China under Mao Zedong, 1949-1976 Authoritarian States Mao Zedong ● ● ● ● ● Led the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to power in 1949 Until 1976, he was leader of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) During his rule, he used authoritarian means to shape the new nation along his particular brand of Chinese Communism He adopted policies that revolutionized the political, economic, and social structure of China ○ Policies were accompanied by purges, climaxing with the Cultural Revolution of 1966-76 Chinese Communism turned into Maoism China under Mao Zedong, 1949-76 Throughout this unit, we will look at the following: ○ The Emergence of Mao’s authoritarian state ○ The consolidation and maintenance of his state ○ Aims and results of Mao’s policies Conditions in China before 1911 ● China was always a conservative nation, especially before 19th century ○ Emperor was supreme leader at the top of a strict hierarchy, “mandate of heaven” ○ Confucian values at the heart of Chinese Society ○ China feudal country ■ Majority of population peasant class ■ Power and wealth in the hands of the landlords, the ruling class Conditions in China before 1911 ● ● During the 19th century ○ Presence of foreign imperialists in China provoked the people’s resentment against the ruling Qing (Manchu) Dynasty Large scale rebellions erupted ○ Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864) ■ One of the bloodiest wars in human history led by Hong Xiuguan, (“younger brother of Jesus”)- led army of Hakka’s with vision of his own version of Christianity ■ Resulted in Qing victory, supported by French and British- opened up ports, beginning of Shanghai as a leading centre of commerce ○ Boxer Rebellion (1898-1900) ■ “Boxers” defeated by international relief force ■ Led to $330 million fine The Global Context ○ ○ ○ ○ For more than two thousand years, China largely isolated from the outside world Foreign nations started to flex their influence on the land in the 1840s ■ This would expose weakness in China’s traditional political system Opium Wars (1839-1842) ■ China was forced to open up the west Sino Japanese War (1894-1895) ■ Japan seizes Taiwan and Korea from China ■ Foreshadow Japanese influence over China later on The Global Context: Unequal Treaties ○ Allowed foreign merchants control of China’s import and export trade ■ France had seized Indochina by the 1890s ■ Russia claimed Manchuria in 1900 ■ 1898, USA announced “open door policy”allowing free trade with China ■ German acquisition of railroad building and mining rights in Shandong ■ By 1900, 50 Chinese “treaty ports” were in foreign possession Overview of Chinese History: 1911- 1949 Conditions in China: 1911-1927 ● Sun Yat Sen Sun Yat Sen ○ Founder of the Guomindang (GMD), also known as the Nationalists- revolutionary party formed in 1905 ○ Radical programme suggesting China needed to develop along the same lines as Japan ■ “A revolution against the world to join the world” ○ Three principles: nationalism, democracy, and improving livelihoods of people through socialism ○ Aimed to remove the Qing imperial system ○ Paved the way for the Revolution of 1911, the fall of the Qing Dynasty Conditions in China: 1911-1927 ● 1911 Revolution ○ ○ ○ Yuan Shikai Peasants, townspeople, and students began a revolutionary uprising in central China Revolutionary Alliance in Nanjing appointed Sun Yatsen as President but they were not strong enough to take full control over imperial government Yuan Shikai brokered a deal with rebels and became President ■ In 1913, he called parliamentary elections and the GMD won, so he banned them ■ In 1914, he shut down parliament to take on full rule ■ In 1915, he submitted to Japan’s “Twenty-one demands” ■ Died in 1916, leaving China weak and divided Conditions in China: 1911-1927 ● The Warlord Period, 1916-1927 ○ No effective government in control after death of Yuan Shikai until 1927 ○ Power was in the hands of regional generals, or “Warlords” ○ Led to anarchy across China, peasants the victims Conditions in China: 1911-1927 Mao wrote, During my student days in Hunan, the city was overrun by the forces of rival warlords - not once but half a dozen times. Twice the school was occupied by troops and all the school funds confiscated. The brutal punishments inflicted on the peasants include such things as gouging out eyes, ripping out tongues, disembowelling and decapitation, slashing with knives and grinding with sand, burning with kerosene and branding with red hot irons Conditions in China: 1911-1927 ● The May Fourth Movement ○ End of WW1 left China humiliated ○ China provided Allies with 95,000 labourers to help with war effort in 1916 (mostly peasants) ○ Expectation was that Shandong would be returned but Treaty of Versailles gave Japan the German concessions ○ Led to student protests on May 4, 1919 in Beijing followed by nationwide demonstrations ○ Paved the way for the emergence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) encouraged by the Russian Comintern ○ Founding delegate was Mao Zedong: assistant librarian at Beijing University- involved in demonstrations Conditions in China: 1911-1927 