Ep. 122 | The Chinese Civil War (Part 4)
In this Part 4 episode, we conclude our overview of the Chinese Civil War. After the Pingjin Campaign ended in January of 1949 it was time for the Communists to finish off what they started. The victory was imminent but by no means would it be easy and simple.
The PLA forces dramatically crossed the Yangzi River in May and their great generals led their forces to a smashing victory, finishing off the KMT forces of Chiang Kai-shek by December 1949. On December 10, 1949, the Generalissimo boarded a flight to Taiwan, leaving his rival Mao Zedong as the undisputed leader of China.
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Baoji | 宝鸡 | City in Shaanxi province (陕西省) |
| Changsha | 长沙 | Capital of Hunan province (湖南省) |
| Chen Cheng | 陈诚 | KMT general and politician |
| Chen Yi | 陈毅 | PLA General and future foreign minister |
| Chen Yi | 陈议 | KMT general and politician (not to be confused with the Communist Chen Yi 陈毅） |
| Chengdu | 成都 | Capital of Sichuan province |
| Chiang Ching-kuo | 蒋经国 | Son of Chiang Kai-shek (and successor as president of the ROC) |
| Chongqing | 重庆 | City formerly in Sichuan province (now a Municipality) and wartime capital of the Rep. of China |
| Du Yuesheng | 杜月笙 | Big Eared Du – Underworld crime boss in Shanghai |
| Gansu | 甘肃 | Province in China |
| Hu Zongnan | 胡宗南 | Nationalist General |
| Huaihai | 淮海 | Civil War Campaign in 1948 |
| Hukou | 湖口 | City in Jiangxi Province (江西省) |
| Jiangyin | 江阴 | City in Jiangsu Province (江苏省) |
| Jiujiang | 九江 | City in Jiangxi Province (江西省) |
| Li Shimin | 李世民 | Co-founder of the Tang Dyansty |
| Li Zongren | 李宗仁 | Served as Acting President after Chiang Kai-shek stepped down |
| Liaoshen | 辽沈 | Civil War Campaign in 1948 |
| Lin Biao | 林彪 | PLA General in Manchuria and northern China |
| Liu Bang | 刘邦 | Founder of the Han Dynasty |
| Liu Bocheng | 刘伯承 | PLA General (Deng Xiaoping partner in civil war) |
| Ma Bufang | 马步芳 | Warlord general of the Ma clan in Northwest China |
| Ma Haiyan | 马海宴 | One of the founding patriarchs of the the Ma Clan of the Northwest of China |
| Ma Hongkui | 马鸿逵 | Warlord general of the Ma clan in Northwest China |
| Ma Qianling | 马千零 | One of the founding patriarchs of the the Ma Clan of the Northwest of China |
| Ma Zhanao | 马占鳌 | One of the founding patriarchs of the the Ma Clan of the Northwest of China |
| Nanjing | 南京 | Capital of Jiangsu as well as the capital of the Republic of China |
| Ningxia | 宁夏 | Province in China |
| Peng Dehuai | 彭德怀 | PLA General |
| Pingjin | 平津 | Civil War Campaign in 1948 |
| Pukou | 浦口 | City in Jiangsu province and a district of Nanjing |
| Qinghai | 青海 | Province in China |
| Su Yu | 粟裕 | PLA general |
| Tang Enbo | 汤恩伯 | KMT general |
| The Common Program | 共同纲领 | Mao’s blueprint for the new China |
| Wuxi | 无锡 | City in Jiangsu Province (江苏省) |
| Xiamen | 厦门 | City in Fujian Province (福建省) |
| Xibaipo | 西柏坡 | Seat of Mao’s military headquarters after he was pushed out of Yan’an |
| Xinhai Revolution | 辛亥革命 | The revolution that led to the end of the Qing Dynasty |
| Xuzhou | 徐州 | City in Jiangsu Province |
| Yan Huizhu | 言慧珠 | Shanghai screen actress, very big in her day |
| Zhabei Park | 闸北公园 | Park in Shanghai |
| Zhang Qifu | 張奇夫 | The infamous opium warlord of the Burma Shan State, Khun Sa |
| Zhao Kuangyin | 赵匡胤 | Founder of the Song Dynasty |
| Zhongnanhai | 中南海 | Adjacent to the Forbidden City, the compound where China’s highest leaders live |
| Zhu Yuanzhang | 朱元璋 | Founder of the Ming Dynasty |
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In this penultimate episode in the series we'll take a look back at the Chen Shuibian and Ma Ying-jeou years.