What was the Chinese Civil War?

Get ready for a HUGE story about China! Imagine two giant teams trying to be the boss of the world’s biggest country! That’s what the Chinese Civil War was all about! We meet two big leaders: Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek. They led the Communists and the Nationalists in a fight that lasted for more than 20 years! Can you believe it? We’ll share the unbelievable story of the 'Long March'—a 6,000-mile adventure across scary mountains and soggy swamps! Millions of people were involved in this huge struggle that completely changed China forever. Join Mira and Finn as we explore this massive piece of history. It’s way bigger than Finn’s imaginary super-city of 540 million people!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to History's Not Boring by Kidopoly.com. I'm Mira. And I'm Finn. And we have the best listener shout-out today. This episode is for Kelsey, who is seven years old and listening all the way from Hong Kong. Kelsey, you asked for an episode about the Chinese Civil War. What an awesome and super important topic to learn about.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Wow, Hong Kong! That's so far away. It must be amazing to learn about history happening right there.

SPEAKER_00 0:31

Exactly, Finn. Today we are diving into a huge struggle in China that lasted for over 20 years, from 1927 all the way to 1949. It was a massive fight between two different groups trying to be the boss of the world's most populated country.

SPEAKER_01 0:49

Two groups? Were they like two different soccer teams fighting over the same giant stadium?

SPEAKER_00 0:55

Kind of, but way more serious. One side was called the Nationalists, led by a man named Chang Kai-shek. The other side was the Communists, led by Mao Zedong. We are talking about a fight that changed China and the whole world forever.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

Whoa, a whole world change.

SPEAKER_00 1:14

Ready for the most mind-blowing number to kick us off. China is so big that when this war was ending, it was home to about 540 million people. Think about fitting everyone in your school, your city, and maybe even your whole state. All living in one country, trying to figure out who should lead them.

SPEAKER_01 1:35

540 million? That is more people than have ever lived in my imaginary super city. So, where exactly did this start, Mira?

SPEAKER_00 1:44

It really kicked off around 1927. Before that, China hadn't had one single strong leader for a long time. It was messy, almost like lots of little kingdoms popping up. The nationalists, or the Kuomintang, KMT, wanted to build a modern country based on rules, kind of like the government you know, but they had trouble getting everyone to agree.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

So Chiang Kai-shek led the nationalists. What were the communists led by Mao Zedong trying to do?

SPEAKER_00 2:14

Mao Zedong and the Communists believed the power should come from the regular farmers, the poor people working the land, not just the rich city people. The nationalists and communists actually worked together for a little bit, but their ideas were too different, and by 1927 they turned on each other in a huge split.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

They were fighting their own friends. That's so sad. What was life like for the regular people when this fighting started in 1927?

SPEAKER_00 2:44

It was incredibly tough. Many people felt like they had no safe place to live. The Communist Army, which eventually became known as the Red Army, often had to move to avoid the nationalist forces led by Chiang Kai-shek. They needed a massive escape plan. An escape plan? Like a secret mission in a movie? Yes, the most famous part is coming up. But first, think about this. The nationalists were trying to control the big cities and the main roads. So the communists had to go where the nationalists thought no one would ever follow them. Across super rough, wild land.

SPEAKER_01 3:21

Wait, what was the name of that epic escape? Was it super long?

SPEAKER_00 3:26

Yes! It was called the Long March. It started in October 1934 and lasted for about a year. It covered an estimated distance of over 6,000 miles.

SPEAKER_01 3:39

6,000 miles? How far is that in kid's steps? That's like walking from my house to my grandma's house a hundred times.

SPEAKER_00 3:48

That's a great comparison. It's farther than walking across the entire United States. They marched through massive, snowy mountains that were often over 15,000 feet high, and squishy, disgusting swamps where the mud could reach up to their knees.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Ugh, swamp mud? Did they have enough food and warm clothes for that?

SPEAKER_00 4:10

Barely. Many people faced hunger every single day. When they started, historians estimate there were around 86,000 soldiers in the Red Army attempting the march. But as they went through unbelievable hardship, only about 8,000 finally made it to the safe area at the end in 1935.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

So many people didn't finish. Did Mao Zedong say anything brave while they were marching?

SPEAKER_00 4:38

He did. He kept telling people they were fighting for a better future for all the farmers. He encouraged them to be super respectful to the villagers they passed, like paying for anything they took, which was super rare for an army on the move. This made the farmers start to like the communists more than the nationalists.

