Theme One - Establishing Communist Rule 1949-57 Flashcards
What political problems did China face in 1949?
- Lack of democracy or organised government
- Some regions (Xinjiang) had little in common with the rest of China
- Tibet considered itself separate from China
What social problems did China face in 1949?
- Bound to old Confucian ideas
- Peasants in poverty, exploited and threatened
- Little healthcare provision
- Majority illiterate
What proportion of China’s population lived in poor agricultural areas in 1949?
80%
What were the lasting negative effects of the Civil War on China in 1949?
- Millions had been killed
- Scorched earth tactics had destroyed infrastructure
- Poverty and malnutrition
What were the negative effects of the GMD in China in 1949?
- Hyperinflation as GMD had used quantitive easing to avoid taxation
- GMD had stripped China of gold, silver, dollar, cultural treasures and intellectuals upon its retreat
- Enduring military and espionage threats i.e. Bombing ships
What was the state of China’s industry in 1949?
- Machinery had been destroyed by retreating GMD
- USSR dismantled mines and factories when they retreated from Manchuria
- In 1949, factory output was 44% below that in 1937
What was the state of China’s agriculture in 1949?
- Tools and livestock were in short supply
- Poo most common fertiliser
- Food reserves low due to conscription of farmers
What was the state of China’s infrastructure in 1949?
- Bribery commonplace
- 50% of railways destroyed
- Rivers and harbours blocked by sunken ships
How many members did the CCP have by 1951?
5.8 million
What was the role of the CCP?
To set economic targets, control education and organise prison camps
What was the role of the Party Cadres?
They controlled schools, the legal system, the PLA, the civil service and the Danwei in a given area to ensure they all remained loyal to the communist cause.
What were Danwei?
They were work teams to which all workers belonged.
What was the role of the Danwei?
To control travel, marriage, housing and food for their workers.
When did the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference meet?
September 1949
Where did the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference meet?
Beijing
What did the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference do upon its first meeting?
Decide the Common Programme
What was the Common Programme?
A temporary constitution for the PRC until a full official one could be written.
What are three examples of measures included in the Common Programme?
- Gender equality, education for all and freedom of religion
- PLA and police given authority to crush opposition
- Mao made head-of-state
What did the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference become after establishing the Common Programme?
A rubber stamp for the decisions made by the Politburo
How many members did the Politburo have?
14
What body was above the Politburo?
The Standing Committee
How many members did the Standing Committee have?
5
Who was head of the Standing Committee?
Mao
Which two other notable figures belonged to the Standing Committee?
Zhou Enlai and Liu Shaoqi
How big was the CCP’s bureaucracy?
It went from 720,000 to 7.9 million
Why did the CCP have to expand the bureaucracy?
To manage land reform, cities and the centrally planned economy.
What were the roles of the PLA?
- To round up bandits and gangs
- Reunification
- Work teams contributed a week’s free labour to help rebuild infrastructure and farming
- Fought in Korean War
What was the positive impact of the PLA rounding up bandits?
The public were highly supportive of this initiative
What was the significance of the PLA’s role in the Korean War?
It gave the army a very good opportunity for propaganda.
How many new recruits joined the PLA a year following the Korean War?
800,000
What three main roles did Mao have in the PRC’s new power structure?
Head of state, chair of the standing committee and founder of Mao Zedong thought.
When was the Campaign to Suppress Counter Revolutionaries launched?
March 1950
Who was targeted during the Campaign to Suppress Counter Revolutionaries?
Anyone undermining the regime, especially ex-GMD workers and those with ties to the west.
What happened to western businessmen during the Campaign To Suppress Counter Revolutionaries?
They had their property confiscated and they were forced to leave.
What did the Ministry of Public Security do during the Campaign To Suppress Counter Revolutionaries?
It asked former nationalists to hand themselves in to “start life anew.” The one condition was that they wrote an autobiography about all their family and associates. They were subsequently arrested in the middle of the night and sent to the Laogai.
What were struggle sessions?
Public meetings held in which the public tried to force confessions of those suspected of being Counter revolutionary. Their names were published in the People’s Daily.
How many died during the Campaign To Suppress Counter Revolutionaries according to government figures?
800,000