The Early Years of the People's Republic

Question 1

What did Jonathan Fenby refer to as “window dressing”? Why?

Answer 1

The eight democratic parties who governed alongside the communists. Only 11/24 ministers in the New Government were not communist

Question 2

Who was Mao in the Government? Who was he in the Party?

Answer 2

• President

- Chairman

Question 3

In what ways was the Party interwoven with the State? (3 pt)

Answer 3

• Government functions were carried out under Party direction
• Major government policies originated in the Politburo
• CCP provided core personnel of government

Question 4

In what ways was the military interwoven with the party and the state? (2 pt)

Answer 4

• PLA was closely supervised by the Military Affairs Committee (under the Politburo)
• Peng Dehuai and Lin Biao, key military figures, held positions in both the government and the CCP

Question 5

What did Mao call his method of exercising power after 1949?

Answer 5

A people’s democratic dictatorship of the four revolutionary classes:

• Peasantry
• Proletariat
• Petit-bourgeoisie
• National Capitalists

Question 6

What did Mao say justified the use of a Democratic Dictatorship?

Answer 6

“democracy for the people and dictatorship over the reactionaries”

“democracy is practised within the ranks of the people… the right to vote belongs only to the people and not to reactionaries”

Question 7

Why was the CCP’s membership of 4.5 million members problematic?

Answer 7

It made up only 1% of the population

Question 8

In what ways did Mao and the CCP try to rebuild China? (not including inflation) (4 pt)

Answer 8

• encourage civil servants under GMD previously to stay at their posts
• encouraged educated Chinese overseas to help rebuild the homeland
• encourage the national capitalists (managerial middle class) to work with the new government- offered compensation for lost factories and kept most managers of enterprises in their jobs
• banking sector, transport industries, electricity and gas suppliers were all brought under government regulation

Question 9

What did the communists do about the rampant inflation of the nationalists? (6 pt)

Answer 9

-They brought inflation down from 85,000% in 1949 to 15% in 1951
Did it by:
- introducing new currency (yuan)
- foreign cash was banned
- all banks were nationalised
- wages were based off the 5 basic items
- price controls were brought in

Question 10

What was government revenue by 1951?

Answer 10

13.3 billion yuan- 6.8 billion more than in 1950

Question 11

What were the 5 basic items?

Answer 11

Cotton cloth, flour, oil, rice, coal