L07 - “Toward the Peasant Revolution, 1921-1927” Flashcards
What does Marxist revolutionary theory propose about the working class?
It calls for the working class—the proletariat—to lead a social revolutionary movement to overthrow capitalism and seize state power.
What was China’s political situation in the 1920s?
It was divided among warlords who controlled inland areas, and coastal cities were dominated by Western and Japanese powers, with no centralized or unified state.
Why was there a theoretical and practical paradox in founding the CCP?
China in the 1920s was an overwhelmingly agrarian society with only small pockets of industrial manufacturing, which conflicted with Marxist ideology that presumes an industrial social structure.
What central questions arose for the CCP in the 1920s?
1.How to reconcile Marxist ideology with China’s agrarian society.
2.Who was to lead the revolution?
3.Against whom was the revolution to be targeted?
What challenges did Chinese Marxists face in launching a Communist revolution?
1.The lack of social elements of a Marxist revolution.
2.The absence of a central state apparatus.
3.The significant but uneven role of foreign imperialism.
When did Chinese Communists begin addressing these theoretical and practical issues systematically?
After 1927.
What was Mao’s early revolutionary activity in Hunan?
He organized labor, focusing on miners in Anyuan and workers on the Hankou-Canton Railway, beginning in late 1921.
Who joined Mao’s unionization efforts in Hunan?
1.His classmates from a work-study program in France.
2.His wife, Yang Kaihui.
3.His brothers, Zemin and Zetan.
What symbolic artwork commemorates Mao’s organizing efforts in Anyuan?
A 1960s poster titled Chairman Mao goes to Anyuan, showing Mao in a plain blue scholar’s gown with a determined gaze.
What successes did Mao achieve by May 1922?
1.Organized more than twenty trade unions.
2.Included groups like miners, railway workers, municipal employees, and printing press workers.
3.Facilitated over ten strikes that improved wages and working conditions for 22,000 workers.
How did Mao’s efforts in Hunan gain recognition?
Chen Duxiu, chairman of the CCP, invited Mao to join the Party’s Central Committee in Shanghai in January 1923.
How did the February Seventh Massacre influence CCP strategy?
It highlighted the fragility of the labor movement and emphasized the need to:
1.Stop warlord dominance.
2.Form a strong political and military alliance to unify state power and society
What roles did Yang Kaihui play in the unionization movement?
1.Worked for women’s rights.
2.Promoted female literacy.
I3.mproved general education in peasant communities.
How large was the CCP in the early 1920s?
The CCP had fewer than 200 members.
What activities became models for Communist labor and peasant movements?
1.Organizing male workers.
2.Focusing on women’s issues.
3.Promoting literacy and education for all.
What was the impact of the February Seventh Massacre on Hunan’s labor movement?
It destroyed the labor organization built by Mao, Yang Kaihui, and others overnight.
What was the February Seventh Massacre?
An event in early 1923 where warlord Wu Peifu ordered violent suppression of railway workers, resulting in:
1.Dozens of deaths.
2.Arrests and executions of labor organizers.
3.Destruction of the most powerful workers’ organization in China.
How had the GMD transformed by 1923?
The GMD became a mass-based party organized along Bolshevist lines.
What was the Nationalist Party (GMD)?
The GMD was the only large-scale political party in China, with roots in Sun Yat-sen’s 1911 Republican Revolutionary movement.
What was the United Front?
A “bloc within” strategy where CCP members joined the GMD while retaining CCP membership, encouraged by the Comintern.
What role did the Soviet Union play in supporting the GMD?
Comintern advisors helped organize the GMD and build a modern army via the Whampoa Academy.
What was the significance of the Hong Kong seamen’s strike in 1922?
The GMD co-sponsored the strike, gaining worker support and prestige through successful wage and employment settlements.
How did the United Front affect the CCP?
The CCP was subordinated to the GMD, which provided organizational and ideological structure.
How did CCP and GMD members feel about the United Front?
Both sides were skeptical and hostile due to significant ideological differences.
How did the CCP’s analysis differ?
The CCP viewed “semi-feudalism and semi-colonialism” as the main issues, calling for class struggle, overthrowing landlordism, and resisting global capitalism.
What strategies did the CCP propose for China’s transformation?
The CCP advocated revolutionary property redistribution, targeting domestic landlordism and international capitalism.
What role did Mao play in the United Front?
Mao joined the GMD in 1923 while serving on the CCP’s Central Executive Committee.
What role did Yang Kaihui play in the CCP?
Yang Kaihui, Mao’s wife, was an active CCP member but faced conflicts between political work and family responsibilities.
How did Yang Kaihui prioritize her responsibilities?
Yang prioritized caring for her children over her Party career during difficult times.
What was the GMD’s main analysis of China’s problems?
The GMD believed poverty and a weak state were the primary issues, with solutions involving capitalism, urban-led industrialization, and a strong state.
What common goals united the CCP and GMD?
Both opposed warlordism and aimed to establish a strong, unified state.
What sacrifices did many female CCP members make?
Many were disinherited by their families and formed close relationships within the CCP as their new family.
