Mao

Question 1

Challenges to CCP

Answer 1

Imperialists, class divisions and the need to further the revolution.

Question 2

Reunification Campaigns

Answer 2

1949-1950: Xinjiang and Tibet a threat, muslim populated and buddhist, threat to a centralised Chinese authority which also undermined Mao’s cult of personality + no Xinjiang to fall under Soviet control. Tibet was invaded by the PLA in 1950, where the Dalai Lama fled to Northern India. Same in Xinjang 1951. Guangdong, GMD base, also taken then

Question 3

Thought reform

Answer 3

By 1949, mot newspapers were out of business. Journalists and editors went through re-education, where the CCP relied on self-censorship for them to stay in line. Re-education also applied to schools and government officials

Question 4

Frank Dikkoter

Answer 4

A dutch historian who once wrote “By the end of 1952, virtually every student or teacher was a loyal servant of the state”

Question 5

Household Registration System

Answer 5

Introduced in 1951; every household was ranked good, middle or bad. Ranking decided the opportunities you were given and success of your career and was passed down to your kids. It made everyone stay in line and made people informers to try and increase their ranking.

Question 6

Laogai Labour Camps

Answer 6

Sent counter-revolutionaries to labour camps to do hard labour. 2 million were sent by 1955, 9/10 being political prisoners. 25 million died during Mao’s rule.

Question 7

Mass killings

Answer 7

In the early 1950s, Mao deemed criminal organisations and gangs as counter-revolutionaries. In Shanghai and Guangzhou, a violent killing campaign led to 90,000 members being executed, with more throughout China. Many were killed, sent to prison or fled outside mainland China.

Question 8

Speak Bitterness Campaigns

Answer 8

1950s; 2 million landlords were killed and their land redistributed among peasants. Allowed Mao to get rid of landlords as a class for a “peasant uprising” and allowed him more control over agriculture. IN 1953, peasants were in mutual aid teams and shared livestock and resources, those resisted were labelled class enemies and dealt with accordingly.

Question 9

Other political parties

Answer 9

In 1949, there were more than 10 political parties; however, after many mass campaigns and purges, by 1952, only the CCP was left

Question 10

Democratic Centralism

Answer 10

Democratic Centralism was used to justify Mao’s position as Chairman of the CCP and President of the PRC until 1959; making him supreme leader.

Question 11

Korean War Propoganda

Answer 11

The CCP implemented the idea of “Resist America, Aid Korea, Preserve our Home, Defend the nation,” leading to propoganda against the US.

Question 12

The Germ Warfare

Answer 12

1952; China claimed that the USA was dropping in rats into China and ruining their harvest. Helped shift the blame to the USA despite it being due to strict agricultural policies by the Chinese government.

Question 13

Party purges

Answer 13

In the early 1950s, Mao became increasingly concerned over potential rivals in the CCP. Gao Gang and Rao Shushi were the first targets and he claimed they were abusing their positions in Manchuria and Shandong respectively, to form independent states. The Central Council dismissed them, with Gao Gang committing suicide and Rao Shushi in prison. Other leaders were soon denounced and sent to prison camps. It showed other party members to stay in line.

Question 14

Registration System

Answer 14

In 1955, the CCP took more control of the countryside to requisition grain and more peasants were placed into cooperatives. Rebellion led to violence from the militia. More peasants fled to urban areas to escape famine and increase their income, overall being around 20 million. In June of 1955, the household registration system was extended towards the countryside. It tied millions to the countryside. Anyone wanting to change their position needed migrant certificates. Ration cards had to be presented at grain stores, where local officials controlled everyone.

Question 15

Kruschev Shenanigans

Answer 15

Nikita Kruschev denounced Stalin in 1956 for his leadership, cult of personality, his treatment etc. Mao perceived this as against his own cult of personality and agricultural reforms, so to prevent backlash, Mao Zedong thought was removed from the CCP charter, the cult of personality was denounced and collective leadership encouraged. He did so to maintain control.

Question 16

Hundred Flowers Campaign

Answer 16

1957; “Let a hundred flowers bloom, Let a hundred schools of thought contend”. The movement evolved into heavy criticism of party officials and Mao himself on the basis of corruption and lacking realism. Mao stopped it and punished those who went too far, where they were executed, sent to prison or to re-education in the countryside. He rooted out opposition and removed them, strengthening his position.

