The establishment of the People's Republic of China

1949

Major combat in the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949 with the Communist Party of China in control of mainland China, and the Kuomintang, the Chinese Nationalist Party, retreating to Taiwan. On 1 October, 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China, also known as "Communist China" or "Red China". The economic and social plan known as the Great Leap Forward resulted in an estimated 30 million deaths. In 1966, Mao and his allies launched the Cultural Revolution, which lasted until Mao's death a decade later.