RTN: Communists Take Power in China, p.

972- 975

Communists Nationalists
Mao Zedong Jiang Jieshi
popular with peasants: attempted to poor economy thousands of
boost food production and advocated Nationalist soldiers leave to join
literacy, promised peasants land Communists
Soviet Union support US provides billions of dollars of
support
used guerilla warfare very effective corrupt officers often pocketed US aid
fighting for themselves

1949: Mao Zedong takes control of the Peoples Republic of China

o Jiang Jieshi and Nationalist supporters flee to Taiwan, Nationalist China
foreign intervention:
o Soviet Union sends China aid and sign friendship treaty
o US helps Jiang Jieshi in setting up a Nationalist govt on Taiwan
1950-1951: China forcefully gains control of Tibet
o reneges promise of Tibetan autonomy and establishes strict rule Dalai Lama and
many Tibetans flee to India
o leads to brief armed conflict btwn China and India, lasting resentment
Mao sets himself up as head of Communist Party and head of govt
o goal: use Marxist socialism to drastically change Chinas economy
Agrarian Reform Law of 1950: a million landlords killed land taken from them and given to
peasants to be used as collective farms (200-300 households per farm)
1953: First Five Year Plan: large numbers set for production goals 1957: huge increase in
production of coal, cement, steel, and electricity
1958: Maos plan, the Great Leap Forward
o rise of communes: large collective farms that supported 25,000+ people (highly
inefficient)
o tight control: peasants worked, lived, ate together in order to benefit state (while
owning nothing themselves) low motivation among peasants to work hard
o 1961: culminates and ends w/ famine, 20+ million killed
late 1950s: China and Soviet Union both want to lead communist movement no longer
cooperating together
Maos failures capitalist economic reforms (living separately, wages, promotions, private
property, freer market)
o 1966: believing such reforms weakened social equality, Mao calls upon Chinese youth
to revive revolution
o high school and college students form Red Guards (militia groups)
 Red Guards lead Cultural Revolution
o goal: complete social equality
o stop individual thinking shut down schools, forced scholars to do hard labor as
purification
o brutal crackdown on anyone who opposed their regime, executions and imprisonment
o Mao loses power
1968: chaos and prospect of civil war army is used to defeat Red Guards
o Zhou Enlai comes into power
isolationism worries Zhou 1971: invites American ping pong team to China
o 1979: China and America have created a diplomatic relationship
1976: death of Mao and Zhou moderates are in power
1980: Deng Xiaoping in power
o Communist, but willing to use capitalist ideas to help economy
o Four Modernizations: goals to improve agriculture, industry, science/technology,
defense
o economic reforms
no communes, farmers rent land and pay with food 50% increase in food
production
allows for private businesses, industry has more freedom
o open to Western ideas and support
result of economic reforms: increased Western influence on culture, wealthier people
o widens the gap btwn rich and poor
Chinas new policy of openness exposes Chinese youth to political ideas of West question
why China is so politically restricting
Tiananmen Square Massacre (1989)
o 100,000 students occupy Tiananmen Square in protest for democratic reforms
garners support from other Chinese
o Deng declares martial law, protests lessen but do not end
o soldiers storm into the area and fire into the crowd, hundreds dead, thousands injured
o only the start of govts attempts to squash opposition calling for democratic reform
1997: Jiang Zemin becomes Chinas leader
o Chinas abuse of human rights:
many Chinese citizens are prodemocracy but govt represses them
USA demands that China set its political prisoners free, China refuses
when Jiang pays a visit to US, says that China has made mistakes but does not
promise reform
2002: Hu Jintao is president of China (Jiang still in control politically of Chinas military)
o Hong Kong
Britain gives China Hong Kong back after a century and a half of imperialism
maintains some autonomy b/c China promises not interfere too much with
Hong Kongs economic and political systems (for 50 years at least)
 Chinas large decrease of poverty and economic reform often accredited to the fact that reform
was brought about gradually
2007: Worlds 4th largest economy b/c of cheap manufactured products
problems:
o big difference in wealth of urban and rural areas social tensions
o industrialization pollution
argued that best way to change Chinas politics is to end isolationism and adopt foreign policy of
engagement