China Topic 2 Flashcards
When was the long march
1934 October
How many soldiers began to retreat North
80,000
Characteristics of the long march
- They brought as much equipment and guns that they could carry
- They set off in a straight line
How long did it take them to break through the ring of blockhouses
6 weeks
How many members had they lost
Over half from fighting the GMD
What were two causes of the long march
- CCP were surrounded by the GMD, if they had stayed there they would have been destroyed
- CCP needed to find safety in order to build up their party again so it could challenge the GMD for power of China
During the process of the long march who took over as leader to continue
Mao
How was the long march different under the new leaders
The march took off in a new direction often changing routes and splitting forces
Where did the CCP reach safety
Yanan
How many of the CCP members were left when they arrived in Yanan
10,000 out of the original 80,000 had survived
What were the positive effects of the long march
- The CCP had survived and had found a new base to develop support for communism
- Mao was hailed as a hero and became the unchallenged leader of the CCP
- The long march was excellent propaganda to promote communism
- The good behaviour of the red army gained support from the peasants
What were the negative effects of the long march
- Only 10,000 marchers survived
-The CCP had only succeeded in retreating, the GMD called in the Great Retreat - The GMD still wanted to destroy the CCP
- The GMD was now firmly in control of China
When was the second united front
1936
Why was the second united front formed
Common goal of removing Japan from China
When the Japanese invaded Manchuria, Chiang did little to stop them, why was this
- He believed the CCP was a larger threat
- He was convinced Japan could never occupy a country as large as China
Chiang ordered another extermination camp, but the GMD troops commanded by Zhang Zuolin refused, why
They wanted Chiang to focus on removing the Japanese rather than fighting the CCP
- Zhang pressured Chiang to work with the CCP to get rid of Japan
Two causes of the second united front
- To stop Japan from taking China
- Pressure from the warlords (Zhang Zuolin)
The Japanese invasion of China
- Despite the united front, the well-equipped modern Japanese army swept south through China
- Japanese troops attacked Chinese troops near Beijing
- Japan captured major cities, Beijing, Shanghai
- This started a full scale war till 1945
How many Chinese were killed in the ‘Rape of Nanjing’
30,000
How many women were raped in the ‘rape of Nanjing’ by the Japanese army
20,000
What was the turning point for China in WW2
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, they were preoccupied with the USA
- UK + USA were sending Chiang weapons and supplies
- Two atomic bombs on China ended the war
How did the war affect the CCP
Members and sq. miles they controlled both increased massively
2 million –> 95 million members
Why did the CCP become more popular after WW2
- They won over the peasants by treating them with respect and protecting them from the Japanese
- They were more eager to remove the Japanese and using their Guerrilla tactics effectively
Why did the GMD lose support after WW2
- Violent treatment of the peasants and soldiers
- Fact they seemed unwilling to fight the Japanese
- Ran China badly with high taxes and development of the black market
After the war, it was agreed by USA and Stalin that Chiang should be reinstated as ruler of China, Why did Stalin agree
- He believed that the Communists lacked the military strength for victory
- He also feared that US may intervene further in the East if there was a communist victory in China
When did the Civil war between the GMD and CCP break out
1946
How many soldiers did the CCP have compared to the GMD
CCP = 900,000
GMD = 2.7 million
Why was the GMD in a better position than the CCP going into the civil war
- Had support from both USA and USSR
- Had a large air force
- 39 newly trained divisions
At the beginning of the Civil War who was initially successful
The GMD
- Captured a number of large cities
- So successful that the CCP even lost their base at Yanan
What was the Red Army renamed, and who was it led by
The Peoples liberation army (PLA) led by Lin Biao
What strategies did the CCP and PLA use to become more successful in the Civil War
They began to use guerrilla tactics, they would ambush the GMD from rural areas forcing them to stay in the cities
- they would then blow up the railway lines so the cities were cut off from supplies and reinforcements
After the CCP strategy of Guerrilla warfare what did they move to
Conventional battles with masses of infantry and artillery
- The PLA pushed into central China
- Chiang was now defensive as he had lost 1/2 of his troops
What was the battle of Huai-Hai
- A battle which lasted for 2 months, the CCP were victorious
- Chiang engaged in a battle to try and stop the CCP from moving further into China
Why did the PLA win in the battle of Huai-Hai
- The CCP used effective artillery and a mounted three pronged attack
- The PLA were ordered to destroy the surrounding area so the GMD had no food to feed their troops
- Chiang refused to let his army retreat meaning his lost thousands of soldiers
- Chiang was forced to resign after
Why was this battle a turning point in the Civil War
- The CCP were now in control of large areas of China
- The GMD had lost so much that they could no longer effectively defend against communist attacks
- The USA withdrew their support for GMD
What was the new government that Mao declared in 1949
Peoples republic of China
Where did Chiang flee to
Taiwan to establish a GMD government there
How did military reasons help the CCP to win the Civil War
- Mao was a skilled leader who allowed Lin Biao to run their own armies whereas Chiang was a poor military leader
- The PLA used a variety of tactics where the GMD made tactical errors
- The PLA was a disciplined army who were motivated by its belief in communism and was well supported by the peasants, the GMD were a conscripted army that was treated poorly
How did political reasons help the CCP to win the civil war
- The CCP leadership was well supported and had a clear chain of command
- The CCP used propaganda
- The GMD were corrupt and unskilled, they raised taxes and took bribes
- The GMD had not fulfilled its promises, they favoured the businessmen and landlords rather than peasants and workers
How did economic and social reasons help the CCP to win the civil war
- The CCP introduced land reforms which took land from landlords and gave it to the peasants
- The CCP gained support from the middle class by taking a stand against the Japanese
- GMD whereas printed money, contributed to inflation and destroyed the savings of the middle class
- They also badly managed the economy which led to violence and robbery
