the 20 th century history of china

The 20th Century History of China

China: Prior to WWII• A country run by warlords.• 1921 Mao Zedong started the Communist Party in China• Sun Yatsen’s Kuomintang (People's National Party) takes

leadership role. • Three principles for a new society – were National freedom; – Democratic government; – and the people's livelihood.

Wanted to liberate country from foreign power, but the only country to come to his aid—USSR.

Merged with other Communist Parties—One goal—Revolution.

This would be a PEASANT revolution, not an Industrial Worker Revolution.

• When Sun died Chiang Kai-shek takes his place.• Kuomintang and Communist Party march to

the north to rid China of foreigners. • Alliance falls apart and Kuomintang attacks

Communists. • Mao restructures army: The Red Army (Army

for the People)• Laid the groundwork for a revolution, a

strategy to "dominate over city by farm village"-to use the farmlands to win the cities.

Japanese Invasion• Recall Manchuria invaded

(Manchukuo) in September 1931. • Kuomintang concerned with ridding

China of Communists rather than the Japanese.

The Long March (es)

• Kuomintang extermination campaign forces Mao and Nationalists northward.

• On the way the Communists confiscated the property of officials, landlords and tax collectors, redistributed the land to peasants, armed thousands of peasants with weapons captured from the Kuomintang and left soldiers behind to organize guerrilla groups to harass the enemy.

World War II

• Mao essentially won over the peasants and they in turn became Communist supporters, but willing fighters against Japan.

Renewal of The Civil War, 1946

• Chiang’s Nationalists unofficial government for nearly a decade.

• Major corruption. Huge support from the Americans.

• Fierce four year struggle for supremacy ended in a victory for Communists.

• By 1949, Chiang and Kuomintang forced to their stronghold of Formosa (Taiwan) Republic of China

The People’s Republic of China (PRC)• By Oct. of 1949 Mao declared the PRC to have come into

being. • A one-party state with total conformity.• Gov.’t created an atmosphere of fear by having a series of

anti-movements.• Landlords dispossessed of property.• “Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom; let a hundred schools of

thought contend” Scientists could debate theories that had no political connotations / writers and artists would be encouraged to comment on society as long as they did not criticize the socialist system.

• (Let people complain and then get them when they complain.)

• Problems with the economy: Prices were up to a 150 times as much as that before civil war stated

• CADRES sent out to get industrial services going again. (specially trained Communist men and women)

• SPEAK BITTERNESS MEETINGS became commonplace: designed to have former landlords declare the sins they made against the peasants.

Agreements with Soviets

• Soviets gave up claim to Lushan and Manchurian railways and industries

• They approved a $300 million loan to China• Agreed to erect and operate a number of model

factories• Supply technical information• Send 12,000 scientists and technicians to help

reconstruct China’s industry• Accept 6,000 Chinese students in soviet universities

Great Leap Forward: 1958-1962

• A plan to forge ahead in industry and agriculture. • Send people from urban areas where they were not

working to rural areas where they could work.• They could then have backyard businesses. They

could manufacture fertilizers, tools, etc for farming. He felt if you decentralized this would lead to an increased in standard of living and an increase in consumer goods.

• He felt light industry should be concentrated on. Shoddy backyard steel mills.

• Program died as peasants did not have the technological background.

• There was also a drought. Big schemes—irrigation canals, hydro-dams

Reorganization of Agriculture • abolish private ownership and redistribute the land in equal

small plots• later plots merged into collectives• landowners were given re-education and had to pay penance• any farming industry that was in support of industry was to

remain untouched• State taxes of 30 %• Labour intensive irrigation and transportation projects• The Great Famine: Btw. ‘59 and ‘63 50 million Chinese died

from starvation.

Sino-Soviet Split and Western Normalization• Mao felt he was next in line for the leader of all

communists • not warned about Khrushchev’s de-stalinization

speech• disagreed with peaceful co-existence • Brezhnev Doctrine: The Soviets felt they had a duty

to intervene in another socialists country’s affairs if it was in the best interest of communist solidarity. They felt they would be next.

• Both Mao and Nixon knew they needed to open up relations: Why?

• Ping-Pong Diplomacy: On April 10, 1971, nine American players, four officials, and two spouses visited the Chinese mainland and then spent their time during April 11–17 playing exhibition matches, touring .

