Communism Spreads in East Asia

Chapter 15Section 3

Communists vs. Nationalists in China

After WWII, Mao Zedong led communist forces to victory over Jiang Jieshi’s Nationalists, who fled to Taiwan

Mao began to reshape China’s economy First, he gave land to peasants, but then called for

collectivization (similar to Russia under Stalin) Under this system, Mao moved people from their

small villages and individual farms into communes of thousands of people on thousands of acres

Mao Zedong (left) vs. Jiang Jieshi (right)

Great Leap Forward Known as the Great Leap Forward, the

program was intended to increase farm and industrial production

Instead, it produced low quality, useless goods and less food

Bad weather also affected crops, and many people starved

Cultural Revolution in China To remove “bourgeois” (middle class)

tendencies from China, Mao began the Cultural Revolution

Skilled workers and managers were removed from factories and forced to work on farms or in labor camps

This resulted in a slowed economy and a threat of civil war

China’s Cultural Revolution

A poster during the Cultural Revolution. Caption reads : The Chinese People's Liberation Army is the Great School of Mao Zedong Thought

Taiwan vs. ChinaU.S. Relations with China

At first, the United States supported the Nationalist government in Taiwan

The West was concerned that the Soviet Union and China would become allies, but border clashes led the USSR to withdraw aid and advisors from China

U.S. leaders thought that by improving relations with the Chinese, they would further isolate the Soviets

In 1979, the USA established diplomatic relations with China

Taiwan

Taiwan vs. China

Nationalists Communist

The Korean Peninsula Korea was an independent nation until Japan

invaded it in WWII After WWII, American and Soviet forces agreed

to divide the Korean Peninsula at the 38th parallel

Kim Il Sung, a communist ruled North Korea Syngman Rhee, allied with the USA,

controlled South Korea

38th Parallel Separating North Korea and South Korea

Korean War In 1950, North Korean troops crossed the 38th

parallel and attacked South Korea The United Nation forces stopped them along a

line known as the Pusan Perimeter, then began advancing north

Mao Zedong of China sent troops to help the North Koreans

U.N. forces were pushed back south of the 38th parallel

Armistice in Korea In 1953, both sides signed an armistice to end

the fighting, but troops today remain on both sides of the demilitarized zone (DMZ)

There is no peace treaty between North and South Korea—a state of war technically still exists

Over time, South Korea enjoyed an economic boom and a rise in living standards, while communist North Korea’s economy declined

Many North Koreans have starved to death Kim Il Sung’s emphasis on self-reliance kept

North Korea isolated and poor

38th Parallel and Demilitarized Zone

Powerpoint Questions (13 points)

1. Who established Taiwan? 2. Explain Chinese collectivization. 3. What was the Great Leap Forward? 4. Why was the Great Leap Forward a failure? 5. What was the Cultural Revolution? 6. Whom did the USA support in the beginning

– China or Taiwan? 7. When did the USA formally recognize

mainland China?

Powerpoint Questions (13 points)

8. Where was Korea divided after WWII? 9. Who was the leader of South Korea? 10. Who was the leader of North Korea? 11. In what year did North Korea invade South

Korea? 12. What country assisted North Korea? 13. What is the “DMZ”? Where is it located?

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