Tension had been occurring for years.
The civil war began when Chiang Kai-shek decided to purge the Communists from the KMT-CCP (Chinese Nationalist Party-Chinese Communist Party) alliance to consolidate power.
The purge is know as the Shanghai Massacre of 1927 by the CCP and the Purging of the Party by the KMT.
Many prominent Communist members were imprisoned or executed by the KMT in an attempt to destroy the influence of the CCP.
The communists fled, preparing for the next stage of the Civil War.
Communists gained most of their strength from rural areas. The supporters were able to utilize guerrilla tactics to neutralize superior nationalist strength.
