China Establishing Comm. Rule Flashcards
What % of Chinese citizens were subsistence farmers in 1949?
80%
What were the consequences of the civil war?
- Refugees clogged transport networks.
- Millions killed, malnutrition and poverty.
- Hyperinflation and a currency collapse.
- Nationalists stripped China of financial assets.
Give a fact for the state of industry in 1949
Industrial output was 44% below the 1937 level.
What was the state of agricultural in 1949?
- Tools and livestock in short supply.
- Most common fertil -> human waste -> disease.
- Conscription by the GMD had caused a drop in food supplies.
What % of the railway network was destroyed as a result of the civil war?
50%
What was CP membership in 1950?
6 million
What was Peng Dehuai’s position in the new government?
Commander in Chief and Minister of Defence
What was the role of party cadres?
To enforce Communist policy in schools and the legal system. They supervised danwei work units; controlling work permits required for food and housing.
Give the name of a Chinese youth organisation?
The All-China Federation of Democratic Youth
What comittee formed the common programme?
The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
What were some of the features of the common programme (temporary constitution)?
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.
How many members were in the Politburo and how many in the standing committee?
14 members, of which 5 were in the standing comittee. Mao was chairmain of the standing committee.
Give a stat for the increase in the number of state officials?
Increased from 720k in 1949 to 8 million 10 years later.
What was the PLA used for?
To round up criminal gangs and bandits.
The Reunification Campaign -> Tibet and Xinjiang.
Propoganda value through the KW.
Helped rebuild infrastructure.
What was ‘Democratic centralism’?
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.
What was the 3 Antis Campaign?
Launched 1951.
Targeted corruption, waste and obstructionist bureaucracy.
Introduced struggle meetings and targeted opponents of the CP.
What was the 5 Antis Campaign?
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.
What were the two main ways that terror was utilised?
- The PLA attacked criminals and the Triads. Families were intimidated and sent bills for the bullets used in the executions.
- Reunification campaigns: the PLA enforced conformity by attacking Tibet, Guangdong (28k executed) and Xinjiang.
How many inmates did the Laogai have in 1955?
1.3 million
Why was the 100 FC launched?
- 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.
What were the consequences of the 100FC?
‘Poisonous weeds’ were eliminated a quota of 5% was given to cadres in charge of danweis.
400-700k intellectuals were purged.
What did the Korean War achieve?
- 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.
What was the human and financial cost of the Korean War?
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.
