Maoism and Mao's Rise to Power Flashcards
What are the 10 most important points from the ‘Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan’ reading
- Peasant movement in Hunan- The central focus of the text is on the peasant movement in Hunan Province, China.
- Periods of Development - The text highlights two distinct periods in the development of the peasant movement: one focused on organization, and the other on revolutionary action.
- Membership and Leadership - It discusses the growth in membership and leadership within the peasant associations.
- Targets of Attack - The main targets of the peasants’ actions are identified as the local tyrants, evil gentry, and lawless landlords
- Power of Peasant Associations - The text emphasizes the rise of peasant associations as powerful entities, effectively replacing the authority of the landlords.
- Revolutionary Significance - It underscores the revolutionary significance of the actions taken by the peasants, particularly in the context of the broader national revolution.
- Dealing with the Opposition - The text addresses how the peasants handle opposition and dissent, including those who resist their actions.
- Different classes of peasants - It categorizes peasants into rich, middle, and poor classes, and discusses their varying attitudes towards the peasant associations.
- Role of Poor Peasants - The text emphasizes the vital role played by poor peasants, who are identified as the driving force behind the revolutionary movement.
- Criticism and mistakes - The text acknowledges criticism and potential mistakes made by various parties, including the government’s response to certain actions.
what is Maos origin story?
Born to a well off farming family in early 1900s
18 when the Qing empire collapses, all these big changes shape his formative years
he is well read and self taught, library assistant and involved with reading groups, strikes, protests, moved to Beijing at 17
Joined CCP in 1921
when does Mao become important to the communist party and why he is so important
Joining in 1921, he quickly becomes important
Is identified as the leader in the long march
important leader - head of CCP as a revolutionary and official communist party
developed his own political ideologies and ideals - Maoism
on a basic level what is Maoism
a set of political ideals to gain, maintain and use political power, explaining the world and how it works
name and number all of the characteristics of Maoism, according to Julia Lowell
- Political power comes from controlling the means of violence
- revolution is violent
- communism must be pragmatic
- gender equality
- criticism, self criticism and ritual humiliation
- personality cult
- anti-imperialism
- perpetual revolution
- follow the ‘mass line’ method
describe the characteristic ‘political power comes from controlling the means of violence’
this was shown to young Mao through the KMT massacre in Shanghai
one can violently impose power and violently suppress enemies
being persuasive is not enough, it comes from ‘the barrel of a gun, and the party controls the gun, the gun cannot control the party’ (Mao did believe propaganda/persuasion to bolster gains from violence)
PLA defends party first and the country second
describe the characteristic ‘revolution is violent’
revolution is not a dinner party, it cannot be gentle. you need violence to uproot a system, or overturn a political order
Mao belives in the purifying and transformative effect of violence
in Mao’s China, the peasants overthrow the landlords. the land reforms killing 1.5-2 million people
people (mainly peasants) encouraged to actively participate in the violence - denounce enemies to the party and become pitted against each other
describe the characteristic ‘communism must be pragmatic’
orthodox marxism argues urban working classes revolt, China, however is predominately rural, so revolution must come from the countryside and the peasants
communism must be adapted to national conditions, not forcing soviet communism onto an unfit model (‘cut the feet for the shoes). knowing the rural terrain very important - urban members sent to experience rural life
describe the characteristic ‘gender equality’
‘women hold up the sky’ - promote a counter culture to Western gender beliefs in 1960s
‘what men can do women can do’ - resonated with women trapped in historically patriarchal society
laws for women to divorce and own land/property
limits/caveats - Mao was a major womaniser and misogynist
party is only 26% women currently (none in standing committee/congress)
describe the characteristic ‘criticism, self criticism, and ritual humiliation’
everyone was encouraged to keep their behaviour in check, reflect on it and change it
Public practice which facilitated discipline and group cohesion - scared potential challengers (terror politics)
party members criticise each other in ‘struggle sessions’; villagers humilate for lack of party dedication
on elite level - CCP big players had to submit self criticism papers, kept on their toes and weary of each other
competition t be loyal to Mao- kept distance with important CCP figures to avoid new leadership. conducted purges, group attack and isolation of target and forced submission of papers to be kept as blackmail
describe the characteristic of personality cult
cultivated an aura as a omnipresent, Omnipotent leader of china
Little Red Book (height of personality cult) - contained Mao quotes and philosophy, required to carry one
This 1)ensures loyalty 2) binds everyone to the leader (each commitment makes turning away from Mao harder)
Stalins death saw the, ‘Secret Speech’ - USSR shift away from stalins personality cult and other comm states follow - towards liberalisation etc
Mao adamant to prevent this occuring in China after his death - doubles down on measures to promote Mao, Maoism and CCP
describe the characteristic of ‘Anti Imperialism’
Views US and Europe as imperial powers (threat to China + communism)
Mao refuses to make a ‘peaceful coexistence) with the West (like USSR), reaffirms this anti-West stance by aiding North Korea etc.
Very anti-USA
describe the characteristic of ‘perpetual revolution’
Mao believes revolution is ongoing, feared the rev would become stagnant and bureaucratic like the USSR (very anti-bureaucracy)
- wanted romantic ongoing communism with mass participation
promotes degree of political chaos - encourages public attack on party -
‘to rebel is justified’
begins the Cultural Revolution in 1966 (for youth to experience revolution, revive cult of Mao)
describe the characteristic of ‘follow the ‘Mass Line’ method’
mobilisation and participation of people is key to dictatorship (allows CCP to stay close to people) - take public ideas, reformulate into policies and propagandise back to people (‘from the masses, to the masses’)
however, no accountability mechanism - allows for manipulation of public with no power to protest/disagree
what are the main legacies of Mao
- Maoism is an important and prominent strain of thought
- the party cannot dissociate itself from him, constructs their own history of him (exclude the catastrophes/controversy)
- image is on currency, body in Tiananmen square
- XJP interpretation of Maoism - similar with one difference
- XJP wants a strong disciplined party with strong bureaucracy loyal to the party - Mao did not care for these - some maoists call for a return to his policies (too capitalist, strayed from revolution roots) and a second (positive) CR
