Assignment: China - The Chinese Civil War

The Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang or KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had originally cooperated in seeking to wrest control of China from landlords and foreign forces. In April 1927, they split and began a decades-long civil war, interrupted only in part by Japan's invasion. With Japan's surrender and the failure of the American mediation effort, the two sides resumed their struggle in late 1945. This segment of Assignment: China examines efforts by journalists to report on this final four years of the war and its impact on Chinese society. It features archival photos and interviews as well as interviews with some of those who brought news of this battle for the world's largest country to Americans via newspapers and magazines, news reels, and radio.

Пікірлер: 330

  • @jacintochua6885
    @jacintochua68852 жыл бұрын

    The rich and the well connected lived well. The rest of the peasantry starved. That's why hundreds of thousands of KMT troops defected to the Red Army. That's how KMT collapsed, despite huge support from US.

  • @ArnoldTeras

    @ArnoldTeras

    2 жыл бұрын

    Do you think China today would be better had the KMT won the war? Would they still be best friends with America? Would China and India remain brothers??

  • @onya_marx

    @onya_marx

    3 күн бұрын

    @@ArnoldTeras If KMT won then China would have become a failed state like India.

  • @donrushton219
    @donrushton2193 жыл бұрын

    Chester Ronning, the Canadian diplomat and father of Audrey Ronning Topping, wrote "A Memoir of China in Revolution" (Pantheon Books, but out of print)... well worth reading.

  • @kesharkhadkapunwar2029
    @kesharkhadkapunwar20293 жыл бұрын

    Thanks!! 👏🌹🙏 It was so nice to know about my neighbour's passed history. All the best! 🇳🇵Love from Nepal !!!

  • @jackchiang25
    @jackchiang258 жыл бұрын

    the cost of truman's policy toward KMT directly led to American's engagements in Korean war and Vietnam war. What a big lost of an ally in Asia!

  • @markgreen1462

    @markgreen1462

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Lei Wilhelm Totally agree with you. The conservative policy has help communist power get stronger. The open to media has brought disaster to freedom war again red devils. The us reporters were totally deceived by Communists. The communists are perfect cheaters.

  • @zenithzero6354

    @zenithzero6354

    6 жыл бұрын

    Mark Green "They're thieves, every damn one of them!" That was how Truman commented Chiang's government. He could not support a government that was not worth the support. Also, remember that the US was then making a choice between Western Europe and China. The mentality of Eurocentrism made them choose the former.

  • @demetriusrosa5560

    @demetriusrosa5560

    4 жыл бұрын

    Zenith Zero which has proved it was stupid. China will lead the world soon. See how the domino effect works?

  • @jiaquli2273

    @jiaquli2273

    4 жыл бұрын

    草泥马

  • @Klopp2543

    @Klopp2543

    3 жыл бұрын

    China would have been a good client state. How bad the Chinese people determined their destiny!

  • @ericbeaulieu4843
    @ericbeaulieu48436 жыл бұрын

    Bravo!Great documentary,what times these journalists must'ave lived.

  • @indiejones2706
    @indiejones27063 жыл бұрын

    What is the symposium of old China hands? Is there a video recording somewhere?

  • @nleeder
    @nleeder9 жыл бұрын

    A brilliant compilation which has that essential "ring of truth" from the very mouths of those who were there in the very middle of all that history in the making - all superbly brought together!

  • @EzraMerr

    @EzraMerr

    6 жыл бұрын

    Noel Leeder they are leftists and that women is clearly a Zionist. Totally disgusting they can bend truth into lies

  • @pimppimpproductions6497

    @pimppimpproductions6497

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@EzraMerr bruh if the nationalists are so good how come they lost. They had it all, more guns, soldiers, American support, but they lost because their own people hated them.

  • @stoggafllik

    @stoggafllik

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@pimppimpproductions6497 That is true. But at that time, chinese peasants didn’t know how awful Mao would turn out to be.

  • @Klopp2543

    @Klopp2543

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@stoggafllik are you alleging almost a billion people were stupid? Don't you think mao's policies won them over just like how most politicians win today(not meaning mao won an election)!

