Annette's+Response+=)

  Whilst there are many reasons as to why the Communist Party was victorious against the Nationalist Party, there are three dominant factors which contributed to their success. These include the brilliant leadership and tactics of Mao Zedong, including his guerrilla tactics and the development of Maoism, the impact of the Sino-Japanese War on both the Communist Party and the Nationalist Party, and the inadequacies of the Nationalist Party (GMD).  To begin with, Mao Zedong’s leadership can be seen as the most prominent reason for the Communist victory. Without his skills, strategies and tactics, the communists would not have been able to reach such amazing feats as they did. Mao’s guerrilla tactics //“The enemy advances, we retreat; the enemy halts, we harass, the enemy tires, we attack; the enemy retreats we pursue"// proved to be extremely effective and were key to the defeat of the Nationalists. The development and success of Maoism can be described as an extremely important aspect of the Communist Party’s victory. Maoism was a theory created by Mao which recognised the Peasants, lower class, as a crucial force for revolution. As a result, the CCP and the Red Army gained the respect and support of the peasants through their treatment towards them as demonstrated in their rules of conduct, some of which include “//speak politely, don’t hit or swear at people, don’t damage crops etc.”// To have the support of the majority of China’s population would soon prove to be one of Mao’s most significant tactics in fighting against the GMD.  The Sino-Japanese war had a great and differing impact on the Chinese Communist Party and the Nationalist party. The sudden Japanese defeat on 15th August 1945 was unexpected by both the GMD and the CCP. Although the GMD appeared to emerge with superior firepower and forces due to the supplies from the US, the communists had a geographical advantage over the nationalists. The Red army was able to accept the Japanese surrender from 18 bases in northern China and were able to take command of cities and communication networks. Not only did the communists have the geographical advantage, but they also had emerged from the war relatively unharmed. They had not beared the full brunt of the war like the Nationalists, and therefore were not as fatigued, worn out and exhausted either. Consequently, it is evident that the Sino-Japanese war is one of the most vital factors which contributed to the ultimate victory and success of the Communists over the Nationalists.  The final, yet still important factor which contributed to the Communist victory is the inadequacies of the GMD. The inferior leadership skills and tactics of the Nationalists combined with their disunity and their decreasing support from the Chinese population greatly impacted on the final outcome of the civil war. The obnoxious and incompetent conduct of the Nationalist officers and officials towards the Chinese masses significantly affected the peasant’s perceptions of the Nationalist government. According the Immanuel Hsu, people began to //"wonder whether life would have been better under Japanese rule." // The little support that the GMD had once had soon began to diminish as their actions became less and less acceptable. This was further heightened by the increased burden on the peasants. Little had been done for peasants before the war and from 1937 – 1945 their burdens were increased by a multitude of taxes, for example, and having to sell their grain at well below market prices. The effects of rampant inflation, which rose between January and August 1945 flowed onto every aspect of life, and consequently soldiers wages fell dramatically, as well as the loyalty of the middle class. Chiang Kai-shek’s poor leadership and disunity of his army played a large role in their eventual defeat. Many officers were untrustworthy and unwilling to follow orders, troops were demoralised due to brutality, corruption and inactivity, which thus contributed to a lack of fighting spirit. Without this fighting spirit and enthusiasm to beat the Communists, the CCP had a distinct advantage over the Nationalists. The CCP were ready and willing for a civil war. They had a cause to fight for. Therefore is it clear that these inadequacies of the GMD played a major part in contributing to the eventual victory of the Chinese Communist Party.  Subsequently, it is obvious that the victory of the Chinese Communist Party over the Nationalist Party can be attributed to a variety of significant factors. The first being the importance of the CCP leader Mao Zedong, followed by the various impacts of the Sino-Japanese war, and finally the inadequacies of the GMD compared to the Communists.
 * Assess the reasons for the Communist Victory **

 This is a well written essay because you stated what you wanted to say and said it, and it's very clear. It's nice and simple:)

**A good essay, you state your arguement clearly in the introduction and then use good historical detail and evidence to support it. It's clear and easy to understand. NICE**   

this was a great essay :) very insigtful and interesting....i particularly liked your use of quotes and historical facts-it was good how they blended into your essay instead of just being put there just because its expected to have quotes etc. i really liked how you assessed the reasons in a formal and insightful manner...well done :) yay!!

I really like this essay; you have a good strong argument and sustain this argument throughout your essay. It’s clear and simple! Well done! <span style="COLOR: #ff33cc; FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings"> J