Emergence Flashcards
1
Q
Economic issues
A
- Peasants were 80% of the population, while only around 10% of the land was arable, most of which was unusable due to flooding and natural disasters. It was worsened by the population growth from 120 m in 1712 to 440 m by 1900. Peasants paid up to 80% of their crops as rent to the landlords, and prosperous peasants were only 10% of the population but owned 70% of the land
- The feudal country with wealth was concentrated disproportionally in the hands of wealthy landlords, and the social hierarchy with the emperor on the very top was supported by Confucianism.
- Industrialising nations led by Britain sought to profit in China and divided the country into “spheres of influence”.
2
Q
Ineffectiveness of the Qing Dynasty
A
- Defeat in Opium Wars (1839-42, 1856-60)
- Defeat by the Japanese (1894-95)
- Exploitations by foreign powers
- Boxer Rebellion (1898-01) against the foreign presence, China was fined 330 million dollars for the treatment of foreigners
- Peasants were heavily taxed, townspeople suffered from inflation, and students were resentful of the foreign influence and in despair at the inability of the dynasty to implement effective reforms.
3
Q
1911 Revolution
A
- Led by Sun Yat-sen, who formed the Revolutionary League in 1905
- Established the Chinese Republic on January 1st 1912, in August Guomindang (GMD) was formed
- The Qing Dynasty, which ruled since 1644 overthrown in October 1911
- Sun Yat-sen (president since 29th December 1911) was succeeded by Yuan Shikai (president since 14th February 1912) who had military support
4
Q
Weaknesses and Consequences of Yuan Shikai’s rule
A
- Shut down parliament in 1914 and ruled like an emperor
- Failed to confront the Japanese “Twenty-One Demands”, which meant the transfer of some German privileges in Shandong to Japan and the Japanese right to exploit mineral resources in Manchuria
- after he died in 1916, the Warlord Era (generals who commanded bands of soldiers terrorising peasants into giving them food and paying taxes) ensued (1916-1928), leaving the nation weak and divided
5
Q
The Beiyang Government
A
- 1912-1928
- recognised internationally
- Lack of supporters - landlords controlling most peasants
- Tried to establish popularity by joining the Allied powers in WWII, yet Japan was rewarded in the ToV by receiving former German Concessions in Shandong, which infuriated the Chinese- which did not further bring popularity to the Beiyang Government amongst the Chinese population.
- The May Fourth Movement of 1919 as a reaction towards ToV
6
Q
Jiang Jieshi
A
- Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-Sheck) took over the leadership of GMD in 1925 (after Sun’s death),
- the Northern Expedition 1926-28 was a campaign against warlords supported by Mao
- Jiang said that the Japanese were “the “disease of the skin” and communist “disease of the heart”, after taking Shanghai turned against workers and their communist leaders, expelled GMD’s Russian advisers, the West (provided loans to keep communism out of China) and chinese business class approved such actions
- 1928 Jiang overcame warlords, captured Beijing, stable government with Nanjing as the capital, nationalist government brought new stable currency, industrial growth, Japanese remained in Manchuria and set up a puppet administration, Manchukuo, headed by Puyi the former emperor
7
Q
Mao as a leader
A
- After the May Fourth Movement, Mao organised several student organisations into an umbrella body against the Japanese presence in Shandong, which was the first clear sign of his organisational skills
- Mao was among the first 12 delegates who attended the first National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in July 1921.
- In 1924 Mao elected both Central Committee of the CCP and GMD
- Mao returned to Hunan in 1926 to organise peasant associations to support the United Front.
- Mao helped organise a strike among Shanghai workers, allowing the GMD to take the city in 1927
- Attempted revolt of peasants in his native Hunan in 1927 but was suppressed
- In 1929, he moved to the south of Jiangxi around Ruijin, where, in 1931, Jiangxi Soviet was set up. Mao became CCP party secretary and ordered land distribution: poorer peasants killed richer, and those who disagreed were purged
- In the Yan’an Soviet, Mao wrote a number of political and philosophical works, which helped him impose his personal authority. Peasants won over by land distribution and rent control (no mass killing of the rich), campaigns to improve literacy, stamp out corruption, homes, schools, hospitals and factories created in cliff caves and huts, improving the relationships with the peasants; gave women rights
- Mass meeting to help build support and increase the number of military recruits, peasants in “revolutionary committees”, Mao and communists - decision making
- By 1943, the cult personality emerged as Mao adopted leadership roles as the Chairman of the CCP and the ideology was officially called “Mao Zedong’s Thought”
8
Q
Ideology
A
- The peasant masses could overthrow capitalism
- Two-stage revolution explained in Mao’s On new democracy (1940):
- first, incorporate the bourgeoisie when
private ownership is allowed,
- second collectivisation and nationalisation
and remove bourgeoisie elements - continuous revolution
- ruthless determination
- mass mobilisation and voluntaryism (campaigns should be people’s campaigns and not imposed from the above)
- self-criticism and rectification (regular purges of the party would keep it pure)
- Mao Zedong was always right, and people could find the solution to any problem if they studied his thought well enough.
- Peasant background, Mao was introduced to Marxism at Beijing University in 1919, attended the first National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in July 1921, joined the Central Committee in 1923, from 1924 worked in the GMD Peasant Movement Training Institute where he formulated his own ideology, which was clear by the time of The Long March (1934-35)
9
Q
Use of force
A
- After Mao became CCP party secretary, he ordered land distribution: poorer peasants killed richer, those who dissagreed were purged.
- 1930 the Futian incident (as he feared that his power was threatened) where 4,000 red army men were shot after their mutiny against Mao’s purge of the Jiangxi Action Committee
- A series of ‘rectification campaigns’ in 1942 removed an suspected disloyalty, as men and women were forced to confess to ‘crimes’ that went against Mao’s orders and beliefs, and were publicly stripped of possessions or posts. there were regular self-criticism’ sessions at which everyone was encouraged to air the doubts and secrets.