The May Fourth Movement Conditions in China: 1911-1927 ● The First United Front ○ Merger of the GMD and CCP had potential; neither was strong enough on its own- first formed in 1924 ○ Encouraged by Comintern to form an alliance united in their determination to defeat the warlords ○ Revolution > Foreign influence and warlords crushed ○ Both parties strengthened by 1927: ■ CCP- went from 57 members in 1921 to 57,000 in 1927 ■ GMD strengthened by Whampoa Military Academy ○ Chiang Kai Shek became leader Conditions in China: 1927-1945 ● Northern Expedition: 100, 000 men left Guangzhou in 1926 with Fujian, Jiangxi, and Nanjing in mind ○ ● military campaign launched by the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the Kuomintang (KMT), also known as the "Chinese Nationalist Party", against the Beiyang government and other regional warlords in 1926. The purpose of the campaign was to reunify China, which had become fragmented in the aftermath of the Revolution of 1911 Conditions in China: 1927-1945 ● The White Terror, 1927: United Front collapsed, Chiang Kai Shek attempts to reassert his authority over the GMD by purging Communist bloc of the party ○ Thousands killed, Chiang established Nationalist government in Nanjing ○ Nanjing Decade 1928-1937- China torn apart by Civil War ● The Jiangxi Soviet, 1927-34: CCP established Red Army base at Jiangxi Soviet territory, begin to develop strong guerrilla force to resist GMD ● Mao determined to start peasant revolution ● The Futian Incident, 1930: 4,000 Red Army troops tortured and executed Conditions in China: 1927-1945 ● The Long March, 1934-35 ○ GMD, official government of China, weakened by Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 ○ Chiang determined to crush Communists ○ Attacked The Jiangxi Soviet ■ Forced CCP to withdraw guerrilla methods ■ 100,000 troops fled and headed for Yanan in the northwest ■ This was the Long March, journey of 11,000 KM ■ The March took more than a year, took on legendary tale but only 20,000 troops made it ○ Conditions in China: 1927-1945 Examine the poster which shows the Red Army crossing the Dadu River during the Long March. Discuss how this event has been depicted and the ways in which this may contrast to the realities of the Long March. A propaganda poster showing the Red Army crossing the Luding Bridge over the Dadu River in 1935 Conditions in China: 1927-1945 Yan’an, 1945 ● ● ● ● Surviving members of the Long March settled in Yan’an Mao begins to impose his personal authority over CCP He overcame three challenges: ○ Potential leadership bids ○ The need to rebuild CCP support base ○ Ideological struggle Methods used here became the framework for him to consolidate his leadership over party and become leader of China The Six Principles of the Red Army were: 1. Put back all doors when leaving a house 2. Rice-stalk mattresses must all be bundled and returned 3. Be polite. Help people when you can. 4. Give back everything you borrow, even if it is only a needle. 5. Pay for all things broken, even if only a chopstick 6. Don’t help yourself or search for things when people are not in their house CCP membership rose from 40,000 in 1937 to 1.2 million in 1945. Conditions in China: Japanese Occupation, 1931-1945 “The Japanese are a disease to the skin, but the communists are a disease of the heart” - Chiang Kai Shek, 1941 ● ● ● After invading Manchuria in 1931, Japanese consolidated control of the province Chiang Kai Shek to slow to respond to Japan, focussed on extermination of communists CCP credited with forging the Second United Front in 1937 to fight Japan Conditions in China: Japanese Occupation, 1931-1945 ● ● In 1937, Japan launched full scale invasion of China and setup a government in Nanjing ○ Entire eastern seaboard of China fell under Japan ○ Crucial part in weakening the GMD and strengthening the CCP ○ Chiang’s leadership in turmoil, economy in decline, inflation spiralled out of control and turned into Hyperinflation, peasants left victimized ○ All this gave Mao credibility, USA tried to unite CCP and GMD but didn’t work Second Sino-Japanese War ended with dropping of Atomic Bomb, led to The Chinese Civil War Conditions in China: The Chinese Civil War, 1945-1949 ● ● At the start, GMD > CCP ○ Armies outnumbered 4 to 1 ○ Had an air force ○ Better equipped for battle ○ Recognized by other states as the legitimate government ○ Controlled most of the railway network and major cities ○ By 1947, had taken Yanan from the Communists Direction of war changed by 1948 ○ CCP used guerrilla training ○ Received weapons from Russian occupied forces ○ Almost equal to GMD ○ GMD represented corruption, inflation, and repression, CCP had a broad appeal Conditions in China: The Chinese Civil War, 1945-1949 ● ● Chiang Kai Shek mistakes ○ Sent his best troops to Manchuria ○ Weak communication amongst generals, supply lines ○ GMD lost Manchuria by 1948 Move towards Victory ○ Mao’s Cult of Leadership rising ○ GMD defectors lent CCP weapons, Red Army turned into strong force ○ By January 1949, CCP controlled Beijing, Chiang moved his government base to Taiwan and ruled until his death in 1975 ○ Mao and the Communists