UNIT III - The
Modern World
COMMUNISM
AND CHINA
What is communism?
Equality for all
Everything provided by the people, money not important
Process
Violent overthrow of democracy, then dictatorship, then permanent revolution with no government
Democracy (political term)
Power lies with the people generally through voting privileges
Capitalism (economic term)
Means of producing goods lies with private individuals not government
COMMUNISM
Mao Tse Tung (Zedong) (1943-1976)
Chairman of the Communist party
and leader of China
“The Chinese people have stood up.
Nobody will insult us again.”
Collectivizing Agriculture
Government takes over farms and
industry
“The Great Leap Forward”
Farms divided into huge communes
Each farm had 30,000 people
LIFE UNDER MAO
The Final Stage of
Communism
The classless society
Mao believed it would happen in
China by the year 2000
“Hard work for a few years,
happiness for a thousand.”
Economic Disaster
Bad weather and no incentive
15-30 million people starve to
death
CHINA AND THE CLASSLESS SOCIETY
The Cultural Revolution
Effort to revive interest in Mao’s ideas
after the failed Great Leap Forward
Mao’s Little Red Book
“Bible” for Chinese Communists
Most important source of information
The Red Guards
Mao appeals to the youth
Purge China/communism of impurity
“The Four Olds” – old ideas, old culture,
old customs, old habits
VIDEO – Chairman Mao Declassified
GREAT PROLETARIAN
CULTURAL REVOLUTION
Relationship with Soviet Union?
Terrible!
Wants Soviet aid to take back Taiwan, wants Soviets to promote world
revolution and domination of Communism, and want Soviet nuclear
bombs
Soviets refuse
Relationship with United States?
Terrible!
Finally, Mao Dies At 82
People tired of Mao’s ideas
Under Mao, at least 45 million people dead
What about Hitler and Stalin?
CHINA AFTER MAO
Communism Continues
Deng Xiaoping
“Four Modernizations” – industry, agriculture, technology, and defense
What is missing here?
Role of women increased
Isolation from world = far behind
Sends students abroad to study
What do they bring back to China?
Tiananmen Square Massacre (1989)
Students assemble to protest Communist Party
Tanks and troops kill 2,000
VIDEO – Tiananmen Square
One-Child Policy (1979)
Incentives offered / Infanticide
LIFE AFTER MAO
Still Governed by the Communist Party of China
Government opening up for people to vote democratically
Trying to balance limited capitalism with communist ideals
The Communist Government Still…
Restricts internet access
Controls what the press can write in newspapers
Has a policy where couples can only have one child (infanticide)
Doesn’t allow protests
Has no other opposition parties
IS CHINA STILL COMMUNIST?
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
THE BIRD’S NEST STADIUM
SHANGHAI SKYLINE
THE FORBIDDEN CITY - BEIJING
HANGZHOU
HONG KONG
THE HIMALAYAS
DIFFERENT STANDARD OF LIVING
Your Task…
You will write two separate letters. One letter will be as if you are living in a communist country writing to a relative living in a capitalist democratic country.
The other letter will be as if you are living in a capitalist democracy writing to a relative living in a communist country.
Each letter should give AT LEAST 5 examples of each respective type of government. Make sure to describe in detailwhat life would be like in each situation. Each letter should be AT LEAST three paragraphs (5-7 sentences in each)
COMMUNISM VS. DEMOCRACY