To what extent was Mao's rise to power explained by the communist ideology?

The communist ideology was attractive to Chinese masses because of the mismanagement of the Nationalist regime and the rage fuelled by the Japanese invasion. When the China's last emperor was overthrown in 1912, the Nationalist Party had taken the lead of the country. However, their power was limited by the fact that large parts of China were controlled by warlods. The Nationalist Party needed the alliance of the Communists first in defeating the warlords, later in fighting the Japanese (1934-1945). Because of this, the Nationalists were not able to concentrate their efforts on destroying the Communists, who through the 'co-operation' acquired knowledge and expertise in the battlefields. At the same time, the Nationalists were attempting to install an effective infrastructure at the expense of peasants, hence making them turn to the communist hope for the better future. Now, one could go into great detail about the shortcomings of the Chinese Nationalists and about Mao's mobilization campaigns. However, it is vital to understand that the reasons for Mao's success do not exclusively spring from his achievements as the leader of the Communist party, but to a large extent from the context in which the Nationalists had attempted to govern China. The circumstances forced them to resort to harsh measures, which drove people to communism.