In 1949, the Chinese Communist Party (CPP) defeated the Kuomintang (KMT) in the Chinese Civil War to become the ruling regime in China. The new communist leadership has dramatically changed China's future. Today, the CCP remains in power in China, shaping every aspect of Chinese society. Academics such as 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 thesis 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 collaboration with the CCP during the Northern Expedition, an effort to unify all countries. of China under one political government. The war ended in 1949 when CCP leader Mao Zedong founded the People's Republic of China in Beijing, and KMT leader Chiang Kai-shek and his followers fled from 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 Manchuria Incident, but did not launch a full invasion until 1937. The Japanese were defeated in 1945. During the Japanese invasion the KMT and CCP oscillated between a front united against the Japanese and the 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 CCP's finances and whether or not this had any effect on its ability to win the Civil W...... middle of paper..... .r country, and to win, and, thus, gathering mass support. Chiang Kai-shek was a much more passive military strategist. He looked to international forces to come to the aid of the KMT. Because of this hesitation, the Chinese public perceived them as weaker. The KMT army was, in fact, weaker. Ultimately, Mao Zedong's aggressive military tactics crushed the KMT. Finally, ideological differences over 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 element of its revolutionary plans. This means that the CCP has made enormous efforts to win over the masses. However, the KMT's fragmentation and subsequent rejection of mass mobilization policies had a negative impact on their chances of victory. The sheer power of the masses led the CCP to victory.