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The deformation behavior of single-layer braided fabric and its influence on the fracture modes of composite tubes under quasi-static axial compression were studied. By changing the parameters of the manufacturing process, braided fabrics with varying structures were produced and were further cured into braided composite tubes. Quasi-static compression experiments were conducted on the tubes, and the crush process was recorded on camera to analyze the deformation of the braided fabric. By employing the finite element method, a numerical model of a composite tube at the yarn scale was established to further verify the role of braided fabric in the process. Two fracture modes that depended on the fabric structure were also observed. The tension in the braiding yarns in the bucking section tends to cause them to separate. Braiding structures with larger braiding angles and more interlacing points between yarns provided more resistance to prevent yarns separating from the braided structure and led to a folding fracture mode. In contrast, a splaying fracture mode occurred in braided fabrics with smaller angles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]