In GCSE History students will be taught about China under Mao. One question they will explore is how and why China became a Communist state.
How did Mao come to be leader of China? Why did his people support him? In 1930 China was sharply divided between Mao's Communist Party and the Nationalist KMT, led by the corrupt Chiang Kai-Shek. The civil war between the two resumed vigorously after 1945, and by 1949 the Communists had won and Mao became leader of the state. Chiang took refuge on an off-shore island vowing to return to rule China.
Learn more about how and why China became a Communist state in this quiz.