The communists won the civil war in 1949 for many reasons. Although they did not have many things the GMD had, they had enormous support from the peasants. As 95% of the Chinese population, the peasants were the core of the country. Through this mass support, Mao was able to achieve many things. So why did the communist win the civil war? This essay examines the different aspects of the communist victory.

Militarily, the communists relied on the support they had from the volunteering peasants, and the unity and determination through the civil war. After fighting the Japanese, Mao had a good idea of the power of his People's liberation army. He learnt from mistakes, and the communists were fresh and confident for the civil war. Although the GMD were better equipped, the communists' "guerrilla warfare" took advantage of the mass support and unity they had within the party, and...