China Establishing Comm. Rule

Question 1

What % of Chinese citizens were subsistence farmers in 1949?

Answer 1

80%

Question 2

What were the consequences of the civil war?

Answer 2

• Refugees clogged transport networks.
• Millions killed, malnutrition and poverty.
• Hyperinflation and a currency collapse.
• Nationalists stripped China of financial assets.

Question 3

Give a fact for the state of industry in 1949

Answer 3

Industrial output was 44% below the 1937 level.

Question 4

What was the state of agricultural in 1949?

Answer 4

• Tools and livestock in short supply.
• Most common fertil -> human waste -> disease.
• Conscription by the GMD had caused a drop in food supplies.

Question 5

What % of the railway network was destroyed as a result of the civil war?

Answer 5

50%

Question 6

What was CP membership in 1950?

Answer 6

6 million

Question 7

What was Peng Dehuai’s position in the new government?

Answer 7

Commander in Chief and Minister of Defence

Question 8

What was the role of party cadres?

Answer 8

To enforce Communist policy in schools and the legal system. They supervised danwei work units; controlling work permits required for food and housing.

Question 9

Give the name of a Chinese youth organisation?

Answer 9

The All-China Federation of Democratic Youth

Question 10

What comittee formed the common programme?

Answer 10

The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Question 11

What were some of the features of the common programme (temporary constitution)?

Answer 11

Gender equality, education opportunity and protection of religious belief. It also empowered the CCP, made Mao head of state and empowered the PLA and police.

Question 12

How many members were in the Politburo and how many in the standing committee?

Answer 12

14 members, of which 5 were in the standing comittee. Mao was chairmain of the standing committee.

Question 13

Give a stat for the increase in the number of state officials?

Answer 13

Increased from 720k in 1949 to 8 million 10 years later.

Question 14

What was the PLA used for?

Answer 14

To round up criminal gangs and bandits.
The Reunification Campaign -> Tibet and Xinjiang.
Propoganda value through the KW.
Helped rebuild infrastructure.

Question 15

What was ‘Democratic centralism’?

Answer 15

The people could elect the local CCP branch, who sent delegates to the provincial government, who then sent representatives to the National People’s Congress where views would be expressed.

Question 16

What was the 3 Antis Campaign?

Answer 16

Launched 1951.
Targeted corruption, waste and obstructionist bureaucracy.
Introduced struggle meetings and targeted opponents of the CP.

Question 17

What was the 5 Antis Campaign?

Answer 17

Targeted bribery, tax evasion, theft of state property and stealing the state’s economic info –> aimed at the bourgeoisie.

Employees of firms organised into ‘tiger-beater’ teams that sought to collect incriminating evidence against their bosses, who, if guilty, were dragged before struggle meetings.

Question 18

What were the two main ways that terror was utilised?

Answer 18

1. The PLA attacked criminals and the Triads. Families were intimidated and sent bills for the bullets used in the executions.
2. Reunification campaigns: the PLA enforced conformity by attacking Tibet, Guangdong (28k executed) and Xinjiang.

Question 19

How many inmates did the Laogai have in 1955?

Answer 19

1.3 million

Question 20

Why was the 100 FC launched?

Answer 20

• Economy was improving but only slowly; Mao sought the advice of intellectuals.
• Mao feared that Party bureaucratisation meant the CCP was not acting in the People’s interests anymore, he sought Public feedback.
• Mao hoped that conservatives who were slow to introduce reforms would be targeted.
• Khrushchev’s Secret Speech denounced Stalinist methods.

Question 21

What were the consequences of the 100FC?

Answer 21

‘Poisonous weeds’ were eliminated a quota of 5% was given to cadres in charge of danweis.
400-700k intellectuals were purged.

Question 22

What did the Korean War achieve?

Answer 22

• Helped enhance CCP power, proving to Stalin that the PRC was a valuable ally. It also provided a pretext for crushing opposition (800k CR executions in 1951)
• Gave the regime a reason for recquisitioning and conscription.
• Propoganda campaigns created pride and national unity.

Question 23

What was the human and financial cost of the Korean War?

Answer 23

400k soldiers killed out of the 3 million deployed.
$10 billion cost for USSR support.
1/2 of gov. expenditure allocated to the military in 1951.
Requisitioning caused famine in some areas.
Businessmen and missionaries forced to leave China.