communist takeover of china - cherry creek academy · after sun yixian’s death in 1925, chang kai...
TRANSCRIPT
Communist Takeover of China
Formation of the Chinese Republic
! The Qing Dynasty à Sun Yat Sen ! The people of China, under nationalist leader
Sun Yat Sen, demanded: – Nationalism à The end of foreign domination &
influence – Democracy à Formation of a representative
government – People’s Livelihood à A modernized & industrialized
economy to provide security for the people of China
Formation of the Chinese Republic
! Sun Yat Sen – Leader of the Kuomintang
! Kuomintang à China’s Nationalist Party ! Overthrows Qing Emperor in 1911 and becomes
China’s first president, but… ! Sun could not unite China ! Turns over presidency to a top general who
overturns democratic reforms ! China becomes a military dictatorship overrun by
warlords
The Communist Party in China
! Many intellectual Chinese turned against Western Democracy – How had democracies treated China
previously? ! Communist Party
– Lead by Mao Zedong – Influence by the Russian Revolutions of 1917
Jiang Jieshi & the Nationalists ! After Sun Yixian’s
death in 1925, Chang Kai Shek becomes the head of the Kuomintang
! Chang – Feared communism – Supported by bankers
and businessmen – Over saw a corrupt
government
Chinese Civil War ! Jiang Jieshi starts a campaign against
communists – Has troops and armed gangs kill members of the
Communist Party and union members ! In 1928 the US and Britain recognize Chang Kai
Shek as president of China – The Soviet Union does not due to persecution of
Communist Party in China
Chinese Civil War
! Mao forms the Red Army by recruiting peasants – Established themselves in the countryside of
south-central China – Trained Red Army in guerilla warfare with help
from Soviet Union ! Chang sends Nationalists soldiers after
them, but can’t completely wipe them out due to guerilla warfare
Chinese Civil War
! The Long March – Jiang sends 700,000 men after Communists
and surrounds them – 100,000 Communists flee and begin a 6,000
mile-journey (The Long March) ! Tens of thousands die due to
– Starvation – Battle wounds – Exposure to the cold
– Mao and 8,000 survivors take shelter in the caves of northwestern China.
Civil War in China ! 1927-1932 and 1933-1937 – war between
Communists and Nationalists ! Communists – Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong) ! Nationalists – Chiang Kai-shek ! War halted 1932-1933 and 1937-1945 to fight
Japanese aggression ! Communists were victorious in 1949 ! Nationalists retreated to Formosa (Taiwan) ! End of imperialism in China
– Hong Kong returned to China in 1997
Political Changes under Mao
! Communist government on mainland China
! Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong) – Chairman of the
Communist party and leader of China from 1943-1976
Mao Zedong
Changes Under Mao ! Rebuilding Economy
– Distributed land to peasants – Cooperative farming
! Remolding Society – Confucianism à communism – Simplified Chinese characters to improve
literacy – Improved healthcare
! Women – Women won equality
Economic Changes under Mao ! First Five-Year Plan (1953-1957)
– Advances in agriculture and coal, electricity, iron, and steel production
! Second Five-Year Plan (1958-1962) – “Great Leap Forward” – China became a leading industrial country – Peasants organized into communes – Widespread catastrophe – famine – at least
14,000,000 deaths
Foreign Relations ! Russia (Soviet Union)
– Growing split between USSR and China ! “Peaceful coexistence” policy of USSR viewed as surrender
– 1960 – end of Soviet economic aid ! Tibet
– Seized in 1962 ! Korea
– Aided North Korea in the Korean War (1950-1953) ! Vietnam
– Supported North Vietnam and aided Viet Cong during Vietnam War (1959-1975)
China after Chairman Mao ! Mao died in September, 1976 ! “Gang of Four”
– Failed at a coup d’état in October, 1976
! China continued to industrialize ! One-Child Policy adopted –
1979 ! Tiananmen Square Massacre –
1989 ! Today – issues include:
– Balancing limited capitalism with communist ideals
– Environmental pollution – Unequal male-to-female ratios
resulting from One-Child Policy – Control of Tibet