Deng Xiaoping was born onAugust 22, 1904 and he wouldgreatly change China.

As a young man, Deng left Chinaand studied in France. He workedin a factory under terrible conditions and discovered Marxism.

Upon returning to China, Deng joined the

Chinese Communist Party.

Deng Xiaoping survived theLong March.

Many communists died on theLong March as they escaped

nationalist soldiers.

When the Japanese invadedChina, the Chinese communistsand nationalists stopped fightingeach other and fought theJapanese.

After World War II, the Chinesecivil war resumed and the

communists won after gainingthe support of the peasants.

But just because Deng hadsacrificed for the CommunistParty did not mean that hispolitical future was assured.

During Mao Zedong’s GreatProletarian Cultural Revolution,Deng was punished. Maoaccused Deng of being ananti-revolutionary.

But in 1973, Deng was calledback to politics

to help end the chaos of the

Cultural Revolution.

By 1978, Deng Xiaoping wasthe leader of Communist China.

Deng Xiaoping began a seriesof reforms to change Chinaand end the chaos that wascreated during the CulturalRevolution.

Deng began by allowing farmersthe right to keep and sellsurplus crops.

Deng encouraged elementsof a free market economyto increase productivity by

increasing personal incentives.

But for all of Deng’s economicreforms, he would not toleratemovements for democracy.

When students gathered inTiananmen Square in 1989,protesting for democraticreforms, Deng Xiaoping ordered them to leave thesquare.

When the pro-democracystudents refused to leave,Deng ordered the militaryto clear the square.

Many student protesters werekilled.

Yes, Deng’s legacy is a

mixedlegacy. He improved China’s

economy but crushed

pro-democracy

movements.