proclaimed victory Condition in which Mao’s Authoritarian Emerged: Economic Problems Long-term Economic Problems ● China failed to modernize during the 19th century, roughly 80% of population living in poverty at the start of the 20th century ● Weakened by Opium Wars and First Sino-Japanese War ● Unequal treaties Condition in which Mao’s Authoritarian Emerged: Economic Problems Economic Conditions- Early 20th Century ● Economic condition did not improve after 1911 Revolution ● Warlord Era saw the country divided ● Modest economic improvements during Nanjing Decade, Chiang Kai-shek, GMD leader ○ Introduced some economic reforms including the building of roads and railways ● Chinese economy devastated by Chinese Civil War between 1946-49 ● Hyperinflation became a major problem during Civil War and Second Sino-Japanese war Condition in which Mao’s Authoritarian Emerged: Social Divisions ● ● ● ● ● High levels of social inequality Large numbers of workers living in poverty with a basic standard of living Warlord Era highlights these struggles- even after 1927 Wealth focussed in Urban areas, for example Shanghai People were unhappy with Chiang, saw the CCP as an alternative Condition in which Mao’s Authoritarian Emerged: Weakness of Political System The Xinhai Revolution failed to establish a strong government system after 1912 Yuan Shikai Warlord Era Chiang’s GMD All the systems failed to provide stability, modernisation, or unite the nation as a whole. Condition in which Mao’s Authoritarian Emerged: Impact of War ● Losing the first Sino-Japanese War in 1895 ○ Tension continued between the two countries ○ 21 Demands made by Japan during WW1 ○ Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 ● Losing the Second Sino-Japanese War, 1937-45 ○ Devastated China through loss of life and economic damage, GMD lost control ○ People outraged by acts, including Nanjing Massacre in 1937 ○ Around 20 million lives lost between 1937-1945 in the war against Japan ● Chinese Civil War broke out in 1946, created the conditions for CCP to take control of whole of China Methods used to Establish Authoritarian State: Ideology ● ● ● ● ● Comintern had an influence on early developments of the CCP in the 1920s Mao’s ideas and teachings challenged Soviet communism ○ Spoke regularly of the revolution of the peasants rather than industrial workers (Soviet ideology) Mao: “The peasants are the sea; we are the fish. We live in the sea.” CCP ideological appeal included: ○ Land reform ○ Gender equality ○ Committed to nationalism (while Japan at war with China) CCP able to develop ideologies while based in Yanan between 1935-1949 Methods used to Establish Authoritarian State: Role of Leaders ● ● ● Mao played important role in the CCP from the outset ○ Studied Marxism in university in Beijing ○ He was also a military leader ■ Led Autumn Harvest Uprising in September 1927 ■ Mao made use of guerilla warfare tactics ■ Used the Long March to increase his position and power within CCP Other important figures in the party include: ○ Zhou Enlai ○ Liu Shaoqi Some of the CCP leadership disagreed with Mao’s ideology- took a more pro-Soviet view Methods used to Establish Authoritarian State: Persuasion and coercion ● ● ● ● ● ● CCP gained popularity through policies throughout its control of Jiangxi Soviet and time in Yanan This was a very different approach from GMD CCP appealed to rural peasantry with policies such as: ○ Land reform ○ Literacy campaigns ○ Medical programmes Creation of local peasant associations looking to end usury (system which placed high levels of interest on loans) Rules established for good conduct by the Red Army in Yanan Coercion used if people did not cooperate with CCP practices and veto the local peasant associations if anyone disagreed with policies Methods used to Establish Authoritarian State: The Use of Force ● ● ● Futian Incident in 1930 ○ Hundreds of Red Army members executed, shut down opposition Mao’s ideology indicated an acceptance and willingness for the use of force where necessary Land redistribution by force ■ Landlords had their land confiscated from them through violence and loss of life Methods used to Establish Authoritarian State: Propaganda ● ● ● ● The Long March, gave Mao and other leaders cult status Mao’s cult of personality grew as his writings and image were promoted The Rules of Conduct became a propaganda piece Leaders wrote literature to promote the movement ○ Liu Shaoqi wrote How to be a good Communist in 1939 Methods used to Establish Authoritarian State: The Chinese Civil War GMD weaknesses ● Poor training and military strength ● Chiang failed to deal with guerrilla warfare from CCP ● Low morale and among troops, especially after years of fighting the Japanese ● Growing unpopularity of Chiang as leader of the country ● Poor economy during the war with high levels of inflation; merchant and business owners badly affected ● Repressive policies by GMD made them unpopular CCP Strengths ● Mao’s careful strategy to defend territory early on before taking on attack ● Success of different campaigns ○ Manchuria, capture of Beijing during Pingjin Campaign ● Military strategy and tactics