The relationship between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Guomindang (GMD) began in 1923 when the two parties joined together in the First United Front; to end warlordism. Although this alliance ended in 1927, following the Shanghai Massacre and other conflicts, they still agreed to re-unite in 1936. This time to stop Japanese aggression. By 1940 the Second United Front had ended and in 1945 the Chinese Civil War between the CCP and GMD officially began. In 1949 the CCP emerged as victorious over the GMD; there are many factors that attributed to this success, these are: Mao Zedong’s contributions, the Yanan Period and the failings of Chiang Kai-shek and the GMD. All of these ideological and military aspects helped the CCP defeat the GMD.
Mao Zedong, who was the chairman of the CCP from 1935 until his death in 1976, greatly contributed to the success of his party in the civil war. The military aspect of his contribution was his theory and implementation of guerrilla warfare tactics. Mao’s guerrilla warfare enabled the Red Army to strengthen their forces whilst weakening those of the GMD, Mao knew he could not rely on traditional military methods to defeat the GMD, as he lacked the necessary resources to do so. Instead Mao focused on the aspects that he could use to exploit the GMD. A guerrilla warfare tactic
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It was a combination of a series of elements that propelled them into victory: Mao’s development of his ideologies helped gain supporters, the guerrilla warfare tactics weakened the GMD forces, the Yanan Period was significant in the development of CCP ideology and reforms that helped gain the trust and respect of the people, GMD corruption; treatment of conscripts; and warfare failings resulted in their loss of followers and weakening of forces which in turn benefited the CCP. Each of these elements ensured CCP victory against the GMD in the sense of victory of the peoples support and warfare