Heilongjiang was the first Chinese communist controlled province. The major city of the province of Heilongjiang is Harbin which is also the capital city of Heilongjiang. The province of Heilongjiang was given to the Chinese by the Soviet forces. It was conceded by the Japanese who lost the battle in 1945 to the Soviet forces. The communist's were then able to control the beginning of the Chinese Civil War from Manchuria in Heilongjiang. Heilongjiang province has grown with time in terms of area. It included only the western parts of the present province then and Qiqihar was the capital of the province. Songjiang occupied the rest of the province then and the capital was Harbin. It was only in 1954 the provinces were clubbed to form the present day Heilongjiang territory. Heilongjiang later also occupied the then inner portions of Mongolia namely Hulunbuir League. This took place during the Cultural Revolution of China under Mao.