Russia, China, and the Birth of Communism

Outcome: Rise of Communism in China

Rise of Communism in China

1. Setting the stagea. China fought on the side of victorious Allies during WWIIb. Japanese armies occupied and devastated many of China’s cities

during the war

c. The civilian death toll was estimated between 10-22 million

d. China was in the midst of its own Civil War

Communists vs nationalists

Mao Zedong Chiang Kai-Shek

Jiang Jieshi Becomes President

of Nationalist China, 1928

(Chiang Kai-shek)

Mao Zedong As a Young Revolutionary

(Mao Tse-tung)

Rise of Communism in China

2.Communists vs. Nationalistsa. Communists were led by Mao Zedong

b. The Communists won the peasant’s loyalty by promoting literacy and food production

c. Nationalists were led by Chiang Kai-Shek (Jiang Jieshi)

d. The U.S. sent the Nationalists $1.5B in supplies and money to help fight the Japanese but the money ended up in the hands of a few corrupt officers.

e. Civil War lasted from 1946-1949

f. In 1949, Mao gained control of the country and named it the People’s Republic of China

g. The U.S. feared domino theory; idea that Communism would spread around the globe

Reasons for the Communists’

Success► Mao won support of peasants – land

► Mao won support of women

► Mao’s army used guerilla war tactics

► Many saw the Nationalist government as corrupt

► Many felt that the Nationalists allowed foreigners to dominate China.

Rise of Communism in China

3. Two Chinasa. Chiang Kai-Shek fled to Taiwan and started a Nationalist

government called the Republic of China with the support of the U.S.

b. The Soviets supported Communist China

c. Under Mao, China expanded into Tibet, India, and southern Mongolia

d. The Chinese promised autonomy to the Tibetans but tightened their control

e. Tibet’s religious leader, the Dalai Lama, fled to India

f. Resentment between India and China continues today

Taiwan: The Republic of China

Taiwan

The People’s Republic of China

Rise of Communism in China

4. The Communists Transform Chinaa. Mao moved to reshape China based on Marxist socialism

b. Under the Agrarian Reform Law of 1950, Mao seized 70% of China’s Farmland

c. The farmland was controlled by landlords who made up 10% of the rural population

d. Mao’s forces killed over a million landlords who resisted and redistributed the land among the peasants.

e. Gradually, private companies were nationalizedf. China lacked machinery and factories so in 1953 Mao launched a five

year plan

g. Increased output of coal, cement, steel, and electricity dramatically.

Rise of Communism in China

5. The Great Leap Forwarda. To industrialize quickly, Mao attempted the largest mobilization of workers

in history

b. Proclaimed by Mao in 1958, this was a call for larger collective farms called communes

c. The average commune was 15,000 acres and supported over 25,000 people

d. Peasants worked the land together, ate in communal dining rooms, slept in communal dormitories, and raised their children in communal nurseries.

e. The output of food increased dramatically

f. Mao encouraged average citizens to collect scrap metal and build blast furnaces to create steel

Communes

The Great Leap FOrward

Rise of Communism in China

5. The Great Leap Forward (Continued…)g. In reality, it was a step backward for several reasons

i. Most peasants had no metal working skills; the steel collected was worthless

ii. Bad weather and drought led to widespread famine

iii. Due to steel production, the fields were not harvested

iv. Estimated death toll due to starvation and famine range from 20-45 million

v. Ended in 1961

Rise of Communism in China

• 6. Legacy of Maoa. Mao ruled as a dictator and silenced those who

opposed himb. Those who disagreed with Mao were labeled

“rightists” and sent to work campsc. Inspired the Cultural Revolution in 1966

i. Goal was to enforce socialism and remove capitalist elements from society

ii. Idea was to bring back equality among peasants and workers

iii. China’s youth responded by forming Red Guards around the country

Propaganda Poster

Go among the workers, peasants and soldiers, and into the thick of

struggle!1967-1972

Propaganda Poster

Rise of Communism in China

6. Legacy of Mao (Continued…)d. The U.S. recognized China in 1971 and saw President Nixon travel to

China and visit with Mao and Premier Zhou.

e. Mao died in 1976 after suffering a huge heart attack

Mao Meets President Nixon, 1972

“Ping-Pong Diplomacy”:

U. S. Players at Great Wall, 1971

Rise of Communism in China

7. China Todaya. China is still communist today

b. Still the most populous nation on the planet

c. Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989i. Hundreds of students took to the streets demanding

democracy

ii. The government called in the troops and tanks

iii. Death toll ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand; no clear estimate

Tiananmen Square, 1989

More democracy!

Tiananmen Square, 1989

Student activist, Wang Dan, Beijing University

Tiananmen Square, 1989

The Government Clamps Down

Tiananmen Square, 1989

The Massacre: The People’s Army Moves In

Tiananmen square massacre

Rise of Communism in China

7. China Todaya. China’s policies are starting to favor capitalismb. Many experts predict China’s economy to rival that of the U.S.

within 30 years

c. Held the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing

2008 summer Olympics