- Jung Chang and Jon Halliday - 1931-1934 700,000 people died at the Ruijin (The Central Revolutionary base in Jiangxi-Fujian Soviet) base, half were class enemies, rest worked to death, or died from other causes attributable to the regime.
10
Q
The Long March
A
- Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-shek) failed to defeat red army from 1930 onwards, October 1934 Mao and the main body of the Red Army broke the GMD’s stronghold in an attempt to starve CCP where they were the weakest to the west.
- travelled from southeastern to northwestern China
- October 20 1935, marchers arrived at Shaanxi with around 10,000 out of 100,000 original marchers survived 13,000 km ordeal
11
Q
Red Army
A
- formed in 1928
- Mao provided provisions, pay, all including himself shared the hardsips, equality (no one can be threatened) but still ranks were obeyed, helped peasants unlike GMD army. 1928 - 12,000 men
- 1930 the Futian incident (as he feared that his power was threatened) where 4,000 red army men were shot after their mutiny against Mao’s purge of the Jiangxi Action Committee
- From late 1930s to early 1940s, the Red Army increased in size from 50,000 to neary half a million soliders
12
Q
Sino-Japanese War
A
- Full-scale attack on China in 1937 by the japanese
-1937-41 - USA and Britain attacked Japan after Pearl Harbour 1941, Jiang’s government was accused of depednign on foreign allies
- CCP advertised itself as the only true Chinese patriot
- The CCP continuously against the Japanese using guerila warfare from their experinece from dealing with GMD in the late 1920s and early 1930s, thus becoming a more attractive options for the people compared to GMD
- 1945 Allies recognised the legitimacy of Jiang Jieshi’s governmnt (which controlled only a fraction of the country’s territory)
13
Q
Two United Fronts
A
- First United Front in 1924, Their goal was to: Defeat the warlord, and crush foreign interference
- Jiang said that Japanese were ““disease of the skin” and communist “disease of the heart”, after taking Shanghai turned against workers and their communist leaders, expelled GMD’s Russian advisers, the West (provided loans to keep communism out of China) and chinese business class approved such actions
- Jian Jieshi approaches CCP to for The Second United Front in 1937 after the full-scale attack of the Japanese on China
- 1941 Jieshi broke the agreement by attacking communist forces in the south
14
Q
Chinese Civil War
A
- 1946-1949
- 1946 Mao’s forces became People’s Liberation Army PLA
- GMD suppressed peasants
- Communist resisted the nationalists advancing to the northern China and Manchuria, which was liberated by Soviet Red army, using weapons from Japanese and received from the Soviet Army
- US ceasfire in January 1946 broke in July 1946 and GMD launched an offensive against the communist forces in Manchuria, civil war broke out (disagreemnts between Mao and Jieshi + nationalists’ attempt to reclaim Manchuria)
- CCP had 3.5 times fewer troops (800,000), nor air force, poor equipment, 1948 equal to GMD
- soldiers trained as pilots, experineced in guerrilla warfare,
- high morale and discipline, while GMD forces were conscriptive and unmotivated with poor training
- Soviet troops in Manchuria gave training and equipment, Stalin ordered to give cities to GMD Novermber 1945, but Mao ignored, and GMD was recognised by US and USSR, 3 billion dollars in aid from the US + equipment and military assistance, USSR signed peace treaty, tried to curb Mao
- The CCP was supported by peasantry who feared revenge if an area was recaptured by GMD (GMD had 10 years experience of running a one-party state, police, army, harsh reprisals, noted for corruption, inefficiency, minimal reform, inflation and rationing, reliant on wealthy businessmen and landlords, not tried to build mass support, poor reputation from struggle against the Japanese), while the CCP had good reputation from the struggle with the Japanese, kept troops restrained, propaganda (targeted young), took steps to control prices, dealt harshly with those who didn’t conform
- Mao: personality cult, inspireed confidence, allowed field commanders to fight without interference, but insisted on defending a pass between China and Manchuria which failed, not good in dealing with foreign powers
- Guerrilla warfare maintained pressure, once troops trained in 1948 began conventional fighting, spring 1948 retook Yan’an (psychological boost), Lin Bao (tranformed PLA into a modern army, 1949 ranked second in the hierarchy) organised the army capturing transport links to isolate GMD in cities, but initially inferior in eqiupmment and numbers
- 19 bases with main base at Yan’an in 1946 (GMD took Yan’an in March 1947, a mistake of sending best troops to Manchuria without securing northern and central China, lost Manchuria 1948, no retreats allowed, generals corrupt, increasing surrenders without fighting), CCP in 1948 started taking cities, key railway junction (Jinzhou) gave control of Manchuria, controlled the whole nothern China including Bejing by January 1949, and most south and west 1949
- Communist struggled for power since 1927, but civil war 1946-1949 secured Mao as ruler of China
- Mao’s victory speech 1st October 1949. Jiang Jieshi with the rest of the GMD army fled to Taiwan which was recognised by many Western nations and the UN unitl 1971 as the only legitimate government of China, with a seat on the security council
15
Q
Persuasion and Coercion
A
- Peasant Policy: Red Army was courteous towards peasants and help them, replace damage articles, honesty, don’t kill prisoners of war
- Historian Michael Lynch suggests the CCP did not gain followers through ideological conversion; instead, “the peasants followed the Reds because of the way they were treated by them”.
- Coercion: Ku Wongmei’s Dairy which described emotion (soldiers forced to listen to the peasants’ struggles due to GMD) physical, and psychological; rectifications campaigns in 1942
