TheCommunistRevolutioninChina

NationalismandPropaganda

Warlordsinthe1920s

• 1916– 1928=China’scentralgovernmentfracturedandvariouswarlordsruleddifferentsectionsofChina

Chinain1924

TheNationalistParty

• 1928=TheNationalistPartygainedcontrolofChinaandreestablishedaunifiedcentralgovernment

• UndertheleadershipofChian Kai-shek=amilitaryofficer

• HeledtheNationalistPartyuntil1949

TheNationalistParty• Promotedmoderndevelopment– Railroads,banking,airlineservices,etc.

• Problem#1:Impactsoftheseachievementsonlyinthecitiesàruralareas(wheremostofthepopulationlived)werestillpoor.

• Problem#2:LefttheNationalistPartywithalimitedbaseofsupport– Urbanelites;rurallandlords;Westernpowersweretheonlysupporters.Didnothavethesupportofthepeasants.

TheNationalistParty• ConstantlyfacedoppositionfromthenewlydevelopedChineseCommunistParty(CCP)– Foundedin1921– Grewenormouslyoverthenext28years

– FoundacharismaticleaderinMaoZedong

MaoZedongasayoungrevolutionary

TheNationalistParty

• 1927=NationalistPartychasedtheCCPoutofChina’scities– CCPdevelopedanewstrategy=appealtoChina’speasantsforsupport

ChineseCommunistParty• Slowlygainedtherespectandsupportofthepeasantsby:– UsingguerrillawarfaretacticsagainsttheNationalistParty

– Experimentingwithlandreforminareasundercommunistcontrol

– Effortstoempowerwomen– CreationofacommunistmilitaryforcetoprotectagainstNationalistPartyattacks

ChineseCommunistParty• CCPgainedanenormousamountofsupportduringJapan’sbrutalinvasionofChina– NationalistPartylostcontrolovermostofChinaandwasforcedtoretreattotheinteriorofthecountry

– NationalistPartyseemedmoreconcernedwitheliminatingtheCCPthanfightingJapan.ThepeoplefelttheirgovernmentwasnotprotectingthemagainsttheJapaneseJapaneseInvasionofChina,1937

ChineseCommunistParty• CCP,withitscommunist-ledPeople’sLiberationArmy,foughttheJapanesevigorously

• OfferedsecuritytomanyChinesefacedwithJapaneseatrocities

• CCPmembershipgrewfrom40,000in1937to1.2millionin1945

ThePeople’sLiberationArmy(late-1940s)

ChineseCommunistParty• TheCCPgainedevenmoresupportbydoingthefollowinginareasitcontrolled:– Reducedrents,taxes,andinterestratesforpeasants

– Taughtliteracytoadults– Mobilizedwomenforthestruggle

– Encouragedpeasantstofightbackagainsttheirlandlords

ChineseCommunistParty

• In1949,4yearsafterWWII,theCCPswepttovictoryovertheNationalistParty– MostoftheNationalistParty’sleadersfledtoTaiwan

– NewleaderofcommunistChina=MaoZedong

BuildingSocialisminChinaandtheSovietUnion

BuildingSocialism• CommunistgovernmentinChinabecametotalitarian:– Otherpoliticalpartiesforbidden

– Governmentcontrolledalmosttheentireeconomy(Socialism)

– Governmentensuredthatthearts,educationandmediaconformedtoapprovedwaysofthinking

– Organizationsforwomen,workers,students,andprofessionalgroupsoperatedunderpartycontrol

CommunistFeminism

• TheCCPtookstepstoliberateandmobilizetheirwomen

• State-directedwomen’sinitiatives

CommunistFeminisminChina• TheMarriageLawof1950inChinaimplemented:– Freechoiceinmarriage– Relativelyeasydivorce– Theendofconcubinesandchildmarriages

– Permissionforwidowstoremarry– Equalpropertyrightsformenandwomen

• Chinesewomenalsobecamemoreinvolvedinindustrialproduction(factorywork)

