Chinese Civil War
August 1, 1927 – December 7, 1949
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 11
August 1–5, 1927
September 7, 1927
November 1, 1930 – October 10, 1934
October 16, 1934 – October 19, 1935
January 15–17, 1935
December 12–25, 1936
September 12 – November 2, 1948
November 6, 1948 – January 10, 1949
November 29, 1948 – January 31, 1949
April 20 – June 2, 1949
May 12 – June 2, 1949
Battle sites 16
- Nanchang Uprising Nanchang · 28.684167, 115.887222
- Nanchang Uprising Republic of China · ,
- Xi'an Incident Xi'an · 34.261111, 108.942222
- Xi'an Incident Republic of China · ,
- Liaoshen Campaign Shenyang · 41.8025, 123.428056
- Liaoshen Campaign Republic of China · ,
- Huaihai Campaign Xuzhou · 34.26104, 117.18587
- Huaihai Campaign Republic of China · ,
- Pingjin Campaign Beijing · 39.90403, 116.407526
- Pingjin Campaign Republic of China · ,
- Yangtze River Crossing campaign Nanjing · 32.060833, 118.778889
- Yangtze River Crossing campaign Republic of China · ,
- Autumn Harvest Uprising Changsha, Hunan (objective of the uprising) · 28.2282, 112.9388
- Zunyi Conference Zunyi, Guizhou · 27.7254, 106.9271
- Encirclement Campaigns Ruijin, Jiangxi (Chinese Soviet Republic base) · 25.887, 116.0357
- Shanghai Campaign Shanghai · 31.2304, 121.4737
Key commanders
Communists 8
Lin Biao
Marshal, Commander of the Northeast Field Army; won the Liaoshen and Pingjin Campaigns · 1907–1971
Liu Bocheng
Marshal, Commander of the Second Field Army · 1892–1986
Chen Yi
Marshal, Commander of the Third Field Army · 1901–1972
Zhou Enlai
Negotiated the settlement with the Nationalists · 1898–1976
Deng Xiaoping
Political commissar; secretary of the front committee · 1904–1997
Mao Zedong
Overall PLA command · 1893–1976
Zhu De
General, Led the uprising's forces alongside Zhou Enlai · 1886–1976
Peng Dehuai
Army commander; attended · 1898–1974
Zhou Enlai
Negotiated the settlement with the Nationalists · 1898–1976
Deng Xiaoping
Political commissar; secretary of the front committee · 1904–1997
Mao Zedong
Overall PLA command · 1893–1976
Zhu De
General, Led the uprising's forces alongside Zhou Enlai · 1886–1976
Peng Dehuai
Army commander; attended · 1898–1974
Nationalists 7
Li Zongren
General, New Guangxi Clique; Acting President of the Republic of China, 1949 · 1890–1969
Bai Chongxi
General, New Guangxi Clique; Minister of National Defense 1946-1948 · 1893–1966
Du Yuming
Lieutenant General, Nationalist field commander; captured at Huaihai · 1904–1981
Fu Zuoyi
General, Surrendered the Beiping garrison, January 1949 · 1895–1974
Tang Enbo
General, Commanded the Nationalist defense of Shanghai, 1949 · 1899–1954
Chiang Kai-shek
Detained by Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng · 1887–1975
He Yingqin
· 1890–1987
Chiang Kai-shek
Detained by Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng · 1887–1975
He Yingqin
· 1890–1987