Establishing Communist Rule

Question 1

Why were the communists favoured after the civil war? (1949)

Answer 1

They brought an end to years of conflict
Proved themselves as strong and effective
Mao promised a willingness to work with all

Question 2

What did Mao do to restore stability? (1949)

Answer 2

Made political opposition impossible, even from within the CCP
Always had a strong military force

Question 3

What were the short term impacts of the civil war? (1949)

Answer 3

Industrial output was 25% of pre-war level
Food production was 30% lower than pre-war level (Henan suffered a 3million famine)
The GMD caused hyperinflation through printing and borrowing
Chiang took the foreign currency reserves with him

Question 4

What were the long term impacts of the civil war? (1949)

Answer 4

Very little mechanisation in agriculture (no tractors)
Almost all cultivatable land was being used
Total population was growing rapidly
Yet to have industrial revolution (although Chiang set up the NRC in 1932)
Railways, telephone lines and roads destroyed by bombing

Question 5

What was the short term political system? (1949)

Answer 5

Collaborated with other GMD opposition
Press controlled from the start
Temporary bodies and a provisional constitution set up at the CPPCC conference *(the Common Program)
PLA given much power

Question 6

What was the Common Program? (1949)

Answer 6

Temporary constitution which declared:
A new society made and run by workers and peasants
Gave personal freedoms such as gender equality
Gave PLA the right to suppress
Declared only favoured classes and groups had rights (‘new democracy)
Democratic centralism
China was divided into 6 regions, regional congress’ were appointed

Question 7

What was the 1954 Constitution?

Answer 7

Officially confirmed a communist country
Renaming of government and legislators
6 regions subbed by 21 provinces and 5 autonomous border regions and 2 urban centres

Question 8

Why was the hierarchy of the state?

Answer 8

National People Congress / CPPCC
State council
Ministries 
People Congress
Councils at county and village level

Question 9

What was the hierarchy of the Party? (most influential)

Answer 9

Standing committee
Politburo 
Central committee
Party committee
Local Party committee

Question 10

What was the hierarchy of the Army?

Answer 10

National defence council
Military commanders
Political commissars
CCCp branches in the PLA units

Question 11

Why was Mao worried about the increase of state bureaucrats?

Answer 11

(Rose from 700,000 to 8million in a decade)

They were not concerned with continuing revolution, this is what Mao felt went wrong in Russia

Question 12

How was control maintained across party, army and state?

Answer 12

Leading officials held key positions in all three so they all had similar objectives
Peng Dehuai was minister of defence and commander in chief

Question 13

What were cadres?

Answer 13

Trained party members responsible for running state owned business and organisation at low levels

Question 14

Why was participation in party groups greatly encouraged?

Answer 14

Makes mass mobilisation easier

*Women Federation had 76million members

Question 15

What were danwei’s?

Answer 15

Work units
Every employed citizen were issued permits to marry, travel, change jobs ect.
Later on they issued people’s housing and food to increase party control

Question 16

What were the PLA?

Answer 16

The CCP’s army
The biggest in the world: 5million in 1950
Consumed over 40% of the states budget
Reduced in size in 1953, but became more efficient as a result
Often used to build infrastructure early on

Question 17

What was Mao’s role within government?

Answer 17

Head of state and Party

It was rare for his ideas to be challenged, even rarer if he didn’t get his way

Question 18

What were Mao’s main ideas for China?

Answer 18

Industrialisation
Nationalisation
Continuing revolution (especially from peasants)
Mass mobilisation
Discussing policies with the people (he claims)

Question 19

What were struggle sessions?

Answer 19

People who had ‘deviated’ from the ‘correct path’ were violently punished and humiliated

Question 20

What was democratic centralism?

Answer 20

There were lower level elections that continued upwards

But the process was controlled from the top so democracy was an illusion

Question 21

What were the reunification campaigns? (1949-50)

Answer 21

Areas not fully controlled were violently and tactically suppressed:
Guangdong - the most GMD populated area
Xinjiang - highly populated by Uyghurs (mostly Muslim)
Tibet - Buddhist population, now unprotected by the west after India gained independence

Question 22

What was the labelling system in China?

Answer 22

Everyone was given a class label. Originally 60 labels split into 3 categories of good, middle and bad. Later simplified to red and black. 
Those in bad categories were heavily monitored and then punished if they were not actively supporting the CCP

Question 23

Explain the CCP’s crackdown on crime?

Answer 23

150,000 members of gangs and triads arrested (over half being executed)
Petty criminals often relocated to rural areas

Question 24

What was the Great Terror? (1950-51)

Answer 24

With the Korean War as an excuse, there was a widespread purge designed to deter disobedience
Tao Zhu killed 46,000 bandits in a year to impress Mao
Minimum of 700,000 killed in total (could be much higher)

In 1951 Mao agreed with Rao Shushi’s suggestion to start purging from within the party - beginning the anti’s campaigns

Question 25

What was the three anti’s movement? (1951)

Answer 25

Targeted corruption, waste and delay within the party
Bo Yibo was put in charge. People forced to make humiliating confessions at the least (many arrests, some killings)
Small offenders labelled flies, large offenders were tigers
Bo Yobo hunted 100,000 tigers in east China alone

Question 26

What was the five anti’s movement? (1952)

Answer 26

Targeted bribery, tax evasion, theft, fraud and economic espionage from within the party
Humiliating confessions, arrests and killings followed - but fining was the most popular method to help with the Korean War
Once accused, you were never found not guilty
*Rao Shushi was actually purged!

Question 27

Why was committing suicide difficult?

Answer 27

Buildings had nets, parks were patrolled and people on the black list were heavily surveillance

Question 28

What were Laogai’s?

Answer 28

Apparently, a place for re-education for the misguided
It was really used to created terror and fear in the populace
‘Thought reform’ psychologically damaged inmates, forcing them to lose their identity
With Soviet logistical help, there were 1million inmates by 1953
Produced 350,000 tonnes of grain per year, hazardous jobs like mining were often done by the slave labour of inmates
Up to 25million could have died in Laogai’s

Question 29

What was the Hundred Flowers campaign? (1957)

Answer 29

Mao calls for open debate and criticism: “let 100 flowers bloom and 100 schools of thought content” (possibly reacting to desalinisation)
Initially no one spoke, but after more pushing (also by the editor of the People’s Daily) a snowball of criticism came out - denouncing policies and leaders
Mao rounded up critics, labelled them as ‘Rightists’ and punished them - half a million were sent to Laogai’s

Question 30

What caused the Korean War? (1950-53)

Answer 30

North Korea invaded South Korea to spread communism. The USA intervened and pushed N Korea back close to the Chinese border. Out of fear of a U.S invasion, Mao intervened to defeat the USA

Question 31

What did the Korean War allow Mao to do in China? (1950-53)

Answer 31

Have a higher military presence
It justified the Great terror and anti’s campaigns
Meant he could push out foreigners (except Russians)
Wages and crops were taken to help the war and taxes were raised
Claimed the U.S were dropping germ infested insects to stir fear

Question 32

What were the costs of the Korean War? (1950-53)

Answer 32

1million Chinese died (including Mao’s son)
Caused agricultural shortages - some famine
CIA heightens Tibetan resistance (minor retaliation)
Sino-Soviet relations suffered - Mao resented Stalins minor contribution

Question 33

What were the benefits of the Korean War? (1950-53)

Answer 33

Holding off the USA boosted international prestige

An alliance with North Korea