Chinese Civil War

August 1, 1927 – May 1, 1950

Result Communist victory

Armed conflict from 1 August 1927 to 7 December 1949 between the Kuomintang (KMT) government of the Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), interrupted by the Second United Front against the Japanese invasion from 1937 to 1945. The Communists gained the upper hand after 1945, proclaimed the People's Republic of China in October 1949, and the KMT retreated to Taiwan that December. No armistice or peace treaty was ever signed, and both sides claim to be the legitimate government of all China.

Battles and events 27

August 1–5, 1927
September 7, 1927
Autumn Harvest Uprising Changsha, Hunan (objective of the uprising) Mao Zedong, Chiang Kai-shek, He Jian
December 11, 1927
Guangzhou Uprising Guangzhou
November 1, 1930 – October 10, 1934
Encirclement Campaigns Ruijin, Jiangxi (Chinese Soviet Republic base) Mao Zedong, Chiang Kai-shek, Zhou Enlai
October 16, 1934 – October 19, 1935
Long March Communists evade Nationalist armies and allied warlords Jiangxi to Yan'an Mao Zedong, Chiang Kai-shek, Zhou Enlai
January 15–17, 1935
December 12–25, 1936
January 7–13, 1941
New Fourth Army Incident Nationalist tactical victory Jing County Gu Zhutong
1945 – 1949
September 10 – October 12, 1945
Shangdang Campaign Communist victory Shangdang Campaign Deng Xiaoping, Yen Hsi-shan, Liu Bocheng
1946 – 1949
March 15–17, 1946
Battle of Siping Communist victory
April 17 – May 19, 1946
Second Battle of Siping Nationalist victory Second Battle of Siping Mao Zedong, Chiang Kai-shek, Lin Biao
December 17, 1946 – April 1, 1947
Linjiang Campaign Communist victory Linjiang Campaign Lin Biao, Du Yuming
March 13–19, 1947
Battle of Yan'an Nationalist victory Battle of Yan'an Peng Dehuai, Hu Zongnan, Xi Zhongxun
May 13–16, 1947
Menglianggu Campaign PLA victory Menglianggu Campaign Chen Yi, Tang Enbo, Su Yu
May 23 – October 19, 1948
Siege of Changchun Communist victory Siege of Changchun Lin Biao
September 12 – November 2, 1948
Liaoshen Campaign Communist victory Shenyang Lin Biao, Du Yuming, Wei Lihuang
October 5, 1948 – April 24, 1949
Taiyuan Campaign Communist victory Taiyuan Campaign Peng Dehuai, Yen Hsi-shan, Xu Xiangqian
November 6, 1948 – January 10, 1949
November 29, 1948 – January 31, 1949
Pingjin Campaign Communist victory Beijing Lin Biao, Fu Zuoyi, Nie Rongzhen
April 20 – June 2, 1949
Yangtze River Crossing campaign Decisive Chinese Communist Party victory Nanjing Deng Xiaoping, Liu Bocheng, Chen Yi
May 12 – June 2, 1949
Shanghai Campaign Communist victory Shanghai Chen Yi, Tang Enbo, Su Yu
October 25–27, 1949
Battle of Guningtou Republic of China victory Battle of Guningtou Mao Zedong, Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Yi
November 3–5, 1949
Battle of Dengbu Island Republic of China victory Battle of Dengbu Island Hu Wei
December 11–27, 1949
Chengdu Campaign Communists capture Chengdu Chengdu Campaign Deng Xiaoping, Liu Bocheng, He Long
March 5 – May 1, 1950
Landing Operation on Hainan Island People's Republic of China victory Xue Yue, Deng Hua

Key commanders

Communists 22

Nationalists 31

Other 2