Defining Moments

Communist China

after four years of civil war between the Communist party and Kuomintang, communist leader mao Zedong stood in peking (now Beijing) to declare the creation of the people’s republic of China. nationalist forces lead by Chiang Kai-shek retreated to the island of taiwan and hostilities would continue. here mao and other Communist party officials gather at the gate of heavenly peace north of tiananmen Square to announce their victory. 1949