Mao - Timeline

Question 1

Communists defeat Nationalists and establish the People’s Republic of China (PRC)

Answer 1

October 1949

Question 2

the Korean War

Answer 2

1950-53

Question 3

New Marriage Law

Gives more legal protection to women

Answer 3

1950

Question 4

Suppression of Counter-revolutionaries campaign begins

Answer 4

1950

Question 5

Three-Antis campaign begins

Eradicates corruption among Party and government officials

Answer 5

1951

Question 6

Five-Antis campaign is launched to eradicate corruption among businessmen

Answer 6

1952

Question 7

First Agricultural Producers’ Cooperatives are established

Answer 7

1952

Question 8

Launch of the First Five Year Plan for industry

Answer 8

1953

Question 9

Purge of Geo Gang and Rao Shushi from the Party Leadership

Answer 9

1953

Question 10

‘Higher Stage’ Agricultural Producers’ Cooperatives mark a decisive shift towards the collectivisation of agriculture

Answer 10

1955

Question 11

The Hundred Flowers campaign encourages intellectuals to criticise the Party followed by the anti-Rightist purge of intellectuals

Answer 11

1957

Question 12

Mao Launches the Great Leap Forward (Second 5 year plan for industry)

Answer 12

1958

Question 13

Purge of Peng Dehuai from the Party Leadership

Answer 13

1959

Question 14

Launch of the Third Five Year Plan

Answer 14

1962

Question 15

Start of a power struggle between Mao and Liu Shaoqi/Deng Xiaoping

Answer 15

1962

Question 16

Launch of the Little Red Book of quotations by Chairman Mao

Answer 16

1962

Question 17

Launch of the Socialist Education Movement to spread Mao’s ideas and purge the Party

Answer 17

1963

Question 18

China successfully tests its first atomic bomb

Answer 18

1964

Question 19

Mao launches the Cultural Revolution

Answer 19

1966

Question 20

January Revolution in Shanghai results in the overthrow of Party Leadership in the city by Red Guards. Leads to the February crackdown (PLA starts to suppress Red Guard violence)

Answer 20

1967

Question 21

Cultural Revolution is officially declared to be over by Party Congress

Answer 21

1969

Question 22

Lin Biao dies in an air crash after an unsuccessful attempt at a coup

Answer 22

1971

Question 23

Anti-Confucius campaign is launched by the Gang of Four

Answer 23

1973

Question 24

American President Richard Nixon visits China to begin the process of restoring normal relations between the two powers.

Answer 24

1972

Question 25

Death of Zhou Enlai

Answer 25

January 1976

Question 26

Demonstrations against the Gang of Four in Tiananmen Square

Answer 26

April 1976

Question 27

Mao dies

Answer 27

September 1976