The Chinese Communists took advantage of China's war-torn situation to launch a nationwide rebellion against the National Government. Chiang showed the extent of his patriotism in January of 1949 when he temporarily retired from the presidency and went to his home town, hopeful that this would open the way to peaceful settlement of civil conflict.
抗戰勝利不久，中共公然叛亂，總統蔣公為促使中共覺悟，罷戰言和，以解除人民痛苦，乃毅然於當月二十一日宣告引退。