ChinaImperialism to Communist

The Birth of Modern China

Isolationist policies of later dynasties left China behind the Industrial Revolution

China was economically backward, unable to fend off outsiders

Opium Wars

Extraterritoriality

Spheres of Influence

Open Door Policy

Opium Warehouse

Unrest

Taiping Rebellion

Boxer Rebellion

Revolution of 1911

1911-1928 Civil War

Chiang Kai-shek Mao Zedong

Nationalism vs Communism

1928 – after years of civil war, nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek united most of China under right-wing Nationalist government

Civil strife between the Nationalists and the Communists continued into the 1930’s.

Long March

1934 – Long March - Communist leader Mao Zedong led his forces on 6,000 mile march back to North China to regroup – 100,000 started on the march 10,000 finished Communists and Nationalists formed

a united resistance to the Japanese invasion faced atrocities such as “Rape of Nanking”, Unit 731

In the end Mao was the unquestioned Communist leader and Chiang Kai-shek and the nationalists had fled to Taiwan

Japanese Atrocities

Japanese Atrocities

Communist Victory

War – temporary halt hostilities between Communists and Nationalists

Nationalists backed by USA

By 1949 Communist victory

“A revolution is an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.”

Why were the Communists successful?

1.) Mao won support of peasants – land

2.) Mao won support of women

3.) Mao’s army used guerilla war tactics

4.) Many saw the Nationalist government as corrupt

5.) Many felt that the Nationalists allowed foreigners to dominate China.

Mao’s Main goals

1 – provide a better life for the poor

2 – develop modern economy,

3 – make China a major world power

How could Mao make such fundamental changes? China was in dreadful state after the 2WW. Think geography, culture, economy etc.

Everybody Loves Mao...or else!

1950’s –Need feed population so gov’t set up programs ending private land ownership collective farms = share the harvest

1958 – The Great Leap Forward – effort to achieve modernization

Communes – changed former lifestyles many resisted and problems such as droughts and famine(1959-61, millions die) turned the program into The Great Leap of Failure...Abandoned communed by 1961

Communist Propaganda

Propaganda Video

Propaganda Totalitarianism

Drive to change China’s economic structures and social attitudes

Great Leap Forward, 1958

• 5 year plan to increase agriculture and industry

• Communes• Groups of people who live and work together• Property held in common• Had production quotas

• Failed due to poor quality of products, poor weather hurt agriculture

Communist China Under Mao

►Industrialized China

► Increased literacy

► Class privileges ended

► Rural Chinese received health care

► One-party dictatorship

► Denied people basic rights and freedoms --> Inner Mongolia, Tibet

►Old Thoughts

► Old Culture

► Old Customs

► Old Habits

…To Rebel Is Good…

A Campaign Against the “Four Olds”

Cultural Revolution1966 – in order to renew the revolutionary

spirit in the new generations, Mao launched “The Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution”

Wanted to put “Intellectuals” in their place

Schools shut down – students revolted

Red Guards – students who attacked professors, government officials, factory managersHeld mass rallies and attacked any who did

not support Chairman Mao.

Mao’s Little Red Book – used to fuel fire against dissenters; and owned and “beloved” by all.

Created chaos and persecution...many lose faith in Mao...after his death a power struggle takes place

The reddest, reddest, red sun in our heart, Chairman Mao, and us together Chejiang Workers, Farmers and Soldiers Art Academy collective, 1968

Mao’s Little Red Book

China Today...

- After a brief struggle a new moderate communist government was established. The new leader (Deng Xiaoping) focused on economic reform and recovery

1990s economic reform AND political power

- Political controls remain and are followed up with sometimes violent suppression Ex.) Tiananmen Square(1989). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJBnHMpHGRY&feature=related

- Economic reforms have paid off since China’s GDP has quadrupled and is now second only to the U.S.

Is this really an impressive statistic?

One Child Policy

An editorial in the Communist Party newspaper, The People's Daily, said: "We cannot just be content with the current success, we must make population control a permanent policy".

China's population is expected to increase from 1.26

billion at the end of last year to 1.6 billion in 2050.

The 'one child' policy stipulates each couple living in the cities should only have one child, unless one or both of the couple are from an ethnic minority or they are both only children.

Female infanticide

Child abductions; young boys sold to highest bidder

The number of men is thought to outnumber women in China by more than 60 million.

China’s Economy

Open Door on Trade

Students sent abroad

Special Economic Zones to attract international capital

China Today

Population

Pollution

Poverty – gap rich and poor

Foreign Policy – Hong Kong, Tibet, Japan, Taiwan, Korea

Social Unrest

Human Rights