Early reforms:1949-1953

Question 1

Agricultural reform 1

Answer 1

in 1950, Mao introduced an Agrarian Reform Law.

• shared out land in the village between the peasants
• peasant could put their landlords on a trial in “People’s Court”.
• increased their support for Mao (because the majority of the population were peasants and Mao had increased the power of the peasants.)

Question 2

Financial

Answer 2

• The government nationalised the country’s major banks, railway tracks and heavy industries.
• People’s Bank was established to control monetary matters
• Living standards were sacrificed to make the industrialization programme succeed
• prices and wages to be fixed at a low rate
• punished black marketers severely (within a year, inflation ended)
• Increased taxes paid by businesses
• SUCCESSFUL :)

Question 3

Reforms that helped industrialisation (general)

Answer 3

• China is very dependent on the Soviet Union
• -> loan $300m (5 year development in China), 10 000 Soviet engineers (sent to help China), 8000 Chinese (sent to Soviet Union for technical training)
• Stalin’s industrialisation programme (1930s) –> focus a lot on heavy industries (steel & coal) while light industries neglected

Question 4

Social & educational

Answer 4

• Cleaned up areas
• Opium dens and brothels were closed
• Corrupted businessmen and politicians were punished
• Public health campaigns –> bring down diseases
• Openings of schools –> decrease illiteracy rates

Question 5

Position of women

Answer 5

• Women did not hold high esteem in China (few Civil rights)
• In 1950, Marriage Law was implemented
• -> gave women equal rights as men
• -> arranged marriage, forced marriages, child marriages etc were made illegal
• -> minimum age of marriage was 18 and divorce had to be through mutual consent
• -> women were allowed to own land with men
• -> maternity benefits

Question 6

agricultural reform 2

Answer 6

• peasants form Mutual Aid
• —–> peasants helped each other with farming so that each family’s plot would be more productive.
• increased production of food in China

Question 7

ideology

Answer 7

• To prepare people for a socialist society
• To get people to contribute to accept an equal share of benefits
• “struggle meetings” –> to change the mindsets of the people and let them accept the thought of thought reform (being a socialist country)

Question 8

Other reforms (Enemies of the State)

Answer 8

• Mao wanted to get rid of the intellectuals or the people who was against him
• many were executed (landlords, rich merchants etc)