The leader of the Nationalist forces during the Chinese Civil War was Chiang Kai-shek. As the head of the Kuomintang (KMT), or Nationalist Party, he fought against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) led by Mao Zedong. Chiang aimed to unify China and resist Japanese invasion during World War II. Following the war, the civil conflict resumed, resulting in significant battles between the Nationalists and Communists. Despite holding significant territories and foreign support, Chiang's forces were eventually defeated, leading to his retreat to Taiwan in 1949, where he established a government that continued to claim legitimacy over all of China.