CommunistFeminism• Problemsforwomen:– Stillexpectedtotakecareofthechildrenandthehouseworkà nowhadthedoubleburdenofthatPLUSpaidemployment

– Womenappearedonlyveryrarelyinthetoppoliticalleadership

– Communistfeminismdidnotcontinueandfadedwithinadecadeofitsbeginningineachcountry

SocialismintheCountryside• 1st stageofsocialisminthecountryside=involvedtakingoverlandlords’estatesandredistributingthatlandequallyamongthepeasants

• 2nd stageofsocialisminthecountryside=collectivizationofagriculture– Designedtocompletelyendprivateproperty

CollectivizationinChina• “GreatLeapForward”inthelate-1950s=anefforttomobilizeChina’spopulationforrapiddevelopment.– Created“people’scommunes”– Designedtomovetowardamorefullycommunistsocietywithmoresocialequalityandcollectiveliving

– Massivefaminecausedbyadministrativechaosandbadweatherkilled20-55millionChinesebetween1959and1962

Somecommuneshadupto2,000households

CommunismandIndustrialDevelopment• Chinarealizedthatitneededtoadvanceindustrially.Theydidthiswith:– Aseriesoffive-yearplans=broughtallagriculturalandindustrialproductionundergovernmentcontrol

– Stateownershipofproperty(Thegovernmentownedallprivateproperty)

– Priority=heavyindustry

Pros&ConsofIndustrialDevelopment

Pros• Increasedliteracyrates

• Moreeducationalopportunities

• Moresocialmobility

Cons• Rapidurbanization• Exploitationofthecountrysidetoprovideresourcesforindustriesinthecities

• GrowthofaneliteclasswithmoreprivilegesthanthecommonChinesecitizen.

ResponsestotheseSocialOutcomes:MaoZedong

• DidNOT accepttheseoutcomesà continuouslystrovetocombatthese“cons”ofindustrialization

• Triedtopreservethe“revolutionaryspirit”ofChina

• Mid-1960s=launchedtheGreatCulturalRevolution– Designedtocombatthecapitalistelementsthathad“infiltrated”China

TheCulturalRevolution(1966-1976)• Acampaignagainstthe“FourOlds”=oldthoughts,oldculture,oldhabits,andoldcustoms

• Message=revolutionandrebellionisgood

• Wantedtoput“intellectuals”intheirplace– Manyschoolswereshutdown.Intellectualswereseenasenemiesofcommunism

• Wantedtoestablishamoreequitablesociety– Broughthealthcare,education,andruralindustrializationtothecountryside

TheSearchforEnemies• MaoZedongwasconvincedthatmanywithintheCommunistPartyhadbeen“seduced”bycapitalistvalues– CalledforrebellionagainstCommunistPartyitself

– RedGuards=studentsandotheryoungpeoplethatfoughtforMao’scause

– RedGuardsattacked“enemies”whohadpoisonedtheCommunistParty(governmentofficials,teachers,intellectuals,theirparents,etc…)

HowdidMaomaintaincontrol?

• Maowasamasterofpropaganda.

• Whatispropaganda?– Informationormaterialspreadtoadvanceacause.

• Howdoespropagandawork?

ToolsofPropaganda:Mao’sRedBook

• PublishedbytheGovernmentofthePeople’sRepublicofChinafrom1964-1976

• RequirementforeveryChinesecitizentoown,read,andcarryitatalltimes.

• ContainedpagesandpagesofquotesfromMaoZe Donghimself.

Chinese“enemies”accusedofgoingagainstChairmanMaoandhismovement.

Dazibaos- Propagandapostershungaroundthenecksoronthehomesoftheaccusedpublicly

shamingandexposingthem.

DoNow

• GotomyWEBSITEanddownloadthedocumenttitled“CulturalRevolutionDocuments”