  • @stoggafllik

    @stoggafllik

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@Klopp2543 No, but rather it was the corruption of the Nationalists and Mao’s populist promises that gained peasant support. Of course, Mao then turned his back on these promises later on..

  • @sarcasmo57
    @sarcasmo5711 жыл бұрын

    That was very interesting. Thanks.

  • @Pat21617
    @Pat2161710 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! I am beginning to understand how China became communist after WW2, the power of an opinionated press and admire the journalists who covered the developing story

  • @georgemarsh9639

    @georgemarsh9639

    10 жыл бұрын

    And those who have very questionable, and unpleasant motives against humanity: John Service said he had purposely ignored Mao's persecutions and executions.[16]

  • @pachomiussinanicus1728

    @pachomiussinanicus1728

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Patrick McAllister Some of the Communism doctrines matched with traditional Chinese culture which made Communism attractive to Chinese people, especially peasants and literatii

  • @augustusomega4708

    @augustusomega4708

    2 ай бұрын

    whats to understand, the communist side won and probably because the Soviets helped Mao. Shek had no chance with the squirrel brained Americans backing him, same as Ukraine.

  • @thomasshoener2154
    @thomasshoener21542 жыл бұрын

    Excellent!

  • @johnsheffield7413
    @johnsheffield741311 жыл бұрын

    Problematic, because no attention is paid to the course and events of the war itself. But it's an excellent insight into how the American 'China Hands' remember the war, sixty years on, with the benefit of hindsight.

  • @anastasiavelonagoshudnaya7455
    @anastasiavelonagoshudnaya74553 жыл бұрын

    Round I : 1927 - 1937 Round II : 1945 - 1949

  • @ganboonmeng5370

    @ganboonmeng5370

    3 жыл бұрын

    Round 3 2023- 2023 3 days !

  • @hongkongsmartboy

    @hongkongsmartboy

    2 жыл бұрын

    Never stopped between 1927-1950

  • @noname-fv3kn
    @noname-fv3kn Жыл бұрын

    What incredible life experiences these people have had

  • @brettnelson7518

    @brettnelson7518

    Жыл бұрын

    People will say that about us one day.

  • @EZ-rs5zv
    @EZ-rs5zvАй бұрын

    My father was an officer in the KMT during the Japanese invasion but he was sent to the US in 1940. He told us stories of how terrible things were back then in China and the interviewees in this video corroborate what my father told us. So let's give some credit to the post-war Chinese government (yes, the Communist Party) for ending the destitution and misery of the Chinese people. I am proud of what China has become - I am less proud of what America is becoming!

  • @humbleone6405
    @humbleone64053 жыл бұрын

    Just a note..14:25 .they even wore face masks back then...interesting

  • @kittenmasaki
    @kittenmasaki6 жыл бұрын

    interesting conversations and subject, but the video fx are horrible and ruining it. also: where are the chinese in this us-china institute conversation? im only seeing the american viewpoint.

  • @1223steffen
    @1223steffen10 жыл бұрын

    actually the civil war was still going during wwii. The communists and nationalists still clashed frequently

  • @republican18

    @republican18

    10 жыл бұрын

    Still going on today. The Republic of China is a thriving democracy, recognised as a beacon to aspiring democratic states. Even the Communist Party is looking to them for ideological support and approval.

  • @Advtaiwan

    @Advtaiwan

    8 жыл бұрын

    its a beautiful thing rite im an American living in Taiwan I often wonder what a better place China would be under ROC leadership

  • @user-ew1sb9nu4d

    @user-ew1sb9nu4d

    5 жыл бұрын

    You shut down,The KMT's reputation in Taiwan is abysmal,After Chiang kai-shek fled to Taiwan, the policy of terror was carried out for decades

  • @bigbruh4399

    @bigbruh4399

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@AndyS789 I dont see a stricly communist party doing that in Taiwan. However, if the KMT were never forced to retreat, I doubt Taiwan would be the jewel it is today.

