Theme 1 Flashcards
Pre Mao
Empire ended- 1912
Last dynasty- Qing
Lots of culture
Confucianism
Civil war 46-49
Nationalists led by Chianti’s Kai-Shek
Communists led by Mao
Japan war
CCP and GMD unite
Ends because of Nagasaki and Hiroshima
Timeline
46-47 GMD attempt to crush CCP bases in Manchuria
‘47- CCP resistance= more successful
48-49- CCP push GMD out
Civil war tactics- GMD fail
bad strategy, damaged supply lines, bad commanders, no peasant support, hyperinflation
Civil war tactics- CCP success
Strategy, mao’s control, ability of PLA, popularity
Conditions in 1949
80% lived in rural areas
Hyperinflation
No law and order
Economic- unstable economy, no unified currency, relied on agriculture, little modern industry
Agriculture- conscription=unmanned farmland, sabotage by nationalists- blew up fields
Infrastructure- railways and phone lines damaged, cities isolated from rural
After civil war
Nationalists fled to Taiwan
Took China’s assets and educated elite
Communists lacked govt knowledge
Common programme
All except political reactionaries had human rights
Freedom of speech and stuff
Equal rights for women
Structure of government
Chinese people’s political consultative conference- set up September.
Provisional constitution for 5 years
Appointed Central People’s Government- agreed on polices and laws given to it by Politburo
PLA- removed opposition
Regional officers operated in each region
All loyal to Mao
People at top of CCP had leading positions in all 3
Reunification campaign- Guangdong
Traditionally nationalist
Opposition by GMD members
28000 executed
Reunification campaign- Xinjiang
Muslim Uyghurs controlled it by 1949
All leaders died in plane crash (nationalist)
New leaders agreed to CCP rule- used conquest and negotiation
Reunification campaign- Tibet
Had been independent since 1913
PLA invade 1950 took 6 months to conquer the mainly Buddhist area
Said to liberate from imperialism- actually removed religion
Major uprising in 59- defeated and Dalai Lama fled to India
Great Terror
Against counter revolutionaries 50-51 brutal and widespread
Korean War- excuse
1-2 million died
Millions sent to labour camps or under surveillance
Forced out western businessmen and missionaries
Three antis 1951
Attacked CCP members in official postions
Aim: remove corruption, waste and bureaucracy
Removed those the govt didn’t approve of
Five antis 1952
Targeted middle class and private business owners Aim: remove bribery, tax evasion, theft of state property, cheating govt contracts and stealing state economic info
Laogai
Inspired by Gulags Labour camps 1955- more than 1.3 million imprisoned Rounded up in campaigns Peak estimated= 10 million inmates in a year
Hundred flowers campaign 1956
Feared party was becoming lazy
2nd May 1956- ‘let a hundred flowers bloom’ invited new ideas and policies to advance China and point out mistakes
Intellectuals had been quiet during antis
Reluctant to speak out
Mao renewed call for criticism Feb 57
‘On the correct handling of contradictions among the people’
Intellectuals criticise party and Mao- too far
Resulted in Anti-Rightist campaign
700,000 sent to Laogai others commit suicide
Anti Rightist Campaign
Intellectuals abused freedom
Campaign defined ‘poisonous weeds’ broadly- anyone against regime removed
400,000-700,000 sent to Laogai
Korean War 1950
400,000 Chinese died 1 million casualties
People unite ‘resist America, aid Korea’
China didn’t lose .: heroes
China couldn’t be exploited
Denounced America
Used to attack opponents within China
Impact of Korean War
Interrupted transition to communism
Promoted national unity
China portrayed as standing up to capitalism
Funded by USSR loans .: debt 10 million
Enhanced china’s prestige
Created more security from invasion
USSR relations suffer as they offered no support
First Five Year Plan restricted by war money spent on military
