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Events that Led to the Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War erupted in 1927, however this event has a long background, as several events influenced and caused this important event that marked China's history. -
The Taiping Rebellion
It was a massive rebellion or total civil war that took place from 1850-1864. It was a part political reform movement and part religious movement. It was only put down after the death of millions of Chinese by regional armies.This gave introduction to the regional armies and the country began moving away from centralized control and regionalism and provincialism increased. -
Self-Strengthening Movement
This movement intended to modernize China and seeked several ways and the Manchu dynasty opposed to this movement. China remained subjugated to the West, and faced the humulliation of defeat in war to Japan in 1895. This movement and events that happened then led of the popular anti-western feeling that later turned into a widespread violent rebellion against Westeners in the Boxer Rebellion in 1899. It was an anti-foreign, anti-Christian, anti-colonial movement and extremely violent. 1861-1895 -
The Manchu Dynasty-Socioeconomic Factors
In 1900, China was ruled by the imperial Manchu dynasty. The vast majority of the population were peasants. Their life was hard, working the land and extremely por. They also had to pay taxes to the Imperial court. They suffered during floods and droughts. Population grew. All of these factors represented the poor life quality peasants had and they were the ones who worked the most. -
The Double Tenth Revolution
China was in a desperate condition, there was a growing feeling that the Manchu dynasty should be overthrown so that China could be Westernized and introduced democracy. The Manchu dynasty was overthrown in a revolution known as the Double Tenth. E republic was created. The government lost control of the military, then the rebellion spread quickly, provinces declared themselves independent of Beijing. These key tensions would later lead to the civil war 15 years later. -
Yuan Shikai's Death
Soon after proclaiming himself emperor in 1916, he decided to stood down from the position as by this point he had already lost the support of the military and several provinces -
The Warlord Era
With Shikai´s death China lost the only figure that had maintained some degree of unity. China broke up into small states and provinces; each was controlled by a warlords which were military generals or leaders and they had their own private army to control their territory. Each warlord seeked to expand their territory and become more powerful. Peasants suffered because of continous wars and nationalism increased. 1916-1927 -
May Fourth Movement
This movement began in 1919 when studetns and intellectuals led a mass demonstration in Beijing against the warlords, traditional Chinese culture and the Japanse. The hostility was ignited by the Versailles settlement, it gave a former German province, Shandong, to Japan and it was in China. This movement was dedicated to the change and rebirth of China as a proud and independent nation (new modern China). Protesters were inspired by revolutionary ideas. 1917-1921 New Cultural Movement. -
The First United Front
The CCP was set up in 1921, they were mainly intellectuals, with no military power. Guomindang was led by Jiang Jieshi, Soviets began to support nationalist China, they were weak. Due to shared aims they agreed to work together, they wanted to unify China and get rid of the warlords. However Jiang was extremely anti-communist and that would be a problem. -
Northern Expedition
The First United Front was determined to put an end to the warlords. Both the GMD and the communists set out on the 'Northern Expedition' to crush the warlods. It was a great success, by 1927, they had captured Hangzhou, Nanjing and Shangai. In 1928 they took Beijing. They destroyed the warlords and announced a new legitimate government with the new capital and seat being Nanjing. -
GMD Attacks and Massacres
Now that China had been unified, the unification was only a friendship of convenience. The communists had popular support due to land promise. Jiang Jieshi could no longer tolerate the CCP, he then to expelled all communists from the GMD and began attacking communists until it these reached its peak in Shangai in the 'White Terror' in 1927. The CCP was nearly crushed by the end of that year. The CCP retreated to Jianxi mountains and the GMD pursued them to destroy them, the civil war had begun.