  • @ganboonmeng5370

    @ganboonmeng5370

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@Advtaiwan what are you talking about..China was under the KMT.from 1921 ...the communist was part of the government of ROC..in 1921...Chiang kS murdered some 200,000 communist and their supported in 1928 ! Before the purge..the communist don't even hv a army ! The only hv a army after a few army divisions deflected to them...many of the communist were liberals..students..intellectual who escape from the Chiang KS purge to join the communist party !

  • @avenueb
    @avenueb3 жыл бұрын

    Wow what a great historic record of a terrible time for China

  • @antiwarantipoverty7908

    @antiwarantipoverty7908

    2 жыл бұрын

    How communists saved the Chinese poor from not being regarded as people very old government

  • @1223steffen
    @1223steffen11 жыл бұрын

    actually the civil war was going on when the imperial japanese occupied it.

  • @xinyiquan666

    @xinyiquan666

    4 жыл бұрын

    japanese did not occupy whole of china, by end of war, they could only control less than 1/5 of china land, in the area they occupied , japanese only could control cities along railway, not rural area

  • @weekiang6247

    @weekiang6247

    4 жыл бұрын

    Chinese main concern is still fighting among themselves even when Japanese are invading them

  • @leonardpearlman4017

    @leonardpearlman4017

    4 жыл бұрын

    Between what we see here and a pile of relevant books (including the one mentioned here), I think it's fair to say that a whole generation of Americans didn't hear one true word about China in all their lives! For freedom and democracy! That wartime blizzard of lies still hasn't quite died down, if you ask me. Nobody ever does, so don't worry!

  • @noahpeng1689

    @noahpeng1689

    4 ай бұрын

    @@weekiang6247 After 1940, Japan was no longer able to launch an offensive. It was only a matter of time before the war ended. Both sides were considering the post-war pattern, and conflicts continued. The Communist Party had two armies (the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army). The Kuomintang attacked the New Fourth Army and the New Fourth Army was almost completely wiped out.

  • @dannyvue9258
    @dannyvue925810 жыл бұрын

    Yeah then it was postponed, to defeat the Japanese then continued on in 1946.

  • @Lin-De
    @Lin-De6 жыл бұрын

    comment section warning: KMT fanboys in full denial

  • @windogendoors7566

    @windogendoors7566

    4 жыл бұрын

    Yeah it's odd right. Usually it's the communists who are always posting propaganda on how "great" the CCP is.

  • @checkwikipediasrsly9274

    @checkwikipediasrsly9274

    4 жыл бұрын

    found the 共匪

  • @Lin-De

    @Lin-De

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@checkwikipediasrsly9274 a wild 果粉 appeared!

  • @nathanyan8269
    @nathanyan82693 жыл бұрын

    Crazy city I will never come again...lol... actually I came from that crazy city...

  • @zheliu3008
    @zheliu30089 жыл бұрын

    If Chiang agreed to negotiate with CCP in 1945 to rebuild China and unify military forces, there would not be any chance for CCP. CCP at that time was small and weak compared with KMT so they would like to join a combination government led by Chiang. The problems were portion of military forces and territories for both sides (CCP said it would be fine to have a 7:1 army but their own territory should not be absorbed and become autonomous regions). But, fuck it, Chiang was not satisfied and wanted to eliminate any opposite voices, He didn't know that red army were much more skilled at fighting after previous civial war and sino-japanese war and buying most of farmers who took most part of chinese people. And most importantly, with gigantic support from USA, Chiang's regime was corrupted and greedy and he didn't believe his general who were actually very good.

  • @aachenmann

    @aachenmann

    9 жыл бұрын

    Joe Turbo You know nothing about how CCP knew they would get supports from the Soviet Union once the Soviet Union invasion of China's northeast provinces occured, So CCP did indeed want to start a civil war so that they could overthrow the government and take the total power

  • @MIKEYAO21

    @MIKEYAO21

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Joe Turbo actually it was debatable...Chiang's control over everything was not firm...if he took the city he had to spend garrison...if commie escape into Korea and USSR his army could not pursue cuz it could be viewed as an act of infringement...and Chiang has to make militarily unwise decision as Parliament member plead him to retake their hometown from commies...

  • @noahpeng1689

    @noahpeng1689

    4 ай бұрын

    @@aachenmann You are mistaken, the Soviet Union actually supported the Kuomintang because the Kuomintang allowed the Soviet Union privileges and ports in Manchuria.