of Mao ● Use of Guerilla warfare tactics ● Red Army’s resourcefulness and conduct ● Growing popularity of CCP ● Mobilized large numbers of peasants to help with campaign during war Mao’s Consolidation and Maintenance of Power, 1949-1976: Legal Methods The Creation of the People’s Republic ● ● ● ● On October 1, 1949: Mao formally declared the People’s Republic of China (PRC) China was now a one-party state under military control Mao considered this the best option to stabilize the state The CCP introduced a variety of legal reforms, including the 1954 constitution Mao’s Consolidation and Maintenance of Power, 1949-1976: Legal Methods ● ● ● ● The country was divided into six regions, each governed by: ○ a chairman, ○ party secretary ○ military commander ○ political commissar Government made claim that all members were elected however only one party could stand for election (Democratic Centralism) Government carried out by Politburo, under authority of Mao Constitution of 1954- framework for legal system The Creation of the People’s Republic of China Mao’s Consolidation and Maintenance of Power, 1949-1976: Legal Methods The Declaration of the People’s Republic of China “I was so full of joy that my heart nearly burst out of my throat, and tears welled up in my eyes. I was so proud of China, so full of hope, so happy that the exploitation and suffering, the aggression from foreigners, would be gone forever. I had no doubt that Mao was the great leader of the revolution, the maker of a new Chinese history” An onlooker in the crowds when Mao declared the PRC Question: What is the message conveyed by the source? Mao’s Consolidation and Maintenance of Power, 1949-1976: Legal Methods Reunification Campaigns ● ● PLA armies dispatched to the west and south with intention to help improve local conditions but their main purpose was to repress any kind of independent movement. Armies sent to: ○ Tibet (significantly different culture, race- Buddhists) ○ Xinjiang (large Muslim population bordering Soviet controlled Mongolia) ○ Guangdong (traditional base of the GMD) 60,000 Tibetans fought to defend their autonomy but they did not have the weapons or autonomy to match the PLA; marked the beginning of a regime of terror and suppression in Tibet Mao’s Consolidation and Maintenance of Power, 1949-1976: Use of Force ● ● Government created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty with the “three-anti movements” and then extended it to the “five-anti movements”, against those thought of as politically suspect Targets of the “three-anti campaign”, 1951 ○ ● Targets of the “five-anti campaign”, 1952 ○ ● Waste, corruption, inefficiency Industrial sabotage, tax evasion, bribery, fraud, theft of government property Reactionaries and counter-revolutionaries were declared enemies of the state Mao’s Consolidation and Maintenance of Power, 1949-1976: Use of Force Anti-landlord campaign ● ● ● Property of landlords confiscated and redistributed amongst former tenants Great majority of landlords put on public trial and denounced as enemies of the people Evidence suggests that 1 million landlords were killed during the PRC’s land campaign in early 1950s Mao’s Consolidation and Maintenance of Power, 1949-1976: Use of Force ● ● ● The new regime’s most dangerous enemies were imprisoned or quietly executed Mao issued quotas for how many per thousand should be killed and many cadres were eager to meet or match targets Turned on gangs and triads ○ Spies, underground agents, criminal bosses targeted Mass Killings Mao’s Consolidation and Maintenance of Power, 1949-1976: Use of Force Speak Bitterness meetings: encouraged public grievances to be heard against landlords A landlord on trial in 1953 Mao’s Consolidation and Maintenance of Power, 1949-1976: Use of Force ● Other targets during early consolidation stages include: ○ ○ ● Religious groups, places of worship closed and Buddhism and Christianity denounced “Gangsters” and members of organized crime Laogai: a network of prison camps set up across China to re-educate people ○ ○ Became slave labour camps during the Great Leap Forward Located in brutal conditions, millions detained here during Mao’s rule Mao’s Consolidation and Maintenance of Power, 1949-1976: Denunciation ● A method of identifying the enemy ○ ○ ○ ○ Every individual given Class Label based on their loyalty to the party ■ “Good”, “middle”, “bad” ■ Used to ensure conformity Local party officials turned China into a land of informers Friends denounced one another to show their allegiance to the party Vulnerable classes were deemed to be threats to the revolution and a drain on resources ■ Paupers, beggars, pickpockets, refugees, prostitutes, and the unemployed seeking refuge in the cities Mao’s Consolidation and Maintenance of Power, 1949-1976: The Hundred Flowers and Anti-Rightist Campaigns ● ● ● ● In 1957 Mao encouraged open criticism of his party stating “Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend” Led to denunciations of party officials including Mao Mao saw these critics as “rightists” and “capitalist roaders” ordering a crackdown on those who were critical known as the “Anti-Rightist