China In 1949

Question 1

When did Mao and his Communists beat Chiang Kai-Shek and the Kuomintang in the Chinese Civil War?

Answer 1

October 1949

Question 2

In October 1949, what had china’s history of politics been?

Answer 2

BACKWARD
Lacked an organised central government

No experience of Democratic rule, or of an organised, efficient government

Question 3

How were the nationalities of China a potential political problem in 1949?

Answer 3

Regions far from Beijing (ie Muslim Xinjiang)
Had little in common with the rest of China

Places like Tibet
Didn’t consider themselves Chinese at all

Question 4

In 1949, what were china’s social attitudes?

Answer 4

Rooted in Confucian tradition:

• women weren’t considered equal
• women didn’t have the right to ow property

Question 5

How did peasants live in 1949?

Answer 5

Lived in poverty

Exploited by corrupt landlords

Threatened by criminal gangs/bandits

Question 6

What portion of the population still lived in poor rural areas in 1949?

Answer 6

80%

Survived by farming

Question 7

What were living conditions like in 1949, outside of cities?

Answer 7

Little health care

Education was very poor: vast majority of peasants remained illiterate

Question 8

What impact did the civil war have on the population, in short?

Answer 8

Killed millions
Destroyed their infrastructure
Spread poverty, malnutrition

Question 9

Refugees of the civil war…

Answer 9

Clogged what remained of transport networks

Filled the streets of cities

Question 10

What did the nationalists do before fleeing to Taiwan?

Answer 10

Stripped the country of assets:
Gold
Silver
Dollar reserves 
Cultural treasures (inc. those from forbidden city)

Question 11

What was the impact of the civil war on Chinese economy?

Answer 11

Completely devastated.

No stable/unified currency.

(Taxing wouldn’t work) so GMD printed money to pay army— HYPERINFLATION: the BIGGEST problem…

Some places, people reverted to bartering

Shortages of consumer goods: people hoarded scarce supplies…

Question 12

What were the attitudes of the elite to the communists?

Answer 12

Many of the educated elite (businessmen, bureaucrats) left with the nationalists SO
- few experienced officials left to run cities/rebuild economy

(Had support in rural areas- land reform) BUT far less popular among businessmen/middle class in large cities: eg. Shanghai

Question 13

How were the nationalists a threat after the civil war?

Answer 13

Bombed ships on the coast to prevent a communist attack

Killed hundreds in cities on the mainland

Sent spies / saboteurs to attack the new regime.