Revolutionary Chaos In China
Chapter 18 Section 3
Nationalists and Communists
By 1920, two political forces emerged to
challenge the Chinese government:
Sun Yat-sen’s Nationalist Party
Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
Party’s Work Together
1921, a group of radicals from the CCP
in Shanghai advised the party to work
with the Nationalist Party.
1923, the two groups formed an alliance
to oppose the warlords and drive the
imperialist powers out of China.
Sun Yat-sen
Shanghai Massacre
1925, Sun Yat-sen dies and Chiang Kaishek becomes head of the Nationalists.
April 1927, he killed thousands of
Communists in the Shanghai Massacre.
The alliance ceased to exist.
Chiang Kai-shek
“The Communists are a disease of the
heart.”
The Communists in Hiding
After the massacre, CCP leaders went
into hiding into the city to try to revive the
CCP among the working class.
The movement was then led by Mao
Zedong in Jiangxi.
Mao Zedong
Jiangxi, China
Guerilla Tactics
Kai-shek turned toward Jiangxi and
outnumbered Mao’s troops.
Mao made effective use of guerilla tactics
to fight the enemy advances.
Mao’s four slogans for war
Do Not Write
When the enemy advances, we retreat!
When the enemy halts and camps, we
trouble them!
When the enemy tries to avoid battle, we
attack!
When the enemy retreats, we pursue!
The Long March
1934, Chiang surrounded Jiangxi.
However, Mao’s army, the People’s
Liberation Army (PLA), broke through
and began the famous Long March.
90,000 traveled by foot for one year and
over 6,000 miles. Only 9,000 made it.
One survivor’s quote
Do Not Write
“As the days went by, there was less
and less to eat. After our grain was
finished, we ate the horses, and then
we lived on wild vegetables. When
even the wild vegetables were
finished, we ate our leather belts.
After that we had to march on empty
stomachs.”
The New China of Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang publicly declared his commitment
to the plans of a republican government.
Two part plan:
1)Period of political tutelage (training),
which would lead to 2)a constitutional
government.
The New China of Chiang Kai-shek
Years of neglect and civil war had
severely weakened the political,
economic, and social fabric of the nation.
Chiang then tried to introduce foreign
ideas into the population.
“New Life Movement”
The goal was to promote traditional
Confucian social ethics and rejected
excessive individualism and material
greed.
Mei-ling Soong (Chiang’s wife)
Chiang’s Successes
Undertook a massive road-building
project.
Repaired and extended the railway
system.
Established a national bank.
Improved the education system.
Chiang’s Failures
1930 land reform program.
There was no redistribution of wealth.
Government was repressive and censored
any free expression.
Alienated many intellectuals and political
moderates.
The End