Transcript Communists Take Power in China Communists vs. Nationalists During and After WWII During WWII – China fought with the Allies Japan occupied and devastated most of.

Communists Take Power in
China
Communists vs. Nationalists
During and After WWII
During WWII – China fought with the
Allies
Japan occupied and devastated most
of China’s cities
China’s death toll (10-22 million) was
second to Russia’s (@26.6 million)
1945 – opposing Chinese armies
faced each other
Mao Zedong – Communist Leader
Stronghold in North
Western China (during
WW2)
Organized peasants
for guerrilla warfare
against Japan – was
highly successful
Peasants gave their
loyalty to communists
because they were
taught better food
production.
1945 – Communists
controlled much of
Northern China.
Jiang Jieshi – Nationalists
Dominated southwestern
China
Had an army of 2.5 million
men
1942-1945 – the U.S. sent
the Nationalists about $1.5
billion to fight the
Japanese.
Corrupt officers took most
of the money and did little
to fight the Japanese.
After Japan surrendered –
the Communists and
Nationalist resumed
fighting each other
Civil War 1946 - 1949
At first the Nationalists had the advantage:
a larger army, and $2 billion in aid from the
U.S.
However, they did little to gain popular
support.
Nationalist soldiers left for the Communist
party as the economy fell.
1949 – China’s major cities fell to the welltrained Red (Communist) forces.
People’s
Republic
of
China
Red forces were welltrained and Mao promised to return the
land to the peasants.
Jiang’s left-over army
fled south.
Oct. 1949 – Mao controlled the country and
proclaimed the
People’s Republic of
China
Next….
Jiang and other Nationalist leaders fled to
the island of Taiwan (Formosa). This
became Nationalist China.
Mao’s victory fueled U.S. anti-Communist
feelings.
1950 - U.S. feelings got worse when China
and Soviets signed a Treaty of Friendship.
Many people in the U.S. thought the
Communists wanted to conquer the world!
Two Chinas:
Taiwan = Nationalist China; 13,000 sq. miles
Mainland = People’s Republic of China; 3.5 mill. sq.
mi.
Their existence and conflicting international loyalties
intensified the Cold War.
The Superpowers (U.S. and Soviet
Union) React:
U.S.: helped Jiang in Taiwan set up a
Nationalist government (Republic of
China).
Tried to halt Soviet expansion in Asia
Soviets: gave financial, military, and
technical aid to Communist China
The Chinese and Soviets pledged to come
to each other’s defense if either was
attacked.
Communist China Expands: Tibet
1950-51: Brutal
assault and take-over
of Tibet
China promised
autonomy to those
who followed the Dalai
Lama.
Late 1950s – China
tightened control and
the Dalai Lama fled to
India.
-There was a failed revolt in Tibet
-1959 - India welcomed Tibetan
refugees
-Resentment builds between India
and China
-1962: They clashed briefly over the
unclear border
-Resentment continues to this day
**** Learn 360 “War Comes to
Tibet” 3:35
No notes – just view
A New “Mandate of Heaven”
Mandate of Heaven
justified rebellion
against an unjust,
tyrannical, or
incompetent ruler.
If a rebellion was
successful in
overthrowing the
emperor, then it was a
sign that he had lost
the Mandate of
Heaven and the rebel
leader had gained it.
In addition, unlike the hereditary Divine
Right of Kings, the Mandate of Heaven did
not depend upon royal or even noble birth.
Any successful rebel leader could become
emperor with Heaven's approval, even if
he was born a peasant.
Failing Leader: Jiang Jieshi
Rebel leader who gained “Mandate” =
Mao Zedong
Mao’s Brand of Marxist Socialism
There were two parallel organizations:
Communist Party and the national
government.
Mao heads both until 1959.
Mao was determined to reshape
China’s economy
80% of people lived in rural areas –
but owned no land.
Instead 10% of the rural population
was controlled 70% of the farmland.
Agrarian Reform Law of 1950
Mao seized the holdings of the landlords.
Mao killed more than a million of the
landlords who resisted.
He then divided the land among the
peasants.
To further socialist principles – the govt.
forced peasants to join collective farms
(200-300 households).
Industry and Business
1953 – Five Year Plan that set high
production goals for industry.
1957 – China’s output of coal,
cement, steel and electricity had
increased dramatically
The Great Leap Forward
Early 1958 – to
expand the success of
the First Five Year
Plan
Called for larger
collective farms
(communes)
End of 1958 – 26,000
communes were
created.
One commune =
15,000; supported
25,000 people
Communal Life
Peasants worked the
land together.
Ate in communal
dining rooms
Slept in dormitories
Communal nurseries
for children
Owned nothing!
Only the state profited
by their work – they
had no incentive to
work hard.
Great Leap – A Failure
A Giant Step Backward
Poor planning
Inefficient ‘backyard’ industries
hampered growth
1961 – massive
crop failures =
famine
Killed 20 million
people
Program ended
“Back Yard” smelters
The Great Famine
Communes were over
populated and not
enough food to feed
everyone.
Massive crop failures
Distribution of food
was not organized –
lots of waste.
Preferential treatment
to ‘favorites’ in
communes.
People hid provisions.
Mao refused to accept the truth.
The rest of the world was not aware
of the famine because of China’s
“isolationism.”
******** You Tube: “China
Under Mao – Great Leap
Forward” 12:57
Relationship with Soviet Union
Late 1950s – relationship with Soviet Union
starts to crumble.
No more spirit of cooperation between the
two.
Each sought to lead the worldwide
Communist movement.
Faced numerous territorial disputes over
longest shared border.
New Policies and Mao’s Response
Mao reduced his
role in government
after the Great
Leap failure and
break from Soviet
Union.
Others moved
away from Mao’s
strict socialist
ideas: they lived in
their own homes.
People sold crops
they grew on small
private plots.
Factory workers
could get wage
increases and
promotions.
Cultural Revolution
Mao thought new
economic policies
weakened the
Communist goal of
social equality.
He was determined to
revive the revolution
1966 – Urged young
people to “learn
revolution by making
revolution.”
Red Guards
Millions of high
school and college
students left their
classrooms and
formed militia units.
They led the
Cultural Revolution
Goal: to establish a
society of peasants
and workers in
which all were
equal.
New “Hero”
Was the peasant who
worked with his/her
hands.
Intellectual and artistic
activity was useless
and dangerous.
Process: they shut
down colleges and
schools.
Targeted anyone who
resisted the regime.
-Intellectuals had to “purify” themselves by doing
hard labor in remote villages.
-Children turned in their parents, teachers,
doctors – any one they thought ‘subversive.’
-Thousands were executed or imprisoned.
-Their widespread chaos threatened farm
production and closed down factories.
-Civil war seemed possible.
-1968 – Even Mao admitted the Cultural
Revolution had to stop.
Learn 360: “Cultural
Revolution in China” 5:06
Zhou Enlai
1968 - Chinese
Communist party
founder and premier
since 1949, began to
restore order.
Red Guards were
exiled to the
countryside; others
were arrested and
some executed.
While China was
trying to become
stable, the Cold War
continued to rage.
Assignment:
Answer the following questions: Due next class.
1. How did the Chinese Communists
increase their power during WWII?
2. What actions did the Nationalists take
during WWII?
3. What was the goal of the Cultural
Revolution?