consolidation of power in PRC Flashcards
When were the reunification campaigns? ex.
1950 and 53
Guangdong
an economically important port close to Hong Kong and Macau. It was also the headquarters of the GMD. it was purged of Nationalist forces who were forced to flee to Formosa (Taiwan).
What were the three systems of social control and surveillance established in order to control the population
the danwei (work unit), the hukou (household registration) and the dangan (record).
What were the regulations or policies to abide by under the danwei?
everyone in China under Mao Zedong had to belong to a danwei
This is how the CCP could implement party policy.
you could be punished for not obeying policies
You needed permission from your work unit to get married or have children.
What was the dangan?
a file containing private and professional information for every Chinese person. ex. education, family background, job history, political activity (entry into the Communist Youth League and the Communist Party), achievements and mistakes made and even self-criticism.
What were the effects of the dangan?
instilled a culture of fear among the population as it was the most intrusive. The government and the work unit had access to these files.
When was the Hundred Flowers campaign and why was it created?
- to encourage constructive criticism of the party
Speech by Zhou Enlai.
“The government needs criticism from its people”
What went wrong in the Hundred Flowers campaign? And what did it result in?
People started attacking Mao and other leaders, and accusing the party of corruption, Mao ended the campaign and began to attack the critics, forcing them to take back what they said. This became the Anti-Rightist movement.
Who led the Anti-Rightist movement? And what were its results?
led by Deng Xiaoping. over 500,000 people were declared rightists. Some were sent to be ‘re-educated’ in the countryside.
What was the issue with these other enemies in the CCP?
The categories were not clearly defined so anyone could be accused of being a capitalist for simply forgetting a quote from Mao’s Little Red Book,
What were the results of these undefined categories.
An environment of fear emerged from this as people began reporting suspected enemies. One of the worst consequences was the denunciation of family members.
Did Mao have a secret police?
Mao Zedong never had a secret police to maintain his power over the people.
What did Mao introduce after the success of the reunification campaigns?
50s
the Three Anti (on waste, corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency and the main targets were CCP members)
the Five Anti campaigns (on bribery, tax evasion, theft of state property)
When did Mao’s cult of personality peak?
during the Cultural Revolution beginning in 1966
What was the role of the Little Red Book in Mao’s cult of personality?
It was a collection of Mao Zedong’s thoughts published during the Cultural Revolution – it was seen as the source of all truth. The book had an unprecedented impact on the population. about a billion copies.
Which means of propaganda were used?
posters, media, literature, films and theaters, music, radio and loudspeakers, and also within the education system and in local committee meetings.