• February 1972 Nixon visits China • PRC given official permanent seat on the UN

Security Council

The Cultural Revolution: 1966 to ‘76

• Introduce a more pure form of communism• Use youth to tell people of the dangers of

capitalism and privilege • Began in universities and spread to the

schools• They criticized authority and corruption• Donned red arm bands RED GUARDS• Give free transportation and food

• Wanted to destroy all symbols of the past• Ransacked public buildings• Had the support of the army• Military: ranks , special units, and

badges abolished• Production and economic progress came to a

halt

• Specialists: anyone who does not do manual labour

• Going Down Philosophy: there should not be an oligarchy—that everyone needs to get their hands dirty and actually work. No one should be above working.

• The Little Red Book: A collection of Maoist sayings

The Gang of Four

• Radical group• officially blamed for the worst excesses of the

societal chaos that ensued during the ten years of turmoil.

• Their downfall in a coup d'état on October 6, 1976, a mere month after Mao's death, brought about major celebrations on the streets of Beijing and marked the end of a turbulent political era in China.

• Mao’s latest wife was a member

Chairman Hua: 1976 to 1981– Arrested the Gang of Four– foreign books put back on the library shelves– competitive entrance exams were instituted for University– Chinese films, opera, and plays were revived– More tolerant attitude towards religion was adopted:

reopened and held services– Houses and bank accounts which were confiscated were

returned– Cult of personality around Mao was dismantling– Ideas of Confucius were declared worthy of study

The Deng Xiaoping Revolution: 1981-’89

• urged foreign trade• trade resources for equipment and

technology• market system with profits • only 16% of the businesses and factories

were allowed to have autonomy in wages and hiring

• SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES for foreign trade, where foreigners could trade

• Inflation• 30% increase in the standard of living• Eventually had to return to centralized price

controls and imposed quotas on industries• Monopoly control was returned to the state in

order to bring stability and re-establish economic order

Political Restrictions

• TIANANMEN SQUARE Protests: wanted political reforms (democracy) and intellectual freedoms. The government responded by bringing in tanks. More than 200 people died. Changed the international face of China.

• Censorship of the press, foreigners under watch• One Child Policy

Quotations

• It does not matter whether the cat is black or white; as long as it catches the mouse, it is a good cat. (Commenting on the whether China should turn to capitalism or remain strictly in adherence with the economic ideologies of communism)

• Wading across a river by feeling the rocks. (referring to the fact that China had absolutely no experience with modern capitalism)

• "Vietnam is a hooligan, we must teach them a lesson." (On December 1978, in a visit to several Southeast Asia countries, only a few months before The third Indochina War, he said this unforgettable quote live on the China television network)

• It's time to smack the bottom of unruly little children. (While talking to president Jimmy Carter during his brief visit to the United States, thereby informing the USA that China was ready to go to war with Vietnam.)

Modern Issues in China• Pollution: Three Gorges Dam, Fossil Fuels, Nuclear power

stations, urban sprawl, cancer villages, • Poor manufactured products: melamine, colgate, lead in child

toys….• Corruption: building, social welfare, • Sickness: AIDS,• Poverty: huge gaps• Religious persecution• Increased population• Human rights violations: death penalty, homosexuals,

treatment of women……

5E2Describe the emergence of in world affairs

identify and describe key people and events in the emergence of the People’s Republic of , including -Nationalists (Kuomintang) to (e.g., Chiang Kai-Shek) (Long March)

-leadership of Mao Zedong -Great Leap Forward -100 Flowers Campaigndescribe the changing relationship

between and- (e.g., Sino-Soviet split) - (e.g., Korean War, Chinese development of the atomic bomb, recognition of Taiwan )

6F2 ANALYSE CHANGES IN CHINESE COMMUNISM, WITH REFERENCE TO

THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION

THE CHANGING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WEST

DENG XIAOPING’S POLICIES

analyse the causes and consequences of the Cultural Revolution

describe ’s changing relationship with the West in terms of

-Nixon’s visit (normalization) -’s permanent seat on the Security Council - Pong Diplomacy explain political, economic, and

social developments in under Deng Xiaoping, including

-the one-child policy -special economic zones -Tiananmen Square