Slide 1

Ben ParsonsChina 1989

About the student-led pro-democracy movement in China, 1989. Look at how it came about, why it failed 1Why did the Chinese pro-democracy movement fail?

Origins of and background to the movement

Outline of events

Strengths of the State

Structural weaknesses of the movement

Strategic weaknesses

Poor student leadership

Conclusion

Role of repressionStudent leadershipTactical errors

2Origins of and background to the movement

A 1950 Chinese propaganda poster showing a happy family of five enjoying life under the image of Mao Zedong. 3Origins of and background to the movement

Cultural Revolution Pressures on societyChanging status of students

Heightened resistance after the death of Mao Zedong (1976)Wei Jingsheng Democracy Wall

Economic liberalisationCalls for political reformDuring the Cultural Revolution, the schools in China were closed and the young intellectuals living in cities were ordered to the countryside to be "re-educated" by the peasants, where they performed hard manual labor and other work. Caused the destruction of much of China's traditional cultural heritage and the imprisonment of a huge number of Chinese citizens, as well as creating general economic and social chaos in the country 4Outline of events

Death of reformer Hu Yaobang

On April 17th 1989, students assembled at Tiananmen Square in mourning

Posters called for democracy and an end to corruption

Growing numbers, continued after the mourning period

26th April editorial and backlash

Gorbachevs visit and the hunger strike, 15th May.During the official mourning period, large-character pro-democracy posters appeared around Beijing, alongside calls for political liberalisation and an end to corruption. Hunger Strike divided leadership, new HSG sit in5Outline of events

Mass demonstrations include workers and residents

Government fluctuates

Martial Law 20th May

Army initially stopped

Assault at Dawn, June 4th.

And it was not confined to the capital; the Chinese government watched protests erupt in almost every city in China

Government figures stated that only one person was killed in the assault, but most educated estimates put the total at around 2600 dead and 7000 wounded. The Chinese goverment and the political situation remained unaltered.

6Strengths of the State

An anonymous drawing posted in a pedestrian walkway underneath Chang'an Avenue caricaturesDeng Xiaoping(seated behind the lectern) as an old Chinese emperor 7Strengths of the State

Peoples Liberation Army (PLA)Some weaknessesInitial failureBut always followed orders

The GovernmentSome divisions Li Peng and Zahao ZidangErrors of judgement26th April EditorialIndecisionBut divisions always quickly closedmismanagement, incompetence, and unprofessional conduct. Moreover, none deny that in early May the citizens of Beijing quickly developed the very effective tactic of blocking military columns with busses or bodies, and then deflating their tyres.

Zahao Zidang appeared to be in support of the movement - for example by visiting the sick hunger strikers in hospital - he was in fact quickly sidelined, and his personal correspondence reveals that he was merely in a dispute over the best way to stop the movement, not whether to support it8Censorship and the pressDirect correlationStrangled communication and publicity

Why did the use of force not cause a backlash against the state?Strengths of the State

The government began to lose control of the media after the April 26th editorial, which caused many journalists to join the cause and pressure their editors to publish more favourable accounts of the protests.

Subsequently, between 14th and 19th of May, government control of the media effectively collapsed, and this saw the height of public emotions. From then on, however, martial law came into effect and on 25th May printing presses were occupied by troops, and by 1st June, censorship was fully re-imposed.9Structural weaknesses of the movementNo pre-historyNo grass roots supportNo mature structureNo commitment to understanding nonviolent tactics

Internal squabbles and parallel structures

Did this cause a lack of strategic thinking?The students were constantly reacting to events, and the Autonomous Federation of Students was a classic example, being an impromptu organisation, set up as an attempt to control a rapidly expanding movement. This lack of a strong support base explains why it lacked legitimacy, led to internal squabbles and eventually the creation of new parallel student organisations such as the Hunger Strike Group.

10Strategic weaknesses

Lack of understanding of nonviolent strategies

ReactionaryUpward spiral of actions

Poor tacticsSymbolic but not substantiveThe establishment of two independent and frequently contradictory broadcasting stations, one run by students of Beijing University at Tiananmen Square and one at Qinghua University, is demonstrative of the lack of unified strategic thinking

Hunger strike and sit-in, and whilst appropriate for gaining support and attention these were not conducive to the long term success of the movement.11

Strategic weaknesses

"TheGoddess of Democracy" carved by students from the Central Academy of Fine Arts and erected in the Square during the protest. 12Poor student leadership

No respected electoral process for leadershipInternal divisions

Poor control

No single charismatic leaderSomeone around who to rallySomeone to talk to the stateSomeone to provide intellectual leadership

Lack of respect for Wuer Kaixi

13ConclusionFailure due to

Strength of the stateNo grass-roots supportPoor organisationLack of strategyPoor leadership

Could noncooperation, boycotts and a charismatic leader have changed the outcome?

Questions?