GOVERNMENT

Question 1

when did Mao win the civil war?

Answer 1

October 1949 - beat Chang Kai Shek and the nationalists/Kuomintang

Question 2

what were social attitudes based around in 1949?

Answer 2

Confucian tradition:
- women faced discrimination
- peasants lived in poverty
- 80% of population lived in poor rural areas
- there was little health care and education

Question 3

what were the consequences of the Civil War for the CCP?

Answer 3

• millions had been killed and destruction of infrastructure led to poverty
• Nationalists took the gold reserves when fleeing to Taiwan
• the economy was devastated by hyperinflation
• the educated elite had left with the nationalists

Question 4

what was the state industry when the communists came to power?

Answer 4

• badly damaged by years of war
• Nationalists had damaged equipment to prevent communists using it
• USSR controlled Manchuria and took technology
• in 1949 factory output was 49% below it 1937 level

Question 5

what was the state agriculture when the communists came to power?

Answer 5

• they did have the peasant support at this time (80% of population) due to promise of land reform
• tool and livestock were in short supply
• farmers conscripted into war (led to crops dying whilst they were away)

Question 6

what was the state of the national infrastructure in 1949?

Answer 6

• the nationalist government was very corrupt (people hoarded supplies)
• the transport systems were badly damaged (1/2 of rail network was destroyed)
• telephone lines were damaged
• harbours and rivers were clogged up

Question 7

what did the CCP do?

Answer 7

the CCP coordinated the government - growing to 5.8 million by 1950 - it set economic targets, controlled education and the prison camp system - important members of the CCP held other key roles (e.g Peng Dehuai controlled the PLA

Question 8

what were Cadres?

Answer 8

party cadres helped enforce the party’s policies - controlled schools and the legal system - they monitored the PLA, Civil service, Danwei (work permits), e.c.t

Question 9

what was the CPPCC?

Answer 9

the Chinese Peoples Politcal Consultative Conference - it established the Common Programme, a temporary constitution that set out a range of rights (e.g. gender equality/Article 6)

Question 10

what was the political role of the PLA?

Answer 10

Mao said “all political power comes from the barrel of a gun” - the PLA was used to round up bandits and criminal gangs (triads) - this increased public support

Question 11

what was the economic role of the PLA?

Answer 11

they built popular support through economic assistance (e.g. soldiers rebuilt bridges, railways, roads and canals)

Question 12

what was the propaganda role of the PLA?

Answer 12

The PLA fought the combined power of the UN - this struggle gave rise to tales of model soldiers that displayed ideal values - 800,000 new recruits each year due to propaganda

Question 13

what was Mao’s role in government?

Answer 13

he was leader of the part and became head of state in 1949 - he had huge influence and his ‘Mao Zedong thought’ became the guiding principles for the new government

Question 14

what was democratic centralism?

Answer 14

the new system of government - allowed some democracy as a system of representatives as voted by the people would be able to voice opinions

Question 15

what was the ‘3 antis’ movement?

Answer 15

• 1951 ‘clean-up throughout the party’
• against Corruption, Waste and Obstructionist Bureauocracy (removed enemies of the party)
• citizens held struggle meetings for ‘counter revolutionaries’

Question 16

what was the ‘5 antis’ movement?

Answer 16

• 1952 used to remove possible opponents and seize economic assets
• against Bribery, Tax Evasion, Theft from State, Cheating on Gov Contracts and Stealing economic info
• Targeted the bourgeoisie and
  private business owners
• Used ‘tiger beaters’ against bosses and managers

Question 17

were the campaigns succsesful?

Answer 17

yes - businessmen found guilty during both campaigns were forced to pay heavy fines and had to pay stock to the state - the party also sent cadres to take leading management roles to increase control

Question 18

what was the Reunification Campaign?

Answer 18

• 1949 the party knew they needed to establish control over all foreign influence or rival ideologies

Question 19

what was the Laogai?

Answer 19

the Chinese prison camps which held 1.3 million by 1955 doing forced labour - most were political opponents of the regime

Question 20

what happened in Tibet as a part of the reunification?

Answer 20

in Tibet people followed the Dalai Lama so the PLA banned the Buddhist traditions and forced the Dalai Lama to flee

Question 21

what happened in Xingjiang as a part of the reunification?

Answer 21

Xingjiang had a large Muslim population and ethnic ties to the USSR so they cleared all resistance by 1950

Question 22

what happened in Guangdong as a part of the reunification?

Answer 22

in Guangdong 28,000 people were killed when purging the nationalist forces due to being close to economically important port close to Hong Kong

Question 23

what was the economic reason for the Hundred Flowers Campaign?

Answer 23

Mao was worried the economy was not improving fast enough - may have been a genuine attempt to get intellectuals to help solve the problem

Question 24

what was popularity reason for the Hundred Flowers Campaign?

Answer 24

Mao feared the party was becoming less revolutionary - may have wanted intellectuals to point out Party members mistakes and force them to act in the interest of the people again

Question 25

what were the political reasons for the Hundred Flowers Campaign?

Answer 25

Mao believed that some party members were not radical enough in their reforms - he may have wanted intellectuals to identify the party members so Mao could remove them

Question 26

what were the international reasons for the Hundred Flowers Campaign?

Answer 26

Khrushchev’s secret speech denounced Stalin’s regime - this may have made Mao nervous and wanted to seek a way to emphasise that he was not a dictator

Question 27

what was the over-confident reasons for the Hundred Flowers Campaign?

Answer 27

Mao may have been optimistic due to the many successes in the early years of the CCP (Civil war, Korean war, Land reform, first 5 year plan, e.c.t) - he may have thought the campaign would boost his popularity and influence

Question 28

what did the intellectuals actually criticise?

Answer 28

• the failure to provide democratic rights or freedom of expression
• the privileged situation that the leaders had given themselves (better food, housing and education for their kids)

Question 29

what was Mao’s response to this criticism?

Answer 29

he stated that ‘poisonous weeds’ had grown up amongst the ‘fragrant flowers’ - launched the ‘anti-rightist’ campaign - around 400,000-700,000 intellectuals were purged

Question 30

when was the Korean war?

Answer 30

1950 - 135,000 Communist North Korean soldiers invaded Capitalist South Korea (backed by the US) - Mao took action and fought the UN with North Korea

Question 31

what were the positive effects of the Korean War?

Answer 31

• enhanced the power of the CCP (Mao was able to prove to Stalin he was trustworthy)
• provided an excuse for the regime to lock up its enemies (non-Communists were denounced as spies)
• provided an excuse for conscription, raising taxes and crop requisition
• launched the ‘Resist America, Aid Korea’ campaign (encouraged people to donate to the war effort)
• could build popularity for the regime

Question 32

what were the costs on China from the war?

Answer 32

they had only just come out of the Japanese invasion, WWII and Civil war - desperately needed a period of stability - instead the war had a terrible impact on the Chinese economy and the lives of people

Question 33

what was the human cost from the Korean war?

Answer 33

• 3 million soldiers were sent to Korea
• 400,000 died in the war
• the forced requisition led to famine
• March 1950 the campaign to suppress counter revolutionaries was launched (most vulnerable were those who previously worked for the nationalist regime)

Question 34

what was the financial cost of the Korean war?

Answer 34

• much needed reforms in education, health care, transport and infrastructure did not happen
• the government negotiated support from the Soviets which was expensive
• the war cost the PRC $10 billion

Question 35

how did the rest of the world view China after the Korean war?

Answer 35

not seen as the ‘lame dog of Asia’ anymore rather than the ‘Sick man of Asia’