Campaign”- more than half a million people Mao had strengthened his position in the party and the country Mao’s Consolidation and Maintenance of Power, 1949-1976: Censorship and Propaganda ● ● ● ● By February 1949, most newspapers were out of business Once journalists went through “re-education” the CCP could then rely on self-censorship Communist rallies, songs, and slogans widely advertised- part of a national transformation Thought Reform ○ ● People in government offices, factories, workshops, schools and universities people were reeducated transforming into “new people” and learning the new party doctrine Arts censored, posters used socialist realism techniques Mao’s Consolidation and Maintenance of Power, 1949-1976: Cult of Personality ● ● ● ● ● Mao figurehead of the party Lin Biao (Mao’s successor) was huge in creating the foundations of his Cult Mao’s image promoted through speeches, writings, and teachings Promoted as strong leader, swim in the Yangtze River used to show powerful leadership Little Red Book distributed throughout the country Mao’s Consolidation and Maintenance of Power, 1949-1976: Propaganda ● ● ● Go to website ChinesePosters.net Go to the section: “Themes” In your table groups, you will be assigned a theme; on your jamboard, show how Mao used propaganda to: ○ ○ Push forward a specific policy, campaign, or cause Establish his authoritarian state or consolidate and maintain power ○ Identify and explore the different messages, techniques and symbols used in the different posters. Give context to people and images used. Who is the target audience? The author/creator? When was the poster published? ○ Mao’s Consolidation and Maintenance of Power, 1949-1976: Propaganda Topics ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Early Campaigns (1949-1954) New Marriage Law (1950) First Five Year Plan (1953-1957) Early Industrialization (1950-1955) Land Reform and Collectivization (1950-1953) Suppression of Counterrevolutionaries (1950-1952) Eliminate the Four Pests (1958) Great Leap Forward (1958-1961) Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) Up to the Mountains and Down to the villages (1968) Criticize Lin Bao and Confucius (1974) Cult of Personality (Overall) Aims and Results of Policies: Foreign Policy ● ● ● Foreign policy under Mao involved a difficult and changing relationship with both the Soviet Union and the United States The PRC was also involved in a number of conflicts and international disputes under Mao Mao felt that they must strengthen, not weaken on the international stage Aims and Results of Policies: Foreign Policy, China and the Soviet Union Mao vs Stalin: Differences Ideological Differences ● Mao felt that revolutionaries on the outside could not dictate to the Chinese how they should conduct themselves ● The meaning of Marxism and how it should be applied ● Stalin: Urban based revolution ● Mao: Rural peasantry based revolution Clash of Personalities ● Biographers suggested the two disliked one another as people ● Very similar, potential personality conflict Aims and Results of Policies: Foreign Policy, China and the Soviet Union The Sino-Soviet Treaty, 1950 ● $300 million Soviet advance, a loan not a gift ● Upkeep of 10,000 Soviet economic and military advisors who went to China needed to be paid Mao developed resentment over deal as he felt the Soviet’s looked to exploit the PRC after the deal had been made, put agreement under great stress ● Korean War- Stalin persuaded Mao to enter by playing on an anti-communist US takeover of Asia Aims and Results of Policies: Foreign Policy, China and the Soviet Union PRC’s Dependence on the Soviet Union ○ Until 1960, China’s only resource was the Soviet Union China and de-Stalinization ○ Khrushchev's Secret Speech received badly by Mao ○ Fear of Khrushchev's policies and the impact on Mao; specifically his cult of personality Mao’s concerns over Soviet revisionism ○ Soviet’s softening relationship with the west, peaceful coexistence Aims and Results of Policies: Foreign Policy, China and the Soviet Union Mao’s deepening distrust of Soviet Union ○ Didn’t like Krushchev’s policies with the west; wanted Soviet’s to return to Soviet-Leninist path Deteriorating Sino-Soviet Relations, 1952-62 ○ Mutual distrust built; did not like Russia’s negative response to “The Great Leap Forward” ○ Both leaders began insulting one another, The Sino-Indian War, 1962 ○ Soviet Union neutral but provided India with fighter planes and diplomatic support- infuriated China Aims and Results of Policies: Foreign Policy, China and the Soviet Union Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 and The Nuclear Issue ● Softening of Soviet Policy with the west upset Mao ● Test Ban Treaty, 1963 ○ Agreement between USSR and west to stop atmospheric testing of atomic weapons ○ Mao dismissed the treaty as another betrayal of the Soviets to the revolutionary role ● Deteriorating Sino-Soviet relations led the Soviet Union to withdraw its scientists from China in 1959 ● By 1964, the PRC detonated its first atomic device; three years later became a superpower when it produced its first hydrogen bomb code naming it “59/6” mocking