History of China
Imperial to Socialist to . . . . ?
The Power of Imperial China
14th century
Largest Empire in the World in 1300
Agriculture; rice, later corn, sweet potatoes & peanuts
Mining; salt, silver, tin, iron = $, jobs & products
Industry: silk, cotton, porcelain, black powder
Marco Polo
Chinese culture was
revered, respected by
the west.
Establishes Silk Road
giving Europeans access
to prized Chinese goods
Silk
Cotton
Porcelain
Black powder
Isolationism
China becomes
increasingly
isolationist and elitist.
China turned its back
on the world
Chinese culture
becomes stagnant &
conservative.
China fails to keep up
with the west.
Industrial Era
China fails to industrialize.
Industrial Britain reigns supreme in the
west
British build their empire all the way to
India.
British replace Spanish & Portuguese as
primary traders
Opium Wars
1800’s: Brits run out
of silver & replace it
w/trading Opium (from India)
Rates of Opium addiction
in China skyrocket; Opium
use becomes a Chinese
epidemic.
China bans Opium
Opium wars (1848) fought over British right to
sell Opium in China.
British win; lead to British “extraterritorial
rights”
China is a Paper Tiger
Chinese defeat in the
Opium Wars exposes
an outdated military
China is un-industrialized,
fails to keep up with the
west.
Others gain “spheres of
influence” in Chinese
ports:
–
–
–
–
US
Russia
Portugal
Germany
Boxer Rebellion
1899 Open Door Policy creates resentment for Westerners.
“Society for Harmonious Fists” (Boxers) established to combat
Western Influence
Stages anti foreign rebellions in Tianjin & Beijing; killed over 200
westerners.
Empress Cixi (SU-shi) voices support for rebellion but fails to act.
Combined western armies crush rebellion.
Government corruption leads to
failed reform attempts
Empress Cixi resists change
One summer while she is away her
nephew tries to make changes, he’s
thrown out upon her return.
1902: Empress Cixi promises to study
western countries, create a fully
constitutional gov. in 15 years (by 1917).
Revolution!
1912 Sun Yixian’s
Nationalist movement
overthrows Monarchy
Sun turns control over
to General Yuan Shikai
China enters WWI
1916, General Shikai
dies (civil war ensues)
1919 Versailles treaty
1925 Sun Yixian dies, succeeded by Chang Kai
Shek
Nationalists vs. Communists
communists (who are
aided by Lenin) are a
significant portion of the
Chinese nationalist
movement.
At first, Chiang Kai Shek
promises to give them a
voice in the movement.
Shek (supported by
Western capitalists) sees
communists as a threat;
tries to eliminate from
Membership in the
nationalist movement.
Civil war
Chiang Kai Shek’s nationalists vs. Mao
Zedong’s communists (1918-1949)
Nationalists are better organized and have
better financial backing (West), score
initial victories.
WWII puts fighting on hold.
– Japanese “Rape of Nanking”
Communists turn the tide
Mao takes his communists on
the “Long March” across China,
engaging Chiang’s nationalists
strategically in guerilla warfare
With further aid from Stalin,
Mao’s communists defeat
Chiang’s nationalists.
Chiang Kai Shek flees to Taiwan.
Emergence of Socialist rule: The
People’s Republic of China
Mao
Rules
Collectivizes Agriculture
http://web.uncg.edu/dcl/courses/video_archive/jwjones/world/china/ChinaLandReform.rm?clo
akport=8554,554,7070
~5 million landlords & “undesirables” were
killed in the collectivization process
~40% of Chinese land changed hands during
the early 1950’s.
http://web.uncg.edu/dcl/courses/china/u1/lesson1part3.asp
The People’s Republic?
Early economic successes & Soviet
assistance lead to increases in quality of
life (qol)
Production is back at pre-war levels.
Mao decides to open the government to
public feedback.
– 100 flowers campaign backfires.
– Mao is scarred
Economic Changes Continue
Private businesses & entrepreneurial
activities were gradually eliminated.
GREAT LEAP FORWARD (farming)
– Mao orders all peasants organized in to
communes
– All food was for “the state”
– Peasants were required to form cottage industries
smelting iron.
– GLF is a miserable failure; results in 40+ million of
deaths and useless/wasted iron.
http://web.uncg.edu/dcl/courses/video_archive/jwjones/world/china
/ChinaWorkers.rm?cloakport=8554,554,7070
Foreign Relations
Stalin Snubs Mao
Soviets continue to give Chinese military &
financial aid
Chinese criticize Soviet “softness” with the
west in 1960’s, sever ties
Cultural revolution
Mao wanted to unify China in a communist
culture
Elimination of anti-communists “rightists” in
Chinese culture
Focused on youth: Red guards
Witch hunts targeted
– Intellectuals
– Journalists
– Teachers
– Artists
– priests.
President Nixon Visits
China (’72)
Nixon called it: “The week that
changed the world”
1st American TV images of China
in decades
Nixon quoted from Mao "Seize
the hour! Seize the day! . . . . for
our two peoples to rise to the
heights of greatness which can
build a new and better world”
Sent a clear and dramatic
message to everyone watching
that a new relationship was
being forged.
Mao’s
Demise
Suffered a serious stroke in 1972
Paranoia led to massive purges of party leadership,
including future party chairman Deng Xiaoping
Died in 1976
Deng Xiaoping (’76-’81)
Likeable:
– moderate; fought against
radicals in communist party
– Intelligent
– Practical
– Likeable
Tried to help rehabilitate
victims of the Cultural
Revolution
Deng spearheads reforms
Deng sought (with the support of party
leadership) to put the 4 Modernizations at
the top of China's agenda:
– Agriculture
– Industry
– science and technology
– defense
Deng spearheads reforms
Ended class labels & discrimination based
on class
Promotion within the party based more on
rank than loyalty (switch from Mao’s era)
Created a new state constitution that
emphasized the rule of law under which
even party leaders are theoretically held
accountable
Reforms continue in the 80’s
Open Door Policy
– Allowed foreign investment in China & foreign
exchange
– U.S. grants China “More favored nation” trade status
Rural Reform
– Decollectivization
– Allowing rural & urban markets
– Creation of new farming businesses (privatizing?)
Industrial reforms
– Relaxing of central government controls
– Allow businesses to retain profits
– Banking reforms
Tiananmen Square
April 22 - 100,000 students gather in the square
to petition the government for change:
democracy
Tiananmen square
June 3 – After weeks
of failed negotiations
with students,
Chinese army uses
tanks & armored
vehicles to re-take
Tiananmen square by
force, killing over
1,000 students.
Backlash
International community (& U.S.)
expressed concern over Chinese actions
China fails to acknowledge any mishandling of the protests
Modern China
1992: China announces a move to a “Socialist
Market economy” (?) abandoning traditional
communist goals.
Opened State controlled businesses (SOE’s) to
open to the stock exchange (the state would
always retain the majority)
Admitted to the World Trade Organization
(WTO) and agreed to “open telecommunications
& banking sectors to foreign competition &
investment” (http://www.coba.unr.edu/faculty/parker/econ305/econ305f04lec5a.pdf)
China has the largest trade surplus with the US
of any country in the world, but also has millions
unemployed.
Modern China