The establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 began a new period in Chinese History....
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Transcript of The establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 began a new period in Chinese History....
Chinese Communist Revolution
The establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949
began a new period in Chinese History. Communism had risen to power during the 1930’s and 1940’s
by appealing to a large part of the population. Mao Zedong emerged as the leader of the Communists in the
1930’s. In 1934, Mao Zedong and 100,000 of his followers were
fighting against the Guomindang forces (Chinese non-communists), where he lead a retreat known as the Long March.
After traveling 6,000 miles, Mao set up a base in northern China, with about 20,000 survivors of the march.
In the years that followed, the Communists, the Guomindang, and Japanese invaders battled for control over China.
Mao’s communists forces were victorious
The People’s Republic of China
Mao won the support of the huge peasant
population of China by promising to give land to peasants.
Mao won the support of women by rejecting the inequalities of traditional Confucian society.
Mao’s army made good use of the hit-and-run guerilla warfare
Many people opposed the Chinese Nationalist government, which was in power before, because they claimed the government was corrupt.
Reasons for Communist Success
The Communists set up the People’s Republic
of China in 1949. They wanted to transform China from an
agricultural society into a modern industrial nation
Under Communism, literacy increased, old landlord and business classes were eliminated, and rural Chinese were provided with healthcare.
However, Mao set up a one-party dictatorship that denied people basic rights and freedoms.
Communism Under Mao Zedong
Traditionally, in China, women were seen as inferior to
men. The only role for women according to the Five Key
Relationships of Confucianism was that of a wife. As a wife, a women was seen as inferior to their husband. Under the previous Nationalist government, women
continued to have no rights. In Communist China, however, women gained some
rights; women gained equality under the law and were expected to get jobs and work alongside men on farms and in factories.
Women’s role in Communist society improved compared to how they were treated by previous governments.
Changing Role of Women
In 1958, Mao launched a program called the Great Leap
Forward. He called on people to increase agricultural and
industrial output. To make farms more productive, he created communes,
groups of people who live and work together and hold property in common.
Communes had production quotas, which were set amounts of agricultural or industrial output that they were to produce.
The Great Leap Forward ultimately failed, due to poorly made goods produced by the communes.
Bad weather negatively impacted agricultural output causing famine.
The Great Leap Forward
In 1966, Mao launched the Cultural Revolution to renew
people’s loyalty to communism. Mao feared that revolutionary peasants and workers
were being replaced by intellectuals in running the country.
Mao shut down schools and universities throughout China, urging students to experience the revolution for themselves.
Students formed groups of fighters called the Red Guards.
The Red Guards attacked professors, government officials, and factory managers.
Cultural Revolution
The Cold War was raging in 1949, and the
United States refused to recognize the People’s Republic of China.
In the Korean War, Communist China and the United States took opposing sides.
It was not until 1979, under President Richard Nixon, that the United States officially recognized the People’s Republic of China.
United States Recognition
In 1976, Mao Zedong died, and a new leader
emerged in Communist China. Deng Xiaoping became the new leader,
bringing more economic freedom to China. Like Mao, Deng wanted to make China more
modern He attempted to promote foreign trade and
more contact with western nations. Deng, however, brought little political change
to China.
A New Leader
Deng’s major plan to modernize China was called the Four Modernizations, these were concentrated in these four areas:
Farming- methods were modernized and mechanized
Industry- was upgraded and expanded Science and Technology- were promoted and
developed Defense- systems and military forces were
improved
The ultimate goal of the Four Modernizations plan was to make China more modern.
Four Modernizations
Deng eliminated the unpopular communes created
by Mao. Instead, Deng allowed land to be leased to private
individuals. After the private owners would deliver a certain
amount of food to the government, they were then allowed to grow anything they wanted for profit.
This system greatly increased agricultural output Deng also welcomed foreign technology and
capital as well.
Four Modernizations
Deng’s policies had both positive and negative results. Positives
Economy improved (more money) Citizens enjoyed better standard of living Foreign relations and trade improved
Negatives Crime and corruption increased Large gap between the rich and the poor
Based on the economic system put in place by Deng, the Chinese people wanted more political freedom, however the Chinese Government was unwilling to grant the people more power.
Results of the Four Modernizations
The government was willing to grant economic reforms
but not political ones. In 1989, demonstrators in Beijing occupied Tiananmen
Square, demanding more rights and freedoms. When the people refused to disperse as ordered, the
government sent in troops and tanks. Thousands of Chinese were killed or wounded. The incident showed how important it was for the
Communist government in China to maintain control. Order was more important than political freedom.
Tiananmen Square
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJBnHMpHGRY
