The Civil War in China between the KMT and CPC - Essay Example

The Civil War in China between the KMT and CPC The crumple of the Chinese monarchy during the early twentieth century led to the rise of warlords domineering China with the KMT party seeking to unify China with the aid of foreign powers. The Soviet Union backed both sides, while providing advisors during the 1920s to assist in the reorganization of the KMT. Soviet aid was critical for the organizing an army by the KMT in opposition of the Northern warlords; as a result, Chiang Kai-shek became a significant leader of the army, which launched a triumphant operation against the Northern warlords. Although the Communists got permission to be part of the KMT in small numbers, Chiang started a purge of communists since he abhorred the Soviet interfering in Chinese political affairs. This eventually led to the Chinese civil war (Eastman 11). Following the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, which was the final ruling Chinese dynasty, China fell into the control of a number of significant, as well as lesser warlords within the era of the Warlords. Therefore in order to trounce these warlords, who succeeded in seizing control of the greater part of Northern China, it was necessary for the anti-monarchist, together with the national unificationist Kuomintang party, along with Sun Yat-sen, who was its leader, to seek the assistance of foreign powers. The efforts of Sun Yat-sen in obtaining assistance from the Western democracies bore no fruits these led to him seeking help from the Soviet Union in 1921. In favour of political convenience, the Soviet leadership instigated a dual policy for supporting for both Sun, as well as the newly founded Communist Party of China that subsequently instituted the People's Republic of China. This resulted in the struggle for power within China between the KMT, along with the CPC (Eastman 25). However, in 1923, there was a dual statement by Sun, together with Adolph Joffe, who was Soviet representative in Shanghai pledging Soviet aid for China's unification. The aim of this Sun-Joffe Manifesto was to declare cooperation amongst the Comintern, KMT, along with the Communist Party of China. This led to the arrival of Mikhail Borodin, who was a Comintern agent in China during 1923 to assist in the reorganization, in addition to the consolidation of, the KMT alongside the Communist Party of Soviet Union, leading to the CPC uniting the KMT, thereby developing into the First United Front. This is the same year that saw Sun Yat-sen sending Chiang Kai-shek, who happened to be one of his lieutenants to Moscow for some months' military, as well as political study. By 1924, Chiang got promoted to head Whampoa Military Academy, then later rising to fame as Sun's successor, thereby heading the KMT. The Soviets offered the majority of the studying items, organization, in addition to the equipment comprising, of munitions for the academy. Apart from that, the Soviets also offered education in various methods for mass mobilization. This assisted Sun Yat-sen in raising a number of devoted troops, with the intention of defeating the warlords militarily. On the other hand, CPC members also got the opportunity of joining the academy with the majority of them becoming instructors. However, the communist members got the opportunity of uniting the KMT on the basis of an individual. At that time, the CPC was still exceedingly small, having only 300 members in 1922, and in 19925, only 1,500 members while the KMT had 50,000 members in 1923 (Eastman 54). The split of KMT and CPC In the beginning of 1927, there was rivalry between KMT and CPC leading to a split within the revolutionary positions. The CPC, along with left wing of KMTmade a decision of moving the KMT government’s seat to Wuhan from Guangzhou, where the influence of communist was strong. However, Chiang, together with Li Zongren, whose armies conquered warlord Sun Chuanfang, progressed eastward towards Jiangxi. As a result of the leftists rebuffing Chiang's demand, Chiang condemned the leftists for going against Sun Yat-sen through accepting commands from the Soviet Union. Chiang's lenience of the CPC within the KMT camp lessened with the increase of his power that is according to Mao Zedong. Therefore, on April 7, Chiang, together with a number of KMT leaders met to discuss the communist activities that were not only socially and economically troublesome, but also that they must be undone for progress of the national revolution. Consequently, on April 12, Chiang attacked the CPC in Shanghai; this led to the KMT getting purged of leftists by means of arresting and executing hundreds of CPC members following the direction by General Bai Chongxi; the CPC referred it as the Shanghai Massacre or the April 12 Incident (Fan 32). This massacre heightened the split between Chiang, as well as Wang Jingwei's Wuhan, which resulted in CPC making attempts of taking cities like Shantou, Nanchang, Guangzhou and Changsha. The Autumn Harvest Uprising, which was an armed rural insurrection, got performed by peasants, miners, together with CPC members within Hunan Province headed by Mao Zedong turned out to be unsuccessful. As a result, in China, there were presently three capitals: the internationally acknowledged republic capital within Beijing, Wuhan’s CPC, along with left-wing KMT, as well as the right-wing KMT rule at Nanjing that remained as the KMT capital for the coming decade. The left-wing KMT expelled their CPC allies from Wuhan, who in turn got overthrown by Chiang Kai-shek. In June 1928, the KMT resumed the struggle against warlords, while, at the same time capturing Beijing. Afterwards, the biggest part of eastern China was in the control of Nanjing central government, with the Nanjing government getting prompt international acknowledgement as the only legitimate rule of China. This resulted in KMT government announcing in accord amid Sun Yat-sen, the blueprint for the three levels of revolution: military