Who fought in the Chinese Civil War from 1945 to 1949?

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Chinese Civil War, Shanghai, c. 1949 — Chinese Civil War Nationalist Army soldiers preparing to defend Shanghai from Communist forces, c. 1949.

The Chinese Civil War from 1945 to 1949 was a military struggle for control of China fought between two primary factions:

The Nationalists (Kuomintang): Led by Chiang Kai-shek, this group represented the established national government.1
The Communists: Led by Mao Zedong, this group sought to establish a new government, eventually forming the People’s Republic of China.31

Following the end of World War II in 1945, previous efforts to maintain a United Front against Japan collapsed, leading to the resumption of full-scale conflict. The war concluded in 1949 with the victory of the Communist forces and the retreat of the Nationalist government to Taiwan.23