Discuss the methods used to maintain political control by two authoritarian states, each chosen from a different region Flashcards
Argument:
This essay will argue that economic policy in Germany was most important in Hitler’s maintenance of power, however, social and cultural policies were most significant in Mao’s maintenance
Force
Mao
Suppression of Counter-revolutionaries campaign – suppressed anyone with links to GMD and bandits
Examples:
Shanghai, authorities claimed to have uncovered evidence against 40,000 people
Guangdong, 52,620 bandits and 89,701 other criminals were caught, resulting in 28,332 people being executed
Similarly with Hitler, suppressed opposition throughout the 1930s, namely Jehovah’s Witnesses and White Rose
Estimated that by 1945, 10,000 witnesses were imprisoned and 2,500 died – they refused to accept Nazis adopt Nazi ideals
For example, did not show swastika
White Rose group
Distributed anti-Nazi leaflets – 9 members executed
Labour camps known as Lao-gai
Forced imprisonment and labour
In 1950 alone it is estimated that 100,000s of people were imprisoned in these camps
During the GLF, between 18-45 million people were imprisoned
Hitler comparison: Concentration camps
Imprisoned 1.5 million people by the end of 1939
Similarly, forced labour with days lasting 12 hours
3 and 5 Antis campaigns
5 Antis: campaign against bourgeoisie
Targeted tax evasion, theft of state property, economic espionage, etc…
Shanghai, 3,000 meetings in February 1952 alone were the scene for public denunciations
3 Antis: Targeted corruption
Executions were not a main feature, of either campaign, however, 2 to 3 million people killed themselves rather than face further humiliation
Hitler comparison: targeted intellectuals and sought to control their influence
If intellectuals did not conform to the Nazi ideology, they were persecuted and sent to concentration camps
Many were Jewish but also non-Jewish intellectuals sent to concentration camps reached tens of thousands.
Estimated that in Mao’s China, there was a minimum of 10 million people in prison at a time