unification, constitutional democracy, as well as political tutelage (Fan 61). Encirclement Campaigns and the Long March (1927–1937) In the 1920s, activists of the Communist Party of China recoiled underground or into the country whereby they fomented a military rebellion, starting the Nanchang Uprising that took place on August 1, 1927. They merged the force together with peasant rebels’ remnants while establishing control over various regions within southern China. As a result, the Guangzhou commune became capable of controlling Guangzhou for three days while establishing a "soviet". KMT armies persisted in suppressing the rebellions. This turned out to be the beginning of the struggle that lasted for ten years. It continued till the Xi'an Incident whereby Chiang Kai-shek got the obligation of developing the Second United Front besides the invading Japanese (Fan 78). During 1930, there was the commencement of the Central Plains War as an internal clash of the KMT that got initiated by Feng Yuxiang, Wang Jingwei, together with Yan Xishan. The interest got turned thereby rooting out Communist activity’s remaining pockets in a sequence of encirclement campaigns, totalling to five campaigns. However, the initial and second campaigns turned out to be a failure while the third got cancelled owing to the Mukden Incident. Luckily, the fourth campaign, which took place in 1932–1933, got some early successes, though there was poor mauling of Chiang’s armies when they made an attempt of penetrating to the core of the Soviet Chinese Republic headed by Mao. Throughout out these struggles, the KMT columns hit swiftly to Communist areas, although they got easily overwhelmed by the gigantic countryside, while, at the same time, failing in consolidating their foothold (Joseph 68). Eventually, in late 1934, Chiang established a fifth campaign, which comprised of the Jiangxi Soviet territory’s systematic encirclement of the equipped blockhouses. The KMT troops patiently developed blockhouses, each divide by five or more miles thereby surrounding the Communist areas while cutting off their supplies, as well as a food source, contrary to previous campaigns within which they breached in a single strike. During October 1934, there were gaps within the circle of blockhouses operated by the parades of a warlord partner of Chiang Kai-shek that the CPC manipulated by, instead of the KMT themselves thereby escaping Jiangxi. The armies of the warlord were hesitant in challenging Communist forces since they were afraid of misusing their own men, and failed in pursuing the CPC with zealous fervor. Apart from that, the main KMT forces got preoccupied with wiping out Zhang Guotao's army that turned out to be much extensive compared to Mao's. The gargantuan military withdrawal of Communist forces continued for a year while covering what Mao approximated as 12,500 km, thereby getting known as the famed Long March (Fan 98). This march came to an end when the CPC arrived at the interior of Shaanxi. On the other hand, Zhang Guotao's army that followed a distinctive route via northwest China got substantially destroyed through the powers of Chiang Kai-shek, together with his Chinese Muslim supporter, the Ma clique. During this time, the Communist army impounded property, together with weapons from regional warlords and landlords, in addition to the recruitment of, peasants, as well as the poor, coagulating its plea to the masses. 90,000 out of 100,000 people who started the Long March past the Soviet Chinese Republic, nearly 7,000-8,000 pulled through to Shaanxi. Eventually, the relics of Zhang's forces joined Mao within Shaanxi; however, with his army ruined, Zhang was incapable of challenging the authority of Mao even if he were amongst the founding members of CPC. Fundamentally, the extraordinary retreat brought about Mao as Communist Party of China’s undisputed leader (Joseph 87). The Kuomintang employed Khampa soldiers in fighting the Communist Red Army when it advanced, while, at the same time, undermining local warlords who in most cases refused to fight the Communist forces, thereby conserving their own strength. This led to 300 "Khampa bandits" getting enlisted to the Consolatory Commission of Kuomintang's military within Sichuan, whereby they were a portion of the effort of China’s central government to penetrate and undermine the local Han warlords like Liu Wenhui. Therefore, the Chinese government decided to practice full control over frontier sections against the warlords; however, Liu had declined in battling the Communists by conserving his army. Although the Consoltary Commission forces got employed in fighting the Communist Red Army, they got overpowered when the Communist forces captured their religious leader (Joseph 119). The Second Sino-Japanese War Throughout the Japanese invasion, as well as the occupation of Manchuria, there was a perception by Chiang Kai-shek that the CPC was an enormous threat; therefore, he declined in allying with the CPC in fighting in opposition of the Japanese Imperial Army. Rather, he preferred to merge China through the elimination of the warlords, together with CPC forces first. Apparently, Chiang had the perception that he was still exceedingly weak in launching an offensive of chasing out Japan with China being in need of time for building up its military. He believed that it was only after unification that the KMT was capable of mobilizing a war in opposition of Japan; as a result, he chose ignore the discontent, as well as anger amongst Chinese people through his policy of negotiating with the Japanese, while, at the same time, urging Zhang, together with Yang to complete suppression of the CPC effectively, this led to KMT Generals Zhang Xueliang, together with Yang Hucheng kidnapping Chiang Kai-shek while forcing him to a respite with the CPC. This incident got the name the Xi'an Incident. Subsequently, both parties deferred fighting thereby developing a Second United Front necessary for focusing their energies while fighting