Soviets- struck fear in international community Aims and Results of Policies: Foreign Policy, China and the USA ● After 1949, relations between the PRC and the United States were tense and bitter. Reasons such as: ○ ○ American anger at the fall of China to Mao’s Communists in 1949 USA protection of Taiwan, recognizing it as legitimate Chinese nation refusing to grant diplomatic recognition to PRC Aims and Results of Policies: Foreign Policy, China and the USA ● ● ● ● From 1950, PRC attacked American imperialism The PRC’s development of nuclear weapons in the 1960s The moral and diplomatic support the PRC gave to Vietnam in its war (1963-75) Ideological divide between the capitalist and Marxist systems Aims and Results of Policies: Foreign Policy, China and the USA The Parting of the Bamboo Curtain, 1972 ● ● ● ● ● USA-PRC relations improved USA formal recognition of the PRC’s right to replace Taiwan in the UN Meeting between Mao and Nixon helped “lift part of the Bamboo Curtain Future diplomatic contact and trade relations put in place Also part of strategy to undermine the USSR Aims and Results of Policies: Foreign Policy, Mao’s Achievements ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Established China as an independent sovereign state Turned the PRC into a great world power Achieved superpower status through the development of their own nuclear weapons Attained international recognition in the UN as the legitimate government of China Faced down the Soviet Union in a series of confrontations Established a claim to be the leading voice of international communism Resisted Japanese invasion Destroyed vestiges of European imperialism in China Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: Economic The First Five Year Plan - Influenced by the Soviet Union Introduced in 1953 - - Focus on the development of heavy industry Soviet Advisors worked in China to help carry out the plan Steel and coal production increased Agriculture did not improve as much as industrial developments Major roads and rail bridges built Soviet Union charged interest to China during first Five Year Plan Overall successful- aided the CCP’s consolidation of control with higher levels of state ownership Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: Economic The Second Five Year Plan - Launched in 1958 Aim: try and catch up with the Western industrialized nations in a short space of time and reduce reliance on Soviet Union The Great Leap Forward included a variety of targets: - Significant increases in steel and food production Backyard Steel Furnaces: Produced poor quality metal, setup all over China Large communes setup in a process called collectivization inspired by USSR - Communes took the ownership of the land, surplus produce became state owned Revolutionary agricultural methods such as “deep ploughing” and “close cropping” The “Four Noes (Pests) Campaign”- eliminate rats, flies, mosquitos, and farrows Propaganda used to promote Great Leap Forward Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: Economic The Second Five Year Plan - Results - - Decrease in food production due to new agricultural practices Propaganda hid the reality of starvation Meat production decreased from 4.3 million tons in 1958 to 1.3 million tons in 1960 Severe famine occurred between 1959 and 1961, killing approximately 40 million people Diminished Power - Criticism open after disastrous Great Leap Forward Major criticism came from Peng Dehuai- defense minister describing the suffering of the people Mao took a step back after the Great Leap Forward Two moderate CCP party members: Deng Xiaoping and Liu Shaoqi took over First Five Year Plan Second Five Year Plan The Great Leap Forward: Source Analysis What evidence does the source provide about the problems during the Great Leap Forward? Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: Cultural Policies Aims ● Mao wanted to reshape Chinese culture through his ideological belief in revolution ● Individualism was discouraged and the interests of the collective and the state was promoted ● Proletarian Art and Social Realism was used to promote these aims ● Mao’s method to re-establish control over China after the “Great Leap Forward” failed Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) ● ● The Cultural Revolution was a reaction to the play “The Dismissal of Hai Rui from Office” The PLA instructed to lead China in rooting out the “anti-socialist weeds” Mao’s Motives ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Age (Legacy) Paranoia (fear of opposition, betrayers) Resentment (attack of Liu and Deng) Ideology (Constant struggle) Bureaucracy (return to Communist Party of 1949, nationwide campaign) International rivalry (USSR betrayed Communism) Nationalism (no foreign influence) Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) Side note (Not IB content): Norman Bethune ● Norman was a member of the Canadian Communist party that pioneered the concept of Mobile Blood Transfusions ● Most known for his involvement in the Spanish Civil War, he also went to China during the Second Sino Japanese War to aid the CCP under Mao ● His death for the cause Mao to write the