Question 17

Peng Dehuai

Answer 17

In 1959, in a party gathering in Lushan, Peng Dehuai spoke on the famine in the countryside being due to agricultural reforms by Mao. Mao denounced him for treason and purged him from the party

Question 18

Tibetan Uprising

Answer 18

1959; Tibet rose against Chinese control. The famine caused by Mao led to millions starving in Tibet. Chinese authorities responded with suppression and mass arrests. Tibetans could not mention the Dalai Lama in public, some of their religious practices were banned and in 1962, the Panchen Lama issued a report claiming 20 percent of the Tibetan population were in prison and half died, where they were later arrested.

Question 19

The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution

Answer 19

1962; Mao went into the background due to his damaged reputation from the Great Famine. Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping became popular afterwards due to their policies reversing the Great Famine. Mao started realizing their popularity and decided something needed to be done. In 1966, he started the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.

Question 20

The Little Red Book

Answer 20

In the early 1960s, Lin Biao along with Chen Boda wrote the Little Red Book. A series of quotations by Mao for his thoughts and sayings. It became a part of the training of PLA soldiers and became a secular bible with more than 750 million copies sold. It made Mao a cult leader and was used to settle disputes.

Question 21

Wu Han

Answer 21

In 1965, Lin Biao led a series of attacks on Wu Han, a playwright who wrote “the Dismissal of Hu Rai from Office”, which was considered to have played on the situation of Mao and Peng Dehuai. It was considered a criticism of Mao. Wu Han committed suicide in 1969 due to the attacks.

Question 22

Jiang Qing

Answer 22

Jiang Qing, Mao’s wife, was a firm Maoist and led the Shanghai Forum, a group of uncompromising radicals who advocated the toughest measures against Mao’s opponents. Jiang attacked Deng Xiaoping and Liu Shaoqi demanding that they, along with many others, be removed from their position due to their lack of loyalty to Mao.

Question 23

Group of Five

Answer 23

1966; there was the purge of the Group of Five (set of moderate officials led by Pen Shuan. The Central Cultural Revolution Group was set up and they would play a key part in the purges.

Question 24

Poster Campaigns

Answer 24

Lin Biao, under Mao’s instructions, used poster campaigns to ignite students and radical teachers. They stopped attending classes and attacking those considered unloyal.

Question 25

Yangtze River Propoganda

Answer 25

1966; Mao staged a propaganda event where the 73 year old swam across the Yangtze River. The river was considered a Life force and he received praise throughout China.

Question 26

Tiananmen Square Support

Answer 26

1966; Lin Biao along with Chen Boda organized mass demonstrations where people praised Mao in Tiananmen Square.

Question 27

Forming the Red Gaurds

Answer 27

1966; Mao urged students at Tsinghua University to bombard the headquarters to make students target enemies of the revolution. These students formed a paramilitary social movement called the Red Guards. They denounced their parents, destroyed anything on the confucian past and cultural sites. Intellectuals were forced to confess to their class crimes. The Red Guards were then told of the 5 targets by Ministry of Public Safety: landlords, rich peasants, reactionaries, bad elements and rightists

Question 28

Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping denounciation

Answer 28

1966; Mao let it be known that Deng Xiaoping and Liu Shiaoqi were not following party lines, posters calling them “revisionists.” Liu was imprisoned, denied medical treatment for his diabetes and eventually died in solitary confinement. Deng was also denounced and put into solitary confinement, where he was then sent to do labor in Jiangxi in 1969.

Question 29

Red Gaurds in action

Answer 29

Lin Biao, Jiang Qing and Kang Sheng led the Red Guards, where in the trial of the Gang of Four in 1980, more half a million CCP officials were said to have been murdered by the red guards.

Question 30

Outside hostility

Answer 30

1967; Chinese militants were a part of 30 attacks in foreign countries, especially Hong Kong where Mao tried to provoke anti-imperialist unrest and get Britain to retaliate. The British, however, did not react with hostility to the death of 5 policemen and 160 bombs; so no protests became present against the British.

Question 31

End of the Red Gaurds

Answer 31

1968; it appeared that the Red Guards started turning on each other to compete for their level of devotion to Mao. Industrial production was affected and the schools/universities were closed. The PLA were told to take care of the counter-revolutionaries and the Red Guards were told to “to go up the mountains and down to the villages’ ‘ and live among the peasants and learn the hardships of life. Between 1967 to 1972, 12 million young people moved to the countryside; after experiencing the hardships they began to question their idealism and the goodwill of Mao (eventually leading to decline for the party)

Question 32

Cleansing the Class Ranks campaign

Answer 32

1968-1971; rooted out counter revolutionaries with violence, being led by the PLA and the Gang of Four. Hundreds to thousands were killed and tortured.