  • @machodude22
    @machodude2210 жыл бұрын

    15:57, dat poor soul there

  • @ArnoldTeras
    @ArnoldTeras2 жыл бұрын

    Do you guys think that China today would be better off had the Chinese Nationalists (the KMT) won the Chinese Civil War? Would people today be happier? Would China and America still be best friends, and would China and India also be friendly??

  • @user-vv7ir1pl4j

    @user-vv7ir1pl4j

    Жыл бұрын

    you have no idea how bad the kmt was they killed and massacred through china ruling through warlords and facism they where incredibly corrupt with the entire country against them

  • @silviaroasttm5847

    @silviaroasttm5847

    Жыл бұрын

    ​@@user-vv7ir1pl4j滞纳猪别装

  • @jennyli365
    @jennyli3653 жыл бұрын

    Chairman Mao🌹🌹🌹👍

  • @seansailBruce
    @seansailBruce3 жыл бұрын

    Tsai Ing-wen,the leader of Taiwan, is doing no difference from Chiang Kai-shek

  • @Z0DI4C

    @Z0DI4C

    3 жыл бұрын

    lmao, Chiang and Mao are both forms of Hitler. If a little old lady who supports freedom and democracy bothers you, your morals are clearly all wrong. Taiwan is a sovereign country.

  • @shawnv123

    @shawnv123

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@Z0DI4C 🤡

  • @ArnoldTeras

    @ArnoldTeras

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Z0DI4C Chiang was actually not that bad, even though I know lots of Western historians criticize him. Studying his personal life, he seemed like a very kind grandfather in his later years, and he was a deeply religious individual also.

  • @andrewnorrie2731

    @andrewnorrie2731

    Жыл бұрын

    蔡傀儡。

  • @hongkongsmartboy
    @hongkongsmartboy7 жыл бұрын

    If Chiang Kai Shek's Nationalist Party won Civil war, ROC would still take back all Manchuria, HK, Macau, Tibet and Xinjiang, and Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) do not allow any independence activity, but allow high degree of autonomy. ROC must restore all territories of Qing Dynasty except the land ceded to Russian Empire or USSR, including outer Mongolia.

  • @anjiexox2711

    @anjiexox2711

    6 жыл бұрын

    hongkongsmartboy Except the RoC still claims Mongolia and parts of outer Manchuria and Kazakhstan

  • @zenithzero6354

    @zenithzero6354

    6 жыл бұрын

    The one who ceded Outer Mongolia was C. T. Wang, a KMT diplomat. Had KMT won the war, I can expect China to lose de facto control of Tibet (which had unilaterally declared independence since the fall of Qing) and part of Xin Jiang (perhaps to the Soviets). Also, Port Arthur and Chinese Eastern Railway would never be returned to China by USSR. So don't expect too much out of the KMT . Even their american allies admitted that there was no way the KMT could win. Maybe that was the reason Truman abandoned Chiang.

  • @noahpeng1689

    @noahpeng1689

    4 ай бұрын

    The Kuomintang was tougher than the Communist Party in terms of national stance. Both Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek clearly planned to assimilate all ethnic minorities and eliminate ethnic minority cultures.

  • @zenithzero6354
    @zenithzero63546 жыл бұрын

    In the field of politics, a method, whether evil or good, is justified if it is for a noble goal. It is true that Mao killed millions, intentionally or unintentionally. Nevertheless, he has achieved most of his goals: unity, independence from foreign powers (including United States and the Soviets) and framework of heavy industry.

  • @alloomis1635

    @alloomis1635

    6 жыл бұрын

    mao was not a maniac, but the cultural revolution was hopeless in its aim, and a great loss to china. mao was old, and unable to control the nation as he once did. the great leap forward did cost lives, the government admits to 8,000,000, but there was a purpose to it, as america was threatening nuclear extermination. mao thought he might use peasant labor to speed up progress towards china's own bomb, the only protection against america. it was a gamble, he well knew that there was a risk of famine. perhaps if he had had 5 years of good weather, it would have succeeded. but he didn't get it.

