China Quiz Flashcards
Geography
Isolation
China was surrounded by many deserts, oceans, and mountains which separated them from outside cultures and countries.
* developed a sense of superiority
* lack of trade
China’s geographical features also contributed to many different cultures forming in different areas of the country.
* elevation
* temp
* precipitation
* vegetation
* other geographical features
Geography
Impact on Culture
Languages:
* 297 total
* mandarin spoken by 70% of people
Dynasty:
* series of rulers from the same country, descended from father to son
European Imperialism
Cause of the Opium War
Britain needs something to get China to engage in trade with them:
* OPIUM
* Britain smuggles Opium from India to China to cash in on the black market
* Opium had been inhibited in China since 1792
* By 1835, 12 million chinese people were addicted to Opium
European Imperialism
Opium War
1839-42
* Chinese emperor ordered British shipments of Opium to be destroyed
* During a capture of a single British ship, 20,000 chests of opium were destroyed
- $500 million in 2019
In response, britain attacked coastal chinese cities
European Imperialism
Boxer Rebellion
- many chinese were not happy about the growing foreign influence in their country
- a chinese nationalist group “boxers” attempted to drive out all foreigners
- a coalition from other countries bring in their militaries to squash the rebellion
Sun Yat-Sen
- Sun Yat-Sen’s nationalist party (Kuomintang) overthrew the Qing Dynasty in 1912
- Sun Yat-Sen became president but gave up the position after 6 weeks and passes power to Yuan Shikai
- Yuan Shikai dies in 1916, leaving nationalist party powerless and without a leader
Rise of Nationalism
Chiang Kai Shek
- Chiang Kai-Shek took control of the nationalists after Yuan Shikai dies
- He was an upper middle class chinese politician supported by bankers and businessmen
- he had NO interest in communism or change
- He did nothing to imporve the people’s lives and they shifted their support to communism
Rise of Nationalism
Chinese Civil War
- By 1930 the communists and nationalists were fighting in a bloody civil war
- the communists established themselves in the hills of south-central China (The Red Base)
- the Nationalists established themselves in Beijing and major cities
- During this, the long march happens
- During this japan invaded China. Since the nationalist party refused to team up with the communists to fight the Japanese, they continued to grow weaker while fighting against both Japan and the communists.
- The Japanese eventually surrendered but the nationalist party was left extremely weak leading to the communists winning the civil war and becoming the new govt of China
- many nationalists retreated to taiwan
Rise of Nationalism
Chinese Communist Party
- Under the leadership of Mao Zedong
- Victorious in the Chinese civil war against the Kuomintang
- Sole ruling party of the peoples republic of china
Rise of Nationalism
The Long March
- military retreat by the Chinese Red Army from advancing Nationalist forces during the Chinese Civil War in 1934 through 1936
- Red Army forces took various routes from Chinese Communist Party strongholds being encircled by the Kuomintang National Revolutionary Army
- relocated communist base from southeastern to northwestern china
- Mao Zedong emmerged as the leader of the party
Mao Zedong
- chinese politician
- founder of the people’s republic of china
- led the country from 1949-1976
- Chairman of the chinese communist party
Mao’s Communism
- collective control of means of productions
- industrialization was not necessary
- regular purges would keep the communist party pure
- he was always right, people could find the solution to any problem if they simply studied his philosophy
Mao’s Legacy
Supporters say:
* unified china
* improved literacy and education
* promoted status of women
Opponents say:
* policies caused between 40-70 million deaths
* delayed economic development of china
* campaign of fear, fanaticism, and anti-intellectualism
Mao Zedong
Great Leap Forward
- goal was to rapidly modernize china’s economy from agriculture to industry
- millions of chinese farmers were told to make steel, although they had no experience or knowledge
- it was expensive and devastating
- crop failures led to famine and starvation
- killed rough;y 20 milion people
- mao started to lose his power and tried to appeal to the youth to strengthen his influence
Mao Zedong
Cultural Revolution
- campaign to destroy the “four olds” (customs, culture, habits, ideas)
- led by the red guards
- mainly teenagers
- destroy anything that represents non-maoist culture
- roamed cities and destroyed schoos + beat/killed maos enemies