against the Japanese. This got followed by Japanese launching its unrestrained invasion of China in 1937, with its well-equipped troops getting overrun by KMT defenders within north, as well as coastal China (Xiaobing & Hongshan 56). The coalition between CPC and KMT was only in the name; unlike the troops of KMT, CPC shunned conservative warfare, rather, engaging in guerrilla warfare, in opposition of the Japanese. As a result, the level of cooperation, as well as coordination involving the CPC, together with KMT throughout the World War II turned out to be at best nominal. In the middle of this movement, both the CPC, along with the KMT continued to vie for territorial advantage within "Free China" that is the sections not inhabited by the Japanese or governed by Japanese puppet governments like Manchukuo. This situation climaxed in late 1940, as well as early on 1941, with the uprising of significant conflicts between the Communist, as well as KMT forces, with Chiang Kai-shek claiming that the New Fourth Army of CPC vacating Anhui and Jiangsu Provinces. As a result of intense coerce, there was conforming of the commanders of the New Fourth Army. During 1941, this conflict led to thousands of deaths within the CPC, while at the same time; bring to an end of this front that got established earlier for fighting the Japanese (Xiaobing & Hongshan 69). Developments within this war turned out to be advantageous to the CPC considering that their guerrilla war endeavour had won them prevalent support in the Japanese-occupied regions while the load of KMT of defending China against key Japanese assaults owing to its position as China’s legal government proved pricey to Chiang Kai-shek, as well as his troops. During 1944, Japan, began its last chief offensive referred to as Operation Ichigo, in opposition of the KMT, which severely destabilized the forces of Chiang Kai-shek (Xiaobing & Hongshan 99). Results of the war Following the terms decreed by the United States for the unconditional surrender of Japanese, their troops got into yield to KMT troops, and banished from representing the CPC in some of the areas they occupied. Nonetheless, in Manchuria, whereby the KMT lacked any forces, the Japanese yielded to the Soviet Union. On the other hand, Chiang Kai-Shek decreed the Japanese troops to stay at their post thereby receiving the Kuomintang while surrendering their weapons to the communists. In the primary post-war peace negotiation that took place in Chongqing between August 28, 1945 and October 10, 1945, those in attendance were both Chiang Kai-shek, together with Mao Zedong. Although both sides emphasized the significance of a peaceful reconstruction, the conference failed in producing any concrete outcome. Battles involving the two sides went on despite the peace negotiation that was in progress, till the reaching of an agreement in January 1946. Nonetheless, there was brief evasion of large campaigns, as well as full scale confrontations involving the CPC, as well as Chiang's own troops (Xiaobing & Hongshan 80). During the final month in World War II within East Asia, there was the launching of the massive Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation by Soviet forces in attacking the Japanese within Manchuria and besides the border of Chinese-Mongolian. This operation was successful in destroying Kwantung Army’s fighting capability, thereby leaving the USSR to occupy all of Manchuria when the war came to an end, leading to the surrendering of the more than 700,000 Japanese troop’s position in this region. Later on during the same year, Chiang Kai-shek recognized that he did not have the resources for preventing a CPC invasion of Manchuria due to the scheduled Soviet departure. Therefore, he made an agreement with the Russians for delaying their withdrawal till he had shifted enough of most excellent trained men, as well as latest material to the region. The United States airlifted the KMT troops to inhabit capital cities within North China, with the domination of the countryside by the CPC. On the other hand, the Soviets used their extra time to systematically dismantling the vast Manchurian industrial base, which was worth more than 2 billion dollars, and, at the same time, returning it to their war-devastated country. However, the truce collapsed in June 1946 due to the breaking of full scale war involving CPC and KMT on June 26 with China entering a position of civil war, which lasted not less than three years (Pepper 77). Conclusion The Chinese Civil war occurred due to a conflict involving Nationalist forces, along with Communist powers for the control of China between April 1927 and May 1950. This conflict started after the Kuomintang, which was a Chinese Nationalist Party initiated the Northern Expedition, this resulted in General Chiang Kai-shek expelling the Communists from the KMT. On the other hand, the Japanese invasion, as well as its defeat resulted in the continuation of this civil war. The KMT got involved in mostly conventional warfare, in opposition of the Japanese forces, while, on the other hand, the Communists conducted a guerilla style war at the back of the Japanese lines. The conquest of the Japanese forces was an indication of the resumption of hostilities amongst the KMT, as well as the Communists. However, the fighting came to an end in 1950 following the withdrawal of remnants of the KMT to Taiwan; while, on the other hand, the Communists seized control over the mainland China (Pepper 79). Work Cited: Eastman, Lloyd E. The Nationalist Era in China, 1927-1949. Chicago: Cambridge University Press, 1991. Fan, Joshua. China’s Homeless Generation. London: Routledge, 2001. Joseph, William A. Politics in China: An Introduction. Chicago: Oxford University Press, 2010. Pepper, Suzanne. Civil War in China: The Political Struggle, 1945-1949. Hong Kong: Rowman & Littlefield, 1999. Xiaobing Li, Hongshan Li. China and the United States: A New Cold War History. Oklahoma : University Press of America, 1998. Read More