  • @valleyoftears8964

    @valleyoftears8964

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@alloomis1635 Mao knew exactly how to control the nation, especially his later years during Cultural Revolution. Listen to the words from Mao's third wife, Jiang Qing. Before Jiang Qing died, she had testified in court that ALL she did was according to the command of Mao. How the Red Sun Rose: The Origin and Development of the Yan'an Rectification Movement, 1930-1945 by Hua Gao This book will show you why Mao from the beginning was a bloodthirst and an absolute power pursuer. Mao intentionally and relentlessly criticized those who were once his biggest supporters (Liu Shaoqi, Lin Biao, Peng Dehuai, and many others). Mao manipulated young people, middle schoolers/high schoolers/young adults to violently kill their teachers/professors/scholars/or anyone who had even the slightest association with the right. (See Wikipedia www.wikiwand.com/en/Violent_Struggle Violent Struggle and )(Yongyi Song (CSULA), The Chinese Cultural Revolution kzread.info/dash/bejne/o56Oytl_mpPJlaw.html)

  • @ElZilchoYo
    @ElZilchoYo6 жыл бұрын

    Ive heard much bad Chinese, but i think John Kaishek takes top place

  • @wickuswoss7257
    @wickuswoss72578 жыл бұрын

    Chinese people and culture are quite peculiar.

  • @pachomiussinanicus1728

    @pachomiussinanicus1728

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Wickus polis That is so called Chinese characteristics

  • @wickuswoss7257

    @wickuswoss7257

    8 жыл бұрын

    Rufus Domition perhaps.

  • @Time4View

    @Time4View

    7 жыл бұрын

    Wickus Frans 😂

  • @alloomis1635

    @alloomis1635

    6 жыл бұрын

    haven't been there, i take it?

  • @EzraMerr

    @EzraMerr

    6 жыл бұрын

    Al Loomis been there for 2 years I understand it ,but it's illogical and fucking weird so I agree with this comment

  • @manchu-qu9mw
    @manchu-qu9mw9 ай бұрын

    Thanks to the views of these journalist views on the ground. Must have been a adrenalin rush jobs. I feel super sad of civilians' sufferings and deaths in so many ways. In total regards, I view the KMT Chang was not truly for the Chinese people. Mao was. Pearl S Buck summed it up well of the Chinese people in her visionary view of the greatness of the humane and virtue of China then.

  • @poilochien
    @poilochien2 жыл бұрын

    america should better learn about the world and foreign country rather than aways looks at her navel ... about chinese civile war, read " les origines de la révolution chinoise " lucien bianco 1967. " red star over china " edgar snow. JK fairbank and so on ...

  • @ekesandras1481
    @ekesandras14812 жыл бұрын

    Roosevelt made a big, big mistake by bringing the Soviet Union into the war against Japan. Otherwise the Kwantung-Army would have surrendered to the Americans, the communists would not have been stocked with Japanese weapons, Korea would not have been split in two. Maybe even Manchuria would have continued to be an independent state.

  • @dustin1352
    @dustin13524 жыл бұрын

    It's never a Chines civil war. Same for the Korean war, Vietnam war. These were wars between Soviet and the US.

  • @user-qg1go5lb6t

    @user-qg1go5lb6t

    4 жыл бұрын

    no,The Kuomintang received American aid,but ccp didn‘t received Soviet’s.

  • @dustin1352

    @dustin1352

    4 жыл бұрын

    The research on how the Soviets helped CCP during the civil war is comprehensive. No way anyone can make sophistic arguments like the one you made.

  • @user-qg1go5lb6t

    @user-qg1go5lb6t

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@dustin1352 No,CCP and Soviet didn't trust each other before korean war,so Soviet did not help China before the founding of the people's Republic of China

  • @wr3595

    @wr3595

    3 жыл бұрын

    So true finally see someone have the same opinion with me. This is the beginning of cold war. Bad communist win. If the Republic of China win the Civil War there will never have Vietnam and Korean war

  • @sjsupa

    @sjsupa

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@wr3595 According to the US reporters, this "IF" would never happen.

