Asia after World War II

1
Asia after World War II
2
Peoples Republic of China

• Established Oct. 1, 1949
• Recognition
• Soviet Union and other Communist nations.
• Among the West, only Great Britain (concerned
  with Hong Kong) extended recognition.
• Was a totalitarian state ruled by the Communist
  Party.

3
Marxism-Leninism-Mao Thought

• Orthodox Marxism expected the Communist
  Revolution to begin among industrial workers.
• Mao Zedong adapted Marxist theology to the
  conditions of an underdeveloped, primarily
  agricultural society.
• It is still the official guiding philosophy
  behind the party and the government.

4
Chinese Communist Party

• Is organized as a hierarchy, with power
  concentrated at the top.
• Above the local units (cells) is a pyramid-like
  structure of party congresses culminating in the
  National Party Congress, which meets every 5
  years.
• Direction of the party is in the hands of the
  Central Committee of about 200 members elected by
  the congress.
• The Central Committee, in turn, elects the
  Political Bureau of about 25-28 men.

5
Politburo

• It is within the Political Bureau that power is
  concentrated and the highest level decisions of
  state are made.
• There is also a Secretariat that carries on the
  day-to-day business of the party.
• Prior to 1982, the highest party office was that
  of chairman, held for more than 25 years by Mao
  Zedong.
• That was abolished and replaced with the
  administrative position of general secretary to
  the Secretariat.

6
Alliance with the Soviet Union

• Still a weak nation and barely on its feet in
  1949, China at first derived strength from its
  close ties with the Soviet Union.
• Mao went to Moscow in 1950, his first trip
  abroad, to help celebrate Stalins 70th birthday/
• The Sino-Soviet Friendship and Alliance (1950)
  granted Mao military assistance, provided credit,
  and promised tens of thousands of Soviet military
  and civilian experts to help China modernize its
  armed forces, infrastructure, and industries.

7
Territorial Consolidation

• Mao was forced by the Soviets to recognize an
  independent Mongolian Peoples Republic.
• Chinese troops invaded Tibet in 1950.
• Mao still hoped to invade Taiwan however, Stalin
  denied his requests for volunteer pilots and
  Chiangs strong defense of Taiwan caused a delay.
• The U.S. had already decided not to intervene in
  the event of an attack on Taiwan and it seemed
  only a matter of time.

8
The Cold War

• Mao proclaimed that in international affairs,
  China would lean to one side (the Marxist side)
• China orchestrated its foreign policy to aid the
  international Communist movement.
• Examples Aiding N. Korea and N. Vietnam.
• The Korean War convinced China that it needed a
  modern, well-equipped army.
• It also began developing nuclear technology in
  1957.
• Gave up its attempts to capture Taiwan.

9
China New Society

• Thought Reform
• The CCP launched a massive campaign to change
  Chinas entire psychology.
• Collective Man -Tried to abolish old loyalties,
  habits, customs, culture, and patterns of thought
  and instill new values and obedience to the
  state.
• Social Reform
• New Marriage Law of 1950 enacted to eliminate the
  old patriarchal family.

10
China New Society

• Land Reform
• The Agrarian Law of 1950 began the nationwide
  land reform, which erased social distinction
  between landlord and peasant.
• Economic Reform
• The CCP emphasized modernization through
  Soviet-style planning (planned economy) and
  received massive technological assistance from
  the Soviet Union.
• The First Five-Year Plan (1953-57) stressed
  building up heavy industry and collectivizing
  agriculture.

11
The Great Leap Forward

• By 1956, 90 percent of farmers were members of
  cooperatives, 80 percent of heavy industry and 40
  percent of light industry were in government
  hands.
• But despite rapid progress, vast problems
  remained
• Great Leap Forward (1958-59)
• Mao hoped to make the jump from a socialist
  country to a communist society (utopia)
• Emphasized the need for all Chinese to be both
  red and expert

12
The Great Leap Forward

• Communes Agricultural output was to be raised by
  combing the collective farms into communes.
• Each had about 5,000 households.
• Children were cared for in nurseries everyone
  ate in communal dining halls.
• Industry Steel production was to be increased by
  setting up small-scale backyard furnaces
• Relocating some industry to the countryside would
  enable peasant farmers to learn new techniques
  they could use during the off-season.

13
The Great Leap Forward
Peasants with antique and modernmachines work
the fields during the Great Leap
14
The Great Leap Forward

• Great Leap Forward (1958-59)
• Brought economic disaster
• China lost 66 billion
• 30 million died from famine (worst in Chinese
  history)
• Maos control diminishes
• Mao is removed from power but retains title of
  chairman of the Communist Party
• Between 1959 and 1966, power resided in more
  conservative hands who tried to repair the damage
  done by Maos policies.

15
The Sino-Soviet Rift

• With the Great Leap Forward, Mao was trying to
  place China on a higher ideological plane than
  the Soviet Union and even gloated that it was
  ahead of the USSR in achieving a Marxist Utopia.
• Mao did not like Khrushchev and labeled him a
  revisionist who attacked Stalins memory.
• Mao believed in a permanent revolution
• Khrushchev repudiated that and focused on
  revolutionary stages and the leadership role of
  the party.

16
The Sino-Soviet Rift

• Mao wanted the Communist bloc to challenge the
  capitalist West Khrushchev believed in peaceful
  coexistence.
• Khrushchev, who was trying to raise living
  standards in the USSR, was reluctant to give
  China the help they needed during the Great Leap
  disaster.
• Also refused to give them a prototype atomic
  bomb.
• By 1960, the relationship had deteriorated and
  the Soviets removed all its 1,390 experts and
  advisors from China.