1.
CCP membership: 1945 1 million, 1947 2 million, 1948 3 million, 1949
4 million, 1950 5 million.
2. In the first years of the PRC the CCP concentrated on raising political awareness and involvement in communist ideas, weeding out the incompetent or corrupt, recruiting urban educated cadres (CCP members). One way to locate these cadres was to galvanise the cities through mass campaigns and recruit dedicated socialists and leaders.
3.
The Yan’an Rectification Campaign of 1942 was the model for the mass
Campaigns. CCP cadres were forced into self-criticism. There were 4 such campaigns in the early 50s:
(i)
RESIST AMERICA AND AID KOREA: In 1950 China became involved in the Korean War against the USA. This campaign focussed on foreigners in China with police searches, confiscating radios, investigating associations, freezing foreign businesses. By late 1950 almost all foreigners had left China.
(ii)
SUPPRESSION OF COUNTERREVOLUTION 1951: GMD members were exposed; mass rallies against class enemies; 200 committees were set up in Shanghai accusing 40,000 people; 28,000 were executed in
Guangdong province; in Tianjin 492 were executed; people were disarmed weapons surrendered.
(iii)
3 ANTI CAMPAIGN 1951: against corruption, waste, and obstructionist bureaucracy targetted CCP officials, bureaucratic officials, factory and business managers. Mass meetings of workers were held and they were formed into labour organisations.
(iv)
5 ANTI CAMPAIGN 1952: an assault on China’s bourgeoisie, industrialists and businessmen. Against bribery, tax evasion, theft of state property, cheating on government contracts, stealing state
information. Carried on in all cities in China.
Result: weakened capitalism and strengthened worker’s organisations.
J. Spence, The Search for Modern China, pp 534-7