  • @mrspike007able
    @mrspike007able9 жыл бұрын

    Notice these interview Creeps don't mention about the young girls and boys who were supplied to these red 'reporters' with 'joy boys and girls' their future have a Red Color.

  • @jeffz311

    @jeffz311

    9 жыл бұрын

    BigBossManBBQ This only shows the evil of these so-called reporters. Shame on you.

  • @jacintochua6885

    @jacintochua6885

    2 жыл бұрын

    You're a despicable liar, no shame, no knowledge. You work for DPP or 1450. Devious but bad liar.

  • @republican18
    @republican1810 жыл бұрын

    一个是苏联自身的直接的战略利益需要。另一个则是苏联对刚成立的新中国,存在深刻的不信任,它需要有一种战略态势,就是让中国跟社会主义阵营之外的世界隔 绝,最好是处于一种敌对状态,以此牵制中国。紧挨着中国的朝鲜和越南,恰好可以被苏联所利用。站在中华民族的立场,站在正常国家的立场,这两场战争毫无必 要。而且实事求是地说,战争的结果,弊大于利。战争将中国不仅置于美国的对立面,而且还置于联合国的对立面,那时的新中国,几乎在跟整个世界对抗。对抗就 必然遭到封锁、禁运,而且时间竟然长达数十年之久。对一个有着五、六亿人口、近千万平方公里国土的大国,这是一种极其罕见的外交境地。朝鲜战争和越南战 争,让中国白白损耗了两千亿美元的社会财富,就是这两场战争,让中国成为真正的一穷二白!

  • @TheThemutedude

    @TheThemutedude

    9 жыл бұрын

    你的同意你的看法!幸好中国有邓小平。

  • @sunmoonstargood

    @sunmoonstargood

    9 жыл бұрын

    胡说八道。事实是,当年如果不是靠苏联,而是靠美国,中国早就被美国分裂了。投靠美国的国家,有什么好下场?南韩和日本,被美国的金融战抢夺一空,还是靠了中国的崛起才没彻底破产。像美国这种靠印纸钞掠夺世界的缺德国家,能有什么好东西与人?

  • @damncommunist8162

    @damncommunist8162

    9 жыл бұрын

    Johney Smith 你是不是被洗了脑子还没醒过来?世界上哪个共产党国家的人民有过好的生活?跟美国走的南韩比跟苏联走的北韩差?恶魔毛泽东自从欺骗中国人民建立赤色政权以后祸害了几代人的青春祸害了多少中国百姓的生命?80年的改革开放是不得已为之,因为中国历朝历代都是官逼民反,中共很清楚这一点,不能再把百姓饿死了,这十几年的病态控制房地产价格建立了虚假的中国经济繁荣,现在开始房价崩盘,中国经济将陷入万劫不复的境地,中国人民也将再次陷入水深火热,别再他妈的意淫中国有多富裕了!

  • @sunmoonstargood

    @sunmoonstargood

    9 жыл бұрын

    Damn Communist 南韩在亚洲金融风暴中被美国扫的破产,日本在90年代初就被打得20年都爬不起来,你以为我们中国人不知道吗?现在美国自己都快怕不起来了。没有天助,事还是不成的。我们中国是有天佑的。你可以去继续闭眼舔美国的菊花。LOL

  • @Advtaiwan

    @Advtaiwan

    8 жыл бұрын

    為什麼你用簡體漢字,因為我覺得繁體比較好?在中國你學習中文嗎?我在文藻大學我學習中文。我覺得台灣比中國好

  • @joshli3927
    @joshli392710 жыл бұрын

    在国内谁敢这么说啊。。。。。。。。。说了第二天就消失

  • @madagaska9011

    @madagaska9011

    4 жыл бұрын

    这个视频我觉得真的可以在国内上传,对当局没什么威胁,反而能看出当时国共形势的逆转。

  • @kengchen4512
    @kengchen451210 жыл бұрын

    So I see china is decade behind at technologies is becuase of other country

  • @robertshen2225
    @robertshen222510 ай бұрын

    These naive western journalists didn't know Chou Enlai was trained in Moscow as an intelligence agent complete in killing and seducing. Also his queer sexuality helps.