When the Chinese Civil War began, the Communists (eventually under the leadership of Mao) started at a disadvantage. They didn't control much territory, the number of soldiers they had access to was much smaller and they had much more limited supplies than their opponents. But by 1949, just four years after the end of WW2, Mao and his communists were victorious and proclaimed the creation of the People's Republic of China soon before the remnants of the Nationalist government fled to Taiwan. So how did Mao achieve such a victory? Why did Mao win the Chinese Civil War?