The Civil War 1946-1949

1946-7 - GMD OFFENSIVES.

• 1946 - GMD offensive. Captured large cities. 
• "Corridoor" in Manchuria.
• Communists were in retreat.
• Yanan taken.

1947-8 - TURNING POINT FOR THE CCP.

• PLA attacks were, at first, unsuccessful. 
• GUERRILLA WARFARE ----> CONVENTIONAL BATTLE.
• Series of Communist victories. Captured vital cities. 

1948-9

• PLA offensive at Xuzhou railway - successful
• Easily captured Beijing.
• WHOLE OF NORTHERN CHINA WAS OCCUPIED BY THE CCP.
• Chiang Kai-Shek fled to Taiwan in 1949.

• CONSCRIPT ARMIES - low on morale. Been in constant battle with their own people for years (SINO-JAPANESE WAR) Paid poorly.
• LACK OF POPULAR SUPPORT - failure of THREE PEOPLE'S PRINCIPLES showed weakness.
• CORRUPTION - asked people for money to tell them what was going on. 

• PEASANT RESPECT - treated the population (88% peasants) with resoect - gave them land ("land to the tillers")
• GUERILLA WARFARE TACTICS - appealing.
• LIN BIAO - fantastic military leader.
• MAO'S LEADERSHIP - guerilla to modern army.