essay “In Memory of Norman Bethune” which talked about the importance of assisting foreign communist members in their struggles against Capitalism Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) Comrade Bethune's spirit, his utter devotion to others without any thought of self, was shown in his great sense of responsibility in his work and his great warm-heartedness towards all comrades and the people. Every Communist must learn from him. ... We must all learn the spirit of absolute selflessness from him. With this spirit everyone can be very useful to the people. A man's ability may be great or small, but if he has this spirit, he is already noble-minded and pure, a man of moral integrity and above vulgar interests, a man who is of value to the people. Excerpt from Mao’s Essay “In Memory of Norman Bethune” Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) Who was the Gang of Four? Mao and the “Gang of Four”Central Cultural Revolution Group (CCRG) set out to remove any “revisionists” and “capital roaders” within the party Jiang Qing (also known as Madame Mao) Zhang Chunqiao Yao Wenyuan Wang Hongwen Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) The August Rally: August 18, 1966 ● ● Tiananmen Square in Beijing filled with a million young people came out to cheer Mao as he appeared on a balcony of the Forbidden City overlooking the square Lin appealed to the throng to destroy revisionism and attack the “Four Olds” ○ Old thoughts ○ Old habits ○ Old culture ○ Old customs Red Guard was setup to cause chaos during the Cultural Revolution and to physically attack revisionism Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) The Red Guard ● ● ● ● Young people enlisted wearing distinctive armbands Units were found in every major area Slogan “It is right to rebel” set-out to destroy the Four Olds Red Guards free to attack people at will and destroy property. Attacked: ○ Education system ○ Public transport ○ Broke into houses ○ Discovery of religious shrines or private alters ○ Temples, libraries, museums ○ The “intellectuals”- writers and artists paraded with the sign “bad elements” or “class enemies” Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) Mass Campaigns during the Cultural Revolution ● Disbanding the Red Guards ○ ○ ○ ● The “up to the mountains and down to the villages” Campaign, 1967-1972 ○ ● Out of control, widespread disruption Groups clashed with one another PLA guards replaced the Red Guards Young, urban Chinese people (over 12 million) living amongst the peasants in the rural areaslearn “dignity of labour” The “cleansing the class ranks” Campaign, 1968-71 ○ ○ Launched by Jiang Qing was a series of violent purges of anyone whose social background made them potential enemies of Mao and the state- thousands injured and killed across China A rash of killing and destruction as grim as anything perpetrated by the Red Guards Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) Mass Campaigns during the Cultural Revolution ● Criticize Lin Biao and Confucius (1974) ○ ○ ○ ○ Lin was the general who commanded the Liaoshen and Pingjin campaigns, in which he co-led the Manchurian Field Army to victory and led the People's Liberation Army into Beijing. Lin Biao was named Mao’s successor in 1969, however he was seen as “too ambitious” after and Mao became wary of him Premier Zhou Enlai, another founding member of the CCP, sided with Mao in this effort Lin and his family/”supporters” were killed in what the Chinese government claim “was an attempt to flee to the Soviet Union after an abortive assassination plot against Mao”. This information was released a month after his death. Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) Mass Campaigns during the Cultural Revolution ● Criticize Lin Biao and Confucius (1974) Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) Mass Campaigns during the Cultural Revolution ● Criticize Lin Biao and Confucius (1974) ○ Zhou gained the biggest benefit from Lin’s death, as he was able to focus more on foreign politics, revitalize the education system, and bring back former purged party members– like Deng Xiaoping ○ Threatened by Zhou’s power, the Gang of Four whipped up the “Criticize Lin Biao and Confucius” campaign in a thinly veiled attempt to undermine Zhou. It didn’t work Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) Ending the Cultural Revolution ● ● ● ● By 1970’s Cultural Revolution was losing its momentum The death of Lin Biao (Mao’s successor since 1966) in a mysterious plane crash led to questions about the leadership of the CCP (labeled as a traitor attempting to flee China after death) Moderates such as Zhou Enlai (and later Deng Xiaoping) became more influential and radicals such as the Gang of Four saw their power diminish The death of Mao in 1976 ended the Cultural Revolution ○ A power struggle then occurred that would see Deng Xiaoping succeed, and the Gang of Four put to trial and imprisoned for their actions during the Cultural Revolution Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) The Role of Jiang Qing- “cultural purifier of the nation” ● ● ● Wife of Mao, installed as creator-in-chief of the new Chinese culture he desired He gave her the responsibility of turning his general denunciation of China’s “Four Olds” into a definitive programme for the suppression of traditional Chinese Values She took on the role with vigour: ○ Imposed rigid censorship ○ Only writing, art works, broadcasts, and films that had relevant Chinese themes were permitted ○ Western music, classical and pop, banned ○ Traditional Chinese opera replaced by a repertoire of specially commissioned works Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) A set of opera-ballets, all concerned in the most naive fashion with the triumph of the proletariat over its class enemies. An example here: 1. What do you think Jiang Qing's aims were in creating such a 'performance'? 