Communists Take Power in China

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Communists Take Power in China
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Communists vs. Nationalists

• Background Info
• Remember China was invaded by Japan in 1937.
  During this time, China was in a Civil War
  between the Nationalists and the Communists

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The Communists

• Mao Zedong -leader of the Chinese Communist Party
• 1. Communists had a stronghold in Northwestern
  China
• 2. They mobilized peasants for guerilla warfare
  against the Japanese.
• 3. Due to the efforts to improve food
  production, the Communists won support in NW
  China by 1945

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The Nationalists

• Jiang Jieshi leader of Nationalist China
• Dominated southwest China and protected from the
  rugged mountain ranges.
• With an army of 2.5 million and aided by the U.S.
  to fight Japan, they did little WWII.
• Instead, the saved up their strength to fight
  Maos Red Army after WWII ended

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The Chinese Civil War

• The renewed Civil War lasted from 1946-1949
• Nationalist Army outnumbered the Communists and
  they were supported by the U.S.
• But Nationalists could not win popular support
• As Chinas economy collapsed as a result of WWII,
  thousands of soldiers and civilians switched to
  the Communist Party

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The Chinese Civil War

• By 1949, Chinas major cities fell to the Red
  Army
• Jiangs army and government fled south to Taiwan
• Maos Promises
• Give land back to the peasants
• China became the Peoples Republic of China
• Signed Treaty of Friendship with Russia

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Two Chinas

• 1. Taiwan or Nationalist China
• 13,000 square miles
• Aka Republic of China
• Supported by the U.S.
• Militarily weak and corrupt
• Weak public support
• Communist or Peoples Republic of China
• 3.5 million square miles
• Supported by the Soviets
• Soviet-Chinese Alliance to support each other if
  attacked by the West
• Experienced motivated guerilla army
• Strong Public Support

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Communist China Expands

• The Chinese Red Army expanded into Tibet, India,
  and Mongolia
• 1950-1951, brutally took control of Tibet and the
  Dalai Lama fled to India
• India harbored Tibetan refugees which increased
  tension between China and India

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Communist Transformation in China

• 1. Set up two political organizations, both
  headed by Mao until 1959.
• The Communist Party
• National Government
• 2. Agrarian Reform Law of 1950- Mao seized land
  of owners and returned it to peasants. He killed
  over a million people in the process.
• 3. Established a 5 Year Economic Plan to boost
  industry and business and increased output in
  steel, concrete, coal, and electricity
• 4. Great Leap Forward 1958

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Communist Transformation in China

• The Great Leap Forward (1958)- called for larger
  collective farms, communes, where peasants
  worked, lived, dined, and slept together and they
  owned nothing. Was considered a failure after
  crop famines killed 20 million people.
• China and USSR began to compete to lead the
  worldwide Communist Movement by the late 1950s.

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The Cultural Revolution

• Led by the Red Guards, militias of Communist
  supporters.
• Goal To establish a society of peasants and
  workers in which all were equal.
• Anything intellectual and artistic were
  considered useless
• Red guards shut down colleges and schools.
• Intellectuals had to purify themselves by doing
  hard labor
• Thousands were executed and imprisoned.
• The chaos threatened farm production and
  industry.
• The Communist National Army was told to suppress
  the Red Guards and end the revolution

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