Part 8/12:
In 1937, the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War temporarily paused the civil war, as China faced the external threat of Japan. Chiang and Mao formed a second United Front to resist the Japanese invasion, culminating in a brutal conflict that stretched China's resources and further complicated internal divisions.
Endgame and the Creation of Modern China
After Japan’s defeat in 1945, the civil war resumed with renewed intensity. The U.S. supported Chiang’s Nationalists militarily during the late 1940s, but corruption, economic collapse, and waning popular support weakened the KMT. Mao’s CCP gained ground, leveraging peasant support and effective guerrilla tactics.