The Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s victory over the Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) during the Chinese Civil War marked one of the largest reversals in military history. While a multitude of factors have been cited as contributing to this outcome, this article will investigate the significance of peasant-centred politics in explaining Mao Zedong’s triumph. The article first examines the political and military-strategic aspects of Mao’s success. Next, the article expounds upon the significance of circumstantial factors surrounding this outcome and analyses it through the lenses of peasant/non-peasant factors and KMT weaknesses. Ultimately, while peasant-centred politics formed the bedrock of Communist strength, Mao’s triumph was precipitated by a combination of wider political, military-strategic , and circumstantial factors.