Communists Take Power
in China
From Chp 17.2 in TextBook
Communists vs. Nationalists
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Background Info:
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Remember China was invaded by Japan in
1937. During this time, China was in a Civil
War between the Nationalists and the
Communists
The Communists
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Mao Zedong -leader of the Chinese Communist
Party
1. Communists had a stronghold in Northwestern
China
2. They mobilized peasants for guerilla warfare
against the Japanese.
3. Due to the efforts to improve food production, the
Communists won support in NW China by 1945
The Nationalists
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1.
2.
3.
Jiang Jieshi –leader of Nationalist China
Dominated southwest China and protected from
the rugged mountain ranges.
With an army of 2.5 million and aided by the U.S.
to fight Japan, they did little WWII.
Instead, the saved up their strength to fight Mao’s
Red Army after WWII ended
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http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/chin-cw2.htm
The Chinese Civil War
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The renewed Civil War lasted from 19461949
Nationalist Army outnumbered the
Communists and they were supported by the
U.S.
But Nationalists could not win popular support
As China’s economy collapsed as a result of
WWII, thousands of soldiers and civilians
switched to the Communist Party
The Chinese Civil War
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By 1949, China’s major cities fell to the Red Army
Jiang’s army and government fled south to Taiwan
Mao’s Promises
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Give land back to the peasants
China became the People’s Republic of China
Signed Treaty of Friendship with Russia
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Two Chinas
1. Taiwan or Nationalist China
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13,000 square miles
Aka Republic of China
Supported by the U.S.
Militarily weak and corrupt
Weak public support
Communist or People’s Republic of China
2.
-
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3.5 million square miles
Supported by the Soviets
Soviet-Chinese Alliance to support each other if
attacked by the West
Experienced motivated guerilla army
Strong Public Support
Communist China Expands
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The Chinese Red Army expanded into Tibet,
India, and Mongolia
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1950-1951, brutally took control of Tibet
and the Dalai Lama fled to India
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India harbored Tibetan refugees which
increased tension between China and India
Communist Transformation in China
1. Set up two political organizations, both
headed by Mao until 1959.
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The Communist Party
National Government
2. Agrarian Reform Law of 1950- Mao seized
land of owners and returned it to peasants. He
killed over a million people in the process.
3. Established a 5 Year Economic Plan to boost
industry and business and increased output in
steel, concrete, coal, and electricity
Communist Transformation in China
4.
5.
The Great Leap Forward (1958)- called for
larger collective farms, communes, where
peasants worked, lived, dined, and slept
together and they owned nothing. Was
considered a failure after crop famines killed
20 million people.
China and USSR began to compete to lead
the worldwide Communist Movement by the
late 1950’s.
The Cultural Revolution
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Led by the Red Guards, militias of Communist
supporters.
Goal: To establish a society of peasants and workers in
which all were equal.
Anything intellectual and artistic were considered useless
Red guards shut down colleges and schools.
Intellectuals had to “purify” themselves by doing hard labor
Thousands were executed and imprisoned.
The chaos threatened farm production and industry.
The Communist National Army was told to suppress the
Red Guards and end the revolution