Communist Takeover of China

Formation of the Chinese Republic

! The Qing Dynasty à Sun Yat Sen ! The people of China, under nationalist leader

Sun Yat Sen, demanded: –  Nationalism à The end of foreign domination &

influence –  Democracy à Formation of a representative

government –  People’s Livelihood à A modernized & industrialized

economy to provide security for the people of China

Formation of the Chinese Republic

! Sun Yat Sen – Leader of the Kuomintang

! Kuomintang à China’s Nationalist Party ! Overthrows Qing Emperor in 1911 and becomes

China’s first president, but… ! Sun could not unite China ! Turns over presidency to a top general who

overturns democratic reforms ! China becomes a military dictatorship overrun by

warlords

The Communist Party in China

! Many intellectual Chinese turned against Western Democracy – How had democracies treated China

previously? ! Communist Party

– Lead by Mao Zedong –  Influence by the Russian Revolutions of 1917

Jiang Jieshi & the Nationalists ! After Sun Yixian’s

death in 1925, Chang Kai Shek becomes the head of the Kuomintang

! Chang –  Feared communism –  Supported by bankers

and businessmen –  Over saw a corrupt

government

Chinese Civil War ! Jiang Jieshi starts a campaign against

communists –  Has troops and armed gangs kill members of the

Communist Party and union members ! In 1928 the US and Britain recognize Chang Kai

Shek as president of China –  The Soviet Union does not due to persecution of

Communist Party in China

Chinese Civil War

! Mao forms the Red Army by recruiting peasants – Established themselves in the countryside of

south-central China – Trained Red Army in guerilla warfare with help

from Soviet Union ! Chang sends Nationalists soldiers after

them, but can’t completely wipe them out due to guerilla warfare

Chinese Civil War

! The Long March – Jiang sends 700,000 men after Communists

and surrounds them – 100,000 Communists flee and begin a 6,000

mile-journey (The Long March) ! Tens of thousands die due to

–  Starvation –  Battle wounds –  Exposure to the cold

– Mao and 8,000 survivors take shelter in the caves of northwestern China.

Civil War in China ! 1927-1932 and 1933-1937 – war between

Communists and Nationalists ! Communists – Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong) ! Nationalists – Chiang Kai-shek ! War halted 1932-1933 and 1937-1945 to fight

Japanese aggression ! Communists were victorious in 1949 ! Nationalists retreated to Formosa (Taiwan) ! End of imperialism in China

– Hong Kong returned to China in 1997

Political Changes under Mao

! Communist government on mainland China

! Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong) – Chairman of the

Communist party and leader of China from 1943-1976

Mao Zedong

Changes Under Mao ! Rebuilding Economy

– Distributed land to peasants – Cooperative farming

! Remolding Society – Confucianism à communism – Simplified Chinese characters to improve

literacy –  Improved healthcare

! Women – Women won equality

Economic Changes under Mao ! First Five-Year Plan (1953-1957)

– Advances in agriculture and coal, electricity, iron, and steel production

! Second Five-Year Plan (1958-1962) –  “Great Leap Forward” – China became a leading industrial country – Peasants organized into communes – Widespread catastrophe – famine – at least

14,000,000 deaths

Foreign Relations ! Russia (Soviet Union)

–  Growing split between USSR and China ! “Peaceful coexistence” policy of USSR viewed as surrender

–  1960 – end of Soviet economic aid ! Tibet

–  Seized in 1962 ! Korea

–  Aided North Korea in the Korean War (1950-1953) ! Vietnam

–  Supported North Vietnam and aided Viet Cong during Vietnam War (1959-1975)

China after Chairman Mao ! Mao died in September, 1976 ! “Gang of Four”

–  Failed at a coup d’état in October, 1976

! China continued to industrialize ! One-Child Policy adopted –

1979 ! Tiananmen Square Massacre –

1989 ! Today – issues include:

–  Balancing limited capitalism with communist ideals

–  Environmental pollution –  Unequal male-to-female ratios

resulting from One-Child Policy –  Control of Tibet