The Making of Red China: Chinese Civil War and Revolution of 1949

China in the 20th century experienced an epic civil war period that ended 2000 years of dynastic, imperial rule and ushered in the modern era of China and the People's Republic of China. This class covers China's first revolution of 1911-1912 and the first Republic, 1912-1927. It explains the civil war between the nationalist forces under Chiang Kai-Shek and the communist forces under Mao Tse-tung. It features the Civil War era of 1927-1937, with a focus on the encirclement campaign and the Long March north. It details the brutality of the Second Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945. It discusses the immediate post-war clashes in 1945-46; and then the all-out war from 1946-1950, ending with the triumph of the communists and the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China. It discusses briefly the relationship between the two Chinas post-1950; and then covers the relationship of China with the world after 1950.