II, Chiang had begun reforms in
the eastern coastal cities
 During the Civil War (1946-1949), Chiang was
unable to regain his popularity with urban
Chinese
 As Japanese left coastal cities, Chinese lost
jobs the KMT government was unable to
replace
 KMT imposed harsh taxes on citizens &
businesses
The Civil War 1946-1949





KMT’s forces 2x the size of CCP forces
At the end of World War II, CCP controlled
much of the countryside in Manchuria
US airlifted KMT troops into major cities in
Manchuria
KMT asked Soviet troops to extend their stay
in Manchuria
Slowly, KMT was able to gain control over
Manchuria and push CCP out
US assistance to the KMT
Gave surplus military supplies from the
Philippines
 Diplomatically recognized the KMT
government
 Gave $27.7 million in economic aid
 End of 1948—another $400 million

Soviet assistance to CCP
Was small compared to US assistance
to KMT
 Did provide rifles, ammunition, planes,
tanks and machine guns
 Equipment came from surrendered
Japanese depots

KMT successes

In 1946, KMT successful in pushing the CCP
out of most of Manchuria
 In March 1947, KMT troops captured Yenan;
Mao & other leaders had fled earlier
 KMT troops pursued the CCP, but were
ambushed by guerilla forces

Mao continued to use guerrilla tactics
 He stated that solving the agrarian problem
was more important that holding on to a city
Jiang’s troubles






Continued taxation
Faced anti-war and anti-hunger strikes
KMT outlawed strikes, demonstrations and
petitions signed by more than 10 people
Imposed wage & price limits temporarily
Corruption continued in government; the
wealthiest paid no taxes
Wealthy smugglers who supported the
government were not punished
CCP efforts


Battles continued for control of Manchuria
Agrarian Reform Law in October 1947—land &
property confiscated from landowners; in a few
months 100,000 peasants gained land
 Guerrilla forces attacked KMT supply lines;
avoided large battles unless they were
guaranteed of success
 In 1948, Mao decided to rely as much on
regular military along with guerrilla forces
 By 1948, KMT forces split and isolated in a
few cities; supplies had to be brought in by air
Mao’s victory

In 1948, the CCP was able to surround
Chiang’s army in Manchuria in three places
and cut them off from each other
 Chiang disregarded US advice to withdraw
from Manchuria; Chiang considered
Manchuria to be the key to holding onto China
 As KMT forces surrendered, some defected to
the Communist side, bringing US equipment to
the CCP
 1948 Mao recaptured Yenan
Mao’s Victory

January 1949 Mao’s troops captured Beijing;
more KMT troops joined the Communist army
 Mao’s troops moved into Central China,
capturing Nanjing (KMT capital) in April
 Then CCP troops moved into Southern China
People’s Republic of China

Mao declared the start of the People’s
Republic of China Oct. 1, 1949
 Immediately the Soviet Union recognized
Mao’s new government
 Jiang and the KMT moved to Taiwan in
December 1949; approx. 2 million Chinese
went with him; took art and central bank
reserves
People’s Republic of China
SOURCES










http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Guerrilla
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/VNguerrilla.htm
http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/works/1937/guerrilla-warfare/
http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/20thcentury/articles/maotsetunggiap.aspx
http://www.san.beck.org/21-5-ChinaatWar1937-49.html
http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/Chinese_Civil_War#Immediate_postwar_clashes_.281945.E2.80.931946.29
http://ww2db.com/image.php?image_id=3015
Byrne, Paul. The Chinese Revolution: The Triumph of Communism. Minneapolis,
Minn: Compass Point Books, 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Kai-shek (photo)
http://www.san.beck.org/21-5-ChinaatWar1937-49.html