Transcript China and the rule of Mao

China and the rule of Mao
Dynastic China
• Powerful emperors ruled China for
thousands of years with the Mandate of
Heaven
• 1644-1911 Qing (Manchu) Dynasty was
in power
– This final dynasty fell because of European
militaries and forced pressure to open to
trade.
Two Thousand Years Come to
an End
• In 1911, soldiers rebelled against the
Manchu Dynasty in the name of Dr. Sun
Yat-sen.
• Sun was a longtime critic of the Manchu
Dynasty.
– Influenced by Europe and the U.S.
– Sun wanted to establish a modern
democratic government.
The Warlord Period
• Sun does not have military support and
failed to create a western-style
democracy in China.
• 1911-1927 is known as the Warlord
Period, military generals fought to
control the provinces within China.
• The violence takes over the countryside
and peasants are exploited.
Mao and the Communist Party
• During the chaos of the Warlord Period,
the Communist Party is formed.
– A revolutionary group that planned to end
social and economic inequality, especially
for peasants (who represented 90% of the
population).
– As communist rebels conquered territory,
they won the support of peasants by taking
land from the rich and giving it to the poor.
“Whoever wins the peasants will win
China”
-Mao Zedong
Civil War
• By 1927, General Chiang Kai-shek
defeated most of the other warlords.
• Emerges as leader of the Guomindang
(the Nationalist Party) and
president/dictator of China.
• By 1934, Chiang surrounds small
communist armies in an attempt to
defeat them.
Civil War Cont…
• Mao Zedong as the commander of the
Communist Party, lead 90,000 supporters
over 8,000 miles of mountains (this becomes
known as The Long March)
• When they rested in Northern China, there
were 6,000 survivors
• This signals Mao’s rise to power and
leadership.
A Truce, for now…
• Between 1937 and 1945, Chiang Kaishek and Mao unite in an “uneasy”
alliance to defeat the common enemy,
the Japanese.
• After the Japanese are defeated in
WWII, the Civil War continued.
– Guomindang vs. the Communist army, now
known as the People’s Liberation Army
(PLA)
The Communist Revolution
• The PLA is outnumbered, but uses
guerilla warfare to take control of the
countryside.
• The PLA continues to take land from the
rich landlords and redistribute it among
the peasants.
• Inflation and corruption weaken the
Guomindang government
Communist Revolution Cont..
• By 1949, Communists controlled the
countryside.
• The PLA swept through China with little
resistance, and Chiang Kai-shek fled to
Taiwan.
• On October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed
The People’s Republic of China.
• The Chinese refer to this as the “liberation”
Problems to Face
• China devastated by decades of war
• In 1950, China sends troops to North
Korea to fight against American troops.
• Leaders want to modernize China’s
underdeveloped economy while
creating a socialist nation, in which all
citizens would share in the wealth.
China turns to USSR
• In 1952, Mao established a Five-Year
Plan, which focused on industrialization.
• Peasants were organized into
government owned collectives.
• By 1955, considerable success is
achieved, China is seen as an example
for other underdeveloped countries in
Asia and Africa.
The Break with USSR
• It became clear that Mao disagreed with
Soviet Leaders.
– Mao felt the Soviets moved too slowly toward
communism.
– The Soviet Union decreases financial aid and
technical advisors to China.
– Mao wanted a “uniquely Chinese” experiment, a
move toward equality through great effort and
sacrifice of the masses
The Great Leap Forward
• People are organized into communes to
complete large scale projects (dams,
railroads, etc.)
• The goal was to catch up to Britain in 15
years.
• People worked shift after shift with little rest
and were encouraged to rid themselves of
improper, anti-communist thoughts.
The “Great Leap” Problems
• Poor management of the communes
• Droughts and floods resulting in one of
the largest famines in history.
– Many sources site 14-20 million deaths,
others 23-40 million deaths!
– The government does not acknowledge
any failure and by 1961 abandons the
communes.
3 and 5 Antis Campaigns
• Reforms established by Mao in 1951 and
1952 to rid China of corruption and enemies
of the state, especially in Manchuria.
• Targets of these campaigns were those
believed to capitalists and bourgeois.
– 3 antis reforms against: corruption, waste and
bureaucracy.
– 5 antis reforms against: bribery, theft of state, tax
evasion, cheating of government contracts and
stealing state economic information.
Hundred Flowers Campaign
• In 1957 Mao reduced constraints placed
upon China’s intellectuals and
encouraged them to openly engage in
criticism of the Party.
• This lasted for several weeks, until the
Party recalled the request and placed
the intellectuals under even more strict
constraints.
The Cultural Revolution
• Communist leaders focused on rebuilding the
economy, Mao worried that people were too
interested in making money.
• To Mao the spirit of the revolution was
threatened
• Modern China needed a cultural revolution to
get rid of the “olds”; old ideas, old culture, old
customs and old habits.
Mao’s Quotes
“China's women are a vast reserve of
labor power. This reserve should be
tapped in the struggle to build a great
socialist country”
Mao’s Quotes
• We must affirm anew the discipline of the Party, namely:
• (1) the individual is subordinate to the organization;
• (2) the minority is subordinate to the majority;
• (3) the lower level is subordinate to the higher level; and
• (4) the entire membership is subordinate to the Central
Committee.
• Whoever violates these articles of discipline disrupts Party unity.
Mao’s Quotes
“[Our purpose is] to ensure that literature
and art fit well into the whole
revolutionary machine as a component
part, that they operate as powerful
weapons for uniting and educating the
people and for attacking and destroying
the enemy, and that they help the
people fight the enemy with one heart
and one mind”.
Cultural Revolution Cont…
• Young people become the Red Guards and
use Mao’s Little Red Book to guide them.
– Homes are raided, anything of western influence
was destroyed
– Temples, ancient art, historical monuments and
books were destroyed.
– Hundreds of thousands are killed or imprisoned for
their anti-Mao ideas or actions
Mao’s Reign Comes to an End
• By 1969, even Mao recognized the
excesses of the Red Guards.
• In the early 1970’s, Mao became ill and
his wife, Jiang Qing, gained power.
• Mao dies in 1976, his wife joined with 3
others known as the Gang of Four.
• By 1979, Deng Xiaoping gains control of
the Communist Party.
• Mao says your assignment is:
– Country Profile #3: China, during the regime of Mao,
1949-1975.
– All three country profiles are due Dec. 17th
– This assignment is just the same as Profiles #1 and
#2.
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15-20 examples of the following:
Political Aspects
Economic Aspects
Social/Cultural Aspects