SPEAKER_01 4:57

Oh, so being nice helped them get friends. Did the fighting stop when they finished the long march in 1935?

SPEAKER_00 5:04

No. The war was paused for a little bit because Japan, a different country, invaded China. Both the nationalists and the communists had to stop fighting each other and worked together against Japan for a few years. It was a forced pause, from about 1937 to 1945.

SPEAKER_01 5:24

A forced time out, that makes sense. What happened when Japan left in 1945?

SPEAKER_00 5:30

Boom! The Civil War started again, right where it left off. But this time the communists were way stronger, because Mao Zedong had learned so much from the Long March and had gained support from millions of farmers. The final phase of the fighting really ramped up.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

So, Chi-shek's nationalists were still fighting hard, right? Did they have way more tanks and planes?

SPEAKER_00 5:55

At first, yes, they had better equipment, but the communists were brilliant at winning over the people and using smart tactics. They weren't always trying to win massive, huge battles, which saved people. What happened at the very end?

SPEAKER_01 6:10

How did Mao Zedong finally win?

SPEAKER_00 6:13

It was a slow turning of the tide. By 1949, the nationalists were losing support everywhere. In October 1949, Mao Zedong stood up in Beijing, the capital, and declared the People's Republic of China. Chiang Kai-shek and many of his nationalists had to flee south. So they actually had to leave their country. Where did they go? They sailed across the water and set up a government on the island of Taiwan, which is where Kelsey is listening from. That's why there are two different governments claiming to be the real China, even today. It all started with this 20-year fight. The war officially ended in 1949, but the fighting and disagreement over who should rule China shaped everything that happened next.

SPEAKER_01 7:05

So the whole country changed. It's crazy that the Long March, which was an escape, actually helped Mao Zedong win in the end. It totally did.

SPEAKER_00 7:16

Here's a weird fact. During the Long March, even though they were starving, the soldiers were taught to always share whatever tiny bit of food they had. Sometimes it was just a few grains of rice with the person next to them. That teamwork was huge.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

Wow, that's way better than hoarding food. Did you know the first time the communists and nationalists worked together was back in the 1920s, before this big war even started?

SPEAKER_00 7:46

Yes, they were actually allies for a short time against warlords. Here's another what a fact. The average distance walked by a soldier on the long march is estimated to be about 6,000 miles. But some soldiers covered nearly 8,000 miles because they got lost or had to backtrack.

SPEAKER_01 8:08

8,000 miles? That's like walking around the Earth's equator nearly one-third of the way. I'm tired just thinking about it.

SPEAKER_00 8:17

Me too. But that incredible journey helped create the country we see today. It shows how much people will struggle for what they believe is right, even if it's for 20 years. Alright, Finn, time for the quiz. Think about the big struggle between the communists and the nationalists.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

Okay, I hope I remember the names. I'm ready. First question.

SPEAKER_00 8:41

The war to control China happened between which two main groups? Next one, this is tricky. What was the incredible year-long 6,000-mile journey called that the Communists took? Question 3. Can you name the leader of the Communists? Here's number four. The war officially ended in what year when the People's Republic of China was declared. Last question! Where did Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalists go after they lost control of the mainland? Great job everybody! Let's check those answers and see how you did. The first answer is the Communists and the Nationalists. For question two, that amazing escape was called the Long March. Number three, the Communist leader was Mao Zedong. Question four, the war ended in 1949. And the final answer is they set up their government on the island of Taiwan.

SPEAKER_01 9:54

Wow, the Long March soldiers surviving through those mountains and swamps just to keep fighting. That's incredible human strength.

SPEAKER_00 10:02

It really shows you, Finn, that history isn't just about big armies. It's about the courage of individuals, like those soldiers and leaders. What an adventure that was.

SPEAKER_01 10:13

I hope Kelsey loved learning about the incredible journey.

SPEAKER_00 10:16

Me too. And hey, if you thought today's story was awesome, please ask your grown-up to give us a five-star review wherever you listen. It helps other kids like Kelsey find out about amazing history.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

Yeah, just scroll down and tap the stars.

SPEAKER_00 10:32

It only takes a second. And don't forget, we have tons of fun learning games and activities on our site, kidopoly.com. Go check out what else you can explore.

SPEAKER_01 10:42

If you want a shout out like Kelsey, or just want to tell us your favourite fact, send us an email at hello at kidopoly.com.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

Thanks for travelling through time with us today. See you next time on History is not boring.