Chinese Civil War Resumes

Main Idea: Chinese Communists defeated Nationalist forces and two separate Chinas emerge

Civil War: 1946 to 1949

U.S. supported Nationalists by providing financial aid

Nationalist troops outnumbered communists by 3 to 1 However failed to win popular support of the

citizens (peasants) ***Peasants support would be huge in the

outcome!*** Collapsing Chinese economy caused

several soldiers to join the Communists Mao Zedong’s promise to restore land to

the peasants inspired soldiers Significance: Communists would win the

war

Impact of China Communist victory fueled U.S. anti-

Communist feelings Feelings were fueled even more when the

Chinese and soviets signed a friendship treaty in 1950

U.S. viewed communist takeover of china as another step in the communist campaign to conquer the world

Significance: This would inspire the U.S. to become more aggressive and get involved in Vietnam and Korea

Superpowers Get Involved

Taiwan would become the home of the nationalists

U.S. helped them set up a nationalist government

Soviets gave Communist China weapons, technical aid, and money

Communists Transform China Mao reshaped the economy based on

Marxism Took land from the landlords and killed

anyone who resisted (millions) Divided the land among the peasants Forced them to work on collective farms

Transformed Industry and Business Tried to modernize like the west! Who else did this?!?!

Great Leap Forward

Mao created larger collective farms called communes Peasants were extremely unhappy and

were not receiving the benefits they were promised!

A drought severely crippled the communes and brought the need for changes

Cultural Revolution Mao vowed to fix the problems and inspired people to

believe him Red Guards: teenagers left the classroom and formed

militias to support an overhaul of the Chinese culture Cultural Revolution: goal was to establish a society

where peasants and workers were equal. The worker became more valuable than the student

and the red guard shut down universities Harsh in their changes killing anyone who resisted Chaos began and farm production was in danger so

the army was forced to put down the red guards by force

Significance: China was struggling to become stable

Legacy of Mao Failed to get the economy to grow

consistently First 5 year plan: industry grew but agricultural

only grew slowly Great leap forward: suffered economic disaster

as industry declined and food shortages emerged

Cultural Revolution: regained influence by backing radicals and took part in purges and conflict causing economic, social, and political chaos

Legacy of Mao

Cultural Revolution turned people against radical communism

New moderate period emerged

Deng Xiaoping

Jailed radicals who had led the cultural revolution

Supported moderate economic policies (elements of Capitalism)

Four Modernizations: economic reforms to improve agriculture, industry, defense, and science and technology (Successful!)

Massacre in Tiananmen Square Gap between rich and poor grew with the

progressing economy Western ideas in democracy and contact

with the west drove college students to question why they could not have political freedom as well

100,000 students came together at Tiananmen Square (large public space in Beijing) to protest for democracy Gained popular support and called for Deng to

step down

Massacre in Tiananmen Square Instead of making reforms or stepping

down, Deng declared martial law Use of any force necessary to keep order

Most of the protesters gave in with this declaration

100,000 soldiers were brought in to deal with those who continued to protest Last straw: students constructed a statue that

called the “goddess of democracy” Heavily armed soldiers and tanks were brought

in to destroy the statue and put down the resistance

Soldiers sprayed bullets into the protesting crowds

Attack killed hundreds and wounded thousands

Significance: EXAMPLE OF A HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION

Massacre in Tiananmen Square

China Today

Market economy (Democratic/Capitalist principles)

No Political Freedom or democratic principles in Politics/Government