Chinese Civil War
August 1, 1927 – May 1, 1950 · Beijing
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.
Communists
Nationalists
Republic of China
Kuomintang-led government
Mao Zedong
Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party
Deng Xiaoping
Chinese Red Army
Zhou Enlai
Peng Dehuai
Zhu De
Commander-in-chief of the People's Liberation Army
Lin Biao
Marshal, Commander of the Northeast Field Army; won the Liaoshen and Pingjin Campaigns
Liu Bocheng
Marshal, Commander of the Second Field Army
Chen Yi
Marshal, Commander of the Third Field Army
Chiang Kai-shek
Director-General of the Kuomintang, Republic of China
He Yingqin
Chen Cheng
General, Chief of the General Staff; later led the retreat to Taiwan
Li Zongren
General, New Guangxi Clique; Acting President of the Republic of China, 1949
Du Yuming
Lieutenant General, Nationalist field commander; captured at Huaihai
Fu Zuoyi
General, Surrendered the Beiping garrison, January 1949
Tang Enbo
General, Commanded the Nationalist defense of Shanghai, 1949
Wei Lihuang
General, Lost Manchuria in the Liaoshen Campaign
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Strength and losses
- Strength
- 2,000,000
- Casualties
- 1,500,000–1,700,000
- Killed
- 370,000
Battles and events 27
Key events
- Nanchang Uprising August 1–5, 1927
- Autumn Harvest Uprising September 7, 1927
- Encirclement Campaigns November 1, 1930 – October 10, 1934
- Long March October 16, 1934 – October 19, 1935 · Communists evade Nationalist armies and allied warlords
- Zunyi Conference January 15–17, 1935
- Xi'an Incident December 12–25, 1936
- Menglianggu Campaign May 13–16, 1947 · PLA victory
- Liaoshen Campaign September 12 – November 2, 1948 · Communist victory
- Huaihai Campaign November 6, 1948 – January 10, 1949 · Communist victory
- Pingjin Campaign November 29, 1948 – January 31, 1949 · Communist victory
- Yangtze River Crossing campaign April 20 – June 2, 1949 · Decisive Chinese Communist Party victory
- Battle of Guningtou October 25–27, 1949 · Republic of China victory
1927
- Nanchang Uprising August 1–5, 1927
- Autumn Harvest Uprising September 7, 1927
- Guangzhou Uprising December 11, 1927
1930
- Encirclement Campaigns November 1, 1930 – October 10, 1934
1934
- Long March October 16, 1934 – October 19, 1935 · Communists evade Nationalist armies and allied warlords
1935
- Zunyi Conference January 15–17, 1935
1936
- Xi'an Incident December 12–25, 1936
1941
- New Fourth Army Incident January 7–13, 1941 · Nationalist tactical victory
1945
- Operation Beleaguer 1945 – 1949
- Shangdang Campaign September 10 – October 12, 1945 · Communist victory
1946
- Second Kuomintang-Communist Civil War 1946 – 1949 · Communist victory
- Battle of Siping March 15–17, 1946 · Communist victory
- Second Battle of Siping April 17 – May 19, 1946 · Nationalist victory
- Linjiang Campaign December 17, 1946 – April 1, 1947 · Communist victory
1947
- Battle of Yan'an March 13–19, 1947 · Nationalist victory
- Menglianggu Campaign May 13–16, 1947 · PLA victory
1948
- Siege of Changchun May 23 – October 19, 1948 · Communist victory
- Liaoshen Campaign September 12 – November 2, 1948 · Communist victory
- Taiyuan Campaign October 5, 1948 – April 24, 1949 · Communist victory
- Huaihai Campaign November 6, 1948 – January 10, 1949 · Communist victory
- Pingjin Campaign November 29, 1948 – January 31, 1949 · Communist victory
1949
- Yangtze River Crossing campaign April 20 – June 2, 1949 · Decisive Chinese Communist Party victory
- Shanghai Campaign May 12 – June 2, 1949 · Communist victory
- Battle of Guningtou October 25–27, 1949 · Republic of China victory
- Battle of Dengbu Island November 3–5, 1949 · Republic of China victory
- Chengdu Campaign December 11–27, 1949 · Communists capture Chengdu
1950
- Landing Operation on Hainan Island March 5 – May 1, 1950 · People's Republic of China victory
Before and after
- Followed from
- Xinhai Revolution October 10, 1911 – February 12, 1912
Shanghai massacre April 12, 1927 - Led to
- Battle of Nanri Island April 11–15, 1952
Dongshan Island Campaign July 16–18, 1953
First Taiwan Strait Crisis September 3, 1954 – May 1, 1955
Battle of Yijiangshan Islands January 18–20, 1955
Battle of Dachen Archipelago January 19 – February 26, 1955
Second Taiwan Strait Crisis August 23 – December 2, 1958
Battle of Dong-Yin May 1, 1965
Third Taiwan Strait Crisis July 21, 1995 – March 23, 1996
2022 Chinese military exercises around Taiwan August 4, 2022
Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis August 4, 2022
Related events
1895
1904
1913
1922
1931
1940
1949
1958
1967
1976
1985
1994
2003
2012
2021
Chinese Civil War
