Chiang Kai Shek and the GMD in 1937 versus 1949

Why were the Chinese United (in the Second United Front) behind Chiang Kai Shek and the GMD in 1937, and in 1949 Chiang and the GMD were chased off the mainland to Taiwan & Mao proclaimed the People's Republic of China in Oct. 1949?

At the beginning of the 1930s, Chiang Kai Shek's government was beset internally from the Chinese communists opposing his nationalist regime and externally from Japan incursions into China. In 1937 the Young Marshal Zhang Xuelian kidnapped Chiang Kai Shek and tried to force him to unite with the communists against the Japanese. Still, the strongly anti-communist Chiang attacked the Forth Communist Army instead during the initial phases of the war instead of fighting the external threat of the Japanese. The Chinese United in the Second United Front did not forget this nationalist 'fault' later on, although at the time China united to expel the Japanese from Chinese territories.

From 1941 on Chiang Kai Shek obtained financial support from the Allies that allowed him to keep his hold on power. But his overestimation of the danger by the communists during the early 1930s proved to be fatal politically, in the long run. Chang spent too much money and political capital against the Maoists during the initial Japanese attack. Thus Japanese forces intruding China form 1937 on did not face any initial substantial resistance. The Chinese people blamed Chiang for the resulting early carnage, despite their eventual victory. Also, Chiang announced that he would transition his government into a democracy after the war, but he did not undertake the social reforms as promised, thus further undercutting popular support for the GMD. By1949, the Communists had overtaken the popular support of most Chinese and the Chinese United (in the Second United Front) were now under secure control of Mao and his communist forces.

Works Cited

"Republic of China: Chiang Kai Shek." China Knowledge. 2005 http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Rep/jiangjieshi.html