Lesson 1

1 The Civil War, 1945–49 Quiz: Pearson Edexcel History, Unit 16

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 1, The Civil War, 1945–49: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel GCSE History (1HI0), Unit 16: Mao’s China, 1945–76, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which party did Mao lead during the Civil War?

    • Chinese Communist Party
    • Soviet Communist Party
    • Chinese Democratic League
    • Japanese Liberal Party

  2. Who led the Guomindang during the Civil War?

    • Sun Yat-sen
    • Chiang Kai-shek
    • Wang Jingwei
    • Feng Yuxiang

  3. Which policy helped the CCP gain crucial support among the rural peasantry?

    • Industrial quotas
    • Forced conscription
    • Land reform
    • Tax increases

  4. Which major economic problem severely weakened urban support for the Guomindang?

    • Fixed exchange rates
    • Agricultural surplus
    • Hyperinflation
    • Deflationary spiral

  5. What was the core CCP military strategy involving the countryside and cities?

    • Encircling cities
    • Naval blockade
    • Defending ports
    • Urban barricades

  6. Where was the CCP's main base in the north-west?

    • Nanjing
    • Guangzhou
    • Chongqing
    • Yan'an

  7. In which year was the People's Republic of China proclaimed?

    • 1949
    • 1945
    • 1947
    • 1952

  8. What was the central ideological adaptation made by Mao Zedong?

    • Feudal monarchy
    • Industrial capitalism
    • Bourgeois liberalism
    • Peasant-based Marxism

  9. In 1948, severe currency collapse and shortages in Chinese cities caused what phenomenon?

    • Trade surplus
    • Wage growth
    • Currency stability
    • Hyperinflation

  10. Which warfare style suited CCP strengths during the Chinese Civil War?

    • Siege warfare
    • Trench warfare
    • Static defence
    • Mobile warfare

  11. What feeling towards the Guomindang helped the CCP gain urban influence?

    • Complete apathy
    • Deep discontent
    • Blind loyalty
    • Fierce devotion

  12. Despite having fewer soldiers initially, what major advantage helped the CCP succeed?

    • Foreign invasion
    • Superior leadership
    • Unlimited funds
    • Better navy

  13. What action by Guomindang soldiers severely drained their military strength?

    • Tactical retreats
    • Mass defections
    • Frontline strikes
    • Naval mutinies

  14. Where did the defeated Guomindang government flee to in 1949?

    • Philippines
    • Japan
    • Taiwan
    • Hong Kong

  15. Which social groups did the CCP actively recruit to widen its political base?

    • Industrial bosses
    • Foreign merchants
    • Wealthy landowners
    • Workers and peasants

  16. Which major internal failing critically undermined the Guomindang administration?

    • Widespread corruption
    • Excessive taxation
    • Over-industrialisation
    • Strict discipline

  17. What combination of tactics defined the CCP's military approach?

    • Guerrilla and conventional
    • Mercenary and siege
    • Defensive and static
    • Naval and aerial

  18. What was the primary reason for the eventual victory of the CCP?

    • A single battle
    • Soviet naval help
    • Multiple combined factors
    • Purely US backing

  19. What key policy did Mao offer peasants to gain their support during the Civil War?

    • Factory ownership
    • Land redistribution
    • Tax exemptions
    • Forced collectivisation

  20. What major factor weakened Guomindang support in Chinese cities by 1948?

    • Foreign invasion
    • Rampant inflation
    • Rural uprisings
    • Religious bans

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