Question 33

Lin Biao’s death

Answer 33

Mao, becoming increasingly paranoid of the power Lin Biao had (he was second to Mao), and vice versa. Lin Biao ended up reluctantly planning against Mao, where he was found out by Zhou Enlai and told to flee, where he died in a plane crash (1971-72)

Question 34

Zhou Enlai’s death

Answer 34

1976; Zhou Enlai died of lung cancer; at his memorial in Tiananmen Square demonstrations occurred for his moderate policies. After a bloody confrontation with the police, it was dispersed.

Question 35

The Bandung Conference

Answer 35

1955; Mao appeared to be the main leader of the communist world after Stalin’s death. Representatives of 29 different Asian and African countries took part.

Question 36

The Sino-Soviet Rift

Answer 36

1958-1976; After the denunciation of Stalin and the Hundred Flowers Campaign, Mao called Kruschev a revisionist who was betraying the revolution. Argued by Deng Xiaoping in the 1957 Conference of Communist Parties. Mao prepared for war with Taiwan, but the US backed them up. Mao blamed the Soviets for not backing him up, Kruschev called him reckless. The PRC pursued policies in Albania and Yugoslavia against the USSR. They were officially severed at the Moscow Conference of 1961, where China walked out. By the mid 1960s, all soviet advisors were pulled out of the PRC. China then made its first hydrogen bomb in 1964, where they alarmed the Soviets by saying they were willing to use it. In 1969, there was a border skirmish between the Sino-Russian border. Deng Xiaoping later tolerated the USSR

Question 37

Relationship with the USA

Answer 37

Mao supported the USA’s enemies during the Vietnam War. Even developed the Third Line to prevent an attack from the USA. In 1971, he invited the USA to table tennis in China. “Ping-pong diplomacy” ensued, Mao aimed to undermine the USSR and start a relationship with the USA especially due to their accepted seat in the UN Security Council. In 1972, Mao invited Nixon to China, the diplomacy was successful for both parties.

Question 38

Relationship with India

Answer 38

China and India were at war in 1962 due to border disputes, relations strained when China supported Pakistan in 1965.

Question 39

Inflation Success

Answer 39

When the CCP came to power, inflation rates were 1000 percent, by 1951, it was at 15 percent. This was due to cuts in public spending, increased taxation in urban areas and replacement of the Chinese dollar with yuan.

Question 40

The First Five Year Plan

Answer 40

1952-57; Mao wanted China to industrialize and become a command economy. The country had a huge potential workforce due to immigration from the countryside to urban areas. Between 1949 to 1957, China’s urban population doubled from 57 million to 100 million. In the Sino-Soviet agreement of 1950, the USSR agreed to give China economic assistance, including advisors and provision of resources. China paid with high interest loans. Only 5 percent capital was genuine industrial investment. Coal, steel and petrochemicals were targeted for production

Question 41

The Great Leap Forward

Answer 41

1958-1962; Mao aimed to make China a modern industrial power quickly. By 1958, Mao was angered by relying on the USSR, and the only way out was to make bank. Collectivized peasants would make a surplus of food, export it, make bank, use it to increase industry. Enormous construction projects were undertaken to show the power of human hands, including the expansion of Tiananmen Square in 1957 to 1959. In the backyard furnaces campaign, Mao believed massive amounts of steel would transform the economy and be made from foundries and mills to kilns. Chinese families were making steel, however it was quite useless.

Question 42

Factors which hindered economic growth

Answer 42

Although production of materials was high, there was no increase of manufactured goods. Knowledge of quality control and applied communism did not go hand in hand. Other factors that hindered the reforms were:
In 1960, the USSR stopped providing assistance leading to 300 industrial plants being closed
Reforms were ideological, political slogans got in the way of common sense.
Mao did not accept his policies were at fault and blamed bourgeois elements and poort administration
Mao simply did not have enough knowledge to make his policies work, he believed the effort of the Chinese people was enough rather than a proper economic plan

Question 43

The Great Famine

Answer 43

1958-1962; Farmers started melting their tools to meet the requirements for steel and there was bad weather.Mao started believing less in the peasant class and their agricultural expertise was ignored and replaced by Lysenkoism as an official policy in 1958. To eradicate pests under Lysenkoism meant getting rid of sparrows and other birds which ate crop seeds. Many died, which led to a surplus of crop eating insects and vermin. Opposition was futile, peasants who did the old were considered rightists and sent to prison camps. 45 million people died of starvation. Peasants sold their children and cannibalism was common. Officials still said production was being met, speaking the truth was too dangerous. Mao ended up blaming the peasants for hoarding food, local officials for incompetency and bad weather.