Walsingham - All governments cover up their dirty laundries, so I wouldn't be surprised if what you suggest escaped my radar. During the Communism Revolution in China, however, Mao and his party defeated an army of tanks, airplanes and battleships, who also happened to outnumber them 3 to 1, with muskets and very little help from the Soviet Union. Mao's strategy was to gain the support of peasants and workers, and obviously he succeeded.
The Chinese Civil War was a struggle within one nation. I just can't see the connection to terrorism today.