2. What actions did Jiang Qing take against the Theatre? Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) Lack of Resistance ● ● Rare attempts to question Jiang Qing’s suffocating policies Intellectuals and natural leaders of communities did not protest against the crimes of the regime due to an understandable fear of what might be done to them and their families Consequences of Jiang Qing’s Policies ● ● ● She had a stranglehold on the arts from 1966-1976 (Mao’s death) Result was not the creation of a new culture but paralysis of the old Yan Yan, a poet said “As a result of the Cultural Revolution you could say the cultural trademark of my generation is that we have no culture” Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) According to the source, what pressure was put upon artists during the Cultural Revolution? Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: Religion ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Karl Marx said that “religion is the opium of the people” Mao compared the Christian missionaries in China to the Nazis in Europe After 1949, religious practice was banned in China, including: ○ Traditional Chinese beliefs such as Buddhism and Confucianism ○ Foreign religions such as Christianity and Islam CCP feared that people could challenge its authority through religion and religious organizations; especially in remote areas Propaganda used to reinforce the anti-religious messages Peasant folk traditions discouraged includings songs and stories Patriotic Churches: churches allowed to stay open under direct state control Confucianism- particularly targeted during the cultural revolution Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: Women and the Family ● ● ● China traditionally a Patriarchal Society, women played a subordinate role The Chinese Communists proclaimed themselves to be advocates of female equality One of the first acts was the marriage law in 1950: ○ Concubinage, the practice of men keeping women as mistresses, was forbidden ○ Arranged marriages were to be discontinued ○ Women who had been forced to marry were entitled to divorce their partners ○ All marriages had to be officially recorded and registered Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: Women and the Family The Impact of Collectivization on Women ● Women were able to own and sell land as a result of the land redistribution policies ● This was undermined with the creation of communes during collectivization in the Great Leap Forward Traditional Prejudice against Women ● The number of women in the workforce quadrupled from 8% to 32% between 1949 and 1976- however much of this was heavy physical labour ● Women made up only 13% of the membership of the Communist Party ● The number of women who became members of the National People’s Congress jumped 23% between 1954-1975 ● Attack on family: In communes, men & women only allowed to visit during conjugal visits Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: Women and the Family A propaganda poster promoting women’s new freedoms in China as a result of the CCP policies, 1955 Why would the symbolism of female parachutists help to promote the CCP ideology and the role of women in society? Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: Women and the Family The Impact of the Cultural Revolution ● The ownership of private property was now depicted as a crime against communist society ● The enforced pooling of resources meant that the economic link that held families together was broken ● Provision of social welfare, such as education and medical care, now to be organized and delivered by state ● Nuclear family fell into one of the categories of the Four Olds ● Expectation that parents were taught to teach their children that Mao and the Communist party are their parents and deserving of their first loyalty Aims and Results of Mao’s Domestic Policies: Minorities ● ● ● ● ● The Han are the dominant ethnic group, 80% of the population 54 minority groups were recognized by 1957 by the CCP Propaganda posters promoted unity and recognition of minority groups in China Xinjiang Province (North-west China) ○ Made up of a number of minority groups including the Uighur, Hui and Kirghiz ○ They had less loyalty to Beijing, some concern they can stir up religious and nationalist opposition The government began to settle Han Chinese into Xinjiang and Tibet to weaken this potential challenge