China Under Mao Flashcards
Problems
P, C had to prove that govt=strong, remove opposition
E, Poor ind prod, poor food prod, rapid inflation
S, Peasants, illiterate, against modern ideas
I, US saw GMD as leader
F, inflation=1000%, Ec=dire from wars since 1937
Ag reasons for change
Prod affected by war
Industrialised country needs more food and increased production
More men in urban, fewer working on land, increased production
Agrarian land reforms
Speak bitterness campaign, criticise landlords, take land
40%=> poor peasants
2-4mn landlords killed
Peasants did not have money for equipment
Mutual Aid teams
Groups of 10 households share animals, tools, does not increase production
Cooperatives
Groups of more families, increase production
Lower stage coops, 30-50 families share equipment
Higher stage coops, 200-300 families
Targets set by govt, land owned by govt
State paid wages
Effects of agricultural reforms
Increase production, specialisation of crops, pool resources, economies of scale
97% in coops, 300mn peasants benefit, peasants paid some profit
Production increase was not as high as anticipated, peasants landless, internal passports restricted peasant movement, 2-4mn landlords lost land and lives, forced state collectivisation
Industrial reasons for change
M wants ind society to compete with nations
Limit ind output, small scale
Infrastructure
Rebuilt, extended for coal transport to new ind areas
Rial to Shanghai rebuilt to encourage trade links
5 Year plan
Planners choose prod levels, centrally organised
Ministries controlled coal, electricity, iron, prod
RU experts helped C scientists
Effects of industrial reforms
Exceeded targets for 5YP, urban population increased, coal 2x, elec 4x, 1.2 mn bikes, completed Tiananmen Square, Ec increased 9%/year, Yangtze had bridge, all ind in state control
Not all targets met, 1.2 mn bikes was not enough, light industry not looked after, textiles prod decreased, ind state owned
Financial reasons for change
Inflation=1000%
Ec dire from wars
Financial changes
New currency (yuan)
Public expenditure decrease
People’s Bank made
Effects of financial change
Within a year, inflation=15%
State controlled banking system
Reasons for social reforms
Women
Traditional role of women had to change, needed in workforce, increase production women expected to be subservient to husbands, Mao wants egalitarian society
1930 Marriage Law
W=M, child marriage prohibited, end of dowries, arranged marriage, divorce on equal terms
Footbinding
Ended
Effects of social reforms
Equality, W=M
Divorce hard to get, trad>important, little change in rural areas
Reasons for social reforms
Education
Had to progress, literacy rate=20%
Literacy
Pinyin standardised,
Effects of education reforms
Indoctrinate C into CHN
Reasons for social reforms
Health
Healthy workforce needed
Health reforms
Spitting banned, spread disease
Check cleanliness of homes, vaccinations