In 1949, the Chinese Communist Party (CPP) defeated the Kuomintang (KMT) in the Chinese Civil War, becoming the ruling regime in China. The new communist leadership has radically changed China's future. Today, the CCP remains in power in China, shaping every aspect of Chinese society. Scholars like Chalmers Johnson argue that the CCP's ability to mobilize Chinese peasants ultimately led to the CCP's victory. This article will complement Johnson's argument by examining how the KMT's economic, military, and ideological missteps led to the CCP's victory. The Chinese Civil War began in 1927 when the KMT ended its partnership with the CCP during the Northern Expedition, an effort to unify all countries. of China under a single political regime. The war ended in 1949 when CCP leader Mao Zedong established the People's Republic of China in Beijing, and KMT leader Chiang Kai-shek and his followers fled the mainland to Taiwan. In addition to the ongoing civil war during this period, China was also invaded by the Japanese. The Japanese launched their first attack on China in 1931 with the Manchurian Incident, but did not launch their full invasion until 1937. The Japanese were defeated in 1945. During the Japanese invasion, the KMT and the CCP oscillated between a united front against the Japanese and war. with each other. The United Fronts lasted from 1922 to 1926 and 1937 to 1946. While the Civil War was a war between the KMT and the CCP, the Japanese invasion directly affected the Chinese public's support and lack of support for both political parties. In Johnson's book, Peasant Nationalism and Communist Power, Johnson does not discuss the finances of the CCP and whether or not this had an effect on its ability to win the Civil War......in middle of paper ......r country, and to win, and, therefore, garner massive support. Chiang Kai-shek was a much more passive military strategist. He turned to international forces to help the KMT. Because of this hesitation, the Chinese public perceived them as weaker. The KMT army was actually weaker. Ultimately, Mao Zedong's aggressive military tactics crushed the KMT. Finally, ideological differences on mass mobilizations between the CCP and the KMT played a huge role in the CCP's success. The CCP's communist ideology made mass mobilization a crucial part of its revolutionary plans. This meant that the CCP was making enormous efforts to win over the masses. However, the KMT's splitting and subsequent rejection of mass mobilization policies had a negative impact on its chances of victory. The sheer power of the masses led the CCP to victory.