Historical Background for Red Scarf Girl

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Historical Background for Red Scarf Girl
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Chinas Dynasties

• Sui 589-618
• Tang 618-907
• Song 960-1279
• Yuan (Mongols) 1206-1368
• Ming 1368-1644
• Qing (Manchus) 1644-1911

• Life under Dynasty Rule
• Emperor
• Most were peasants
• Family members
• Loyal to each other
• Living together (entire village)
• Oldest male was honored and obeyed family head
• Responsible for livelihood and conduct (Confucian
  teachings)
• Government Officials
• Military

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China merges w/ European history (1840s)

• High populationmarket for European goods and
  cheap labor
• Tea and silk
• Manchu gov. inefficient/lacked military power
• Europeans try and colonize China
• Hong Kong ceded to Britain
• France, Germany, Russia, and Japan

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Imperialism and Colonial Nationalism

• Open Door Policy (1899)
• U.S. interested in commerce, not territory
• Equal trade rights in China for all nations
• Boxer Rebellion (1900)
• Drive out all foreigners - isolationism
• Foreigners stop rebellion and demand payment

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Chinese Republic (1911-1912)

• Nationalist Party
• Founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen
• Democracy elect gov. officials responsible to
  the people
• Overthrew Manchu Dynasty

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Nationalist Struggle Against Warlords ( to
1928)

• Whats a Warlord?
• Why would Warlords struggle against Democracy?
• Redistribution of wealth

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Nationalist Struggle Against Communists
(to 1937)

• Communists are supported by
• Grateful for Soviet help
• Landless peasants wanted to break-up estates of
  rich landlords
• Low-paid city workers wanted seize foreign-owned
  business
• Nationalists are supported by
• Landlords
• middle class
• Democratic groups who feared Communist
  totalitarian rule

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Why did the Nationalists Lose?

• Really a corrupt and inefficient dictatorship
• Wasted 2 billion (American loans)
• Failed to earn soldiers loyalty
• Ignored peasants desire for land
• Ignored city workers demands for better living
  conditions

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Nationalists lose China to Communists
(1949)

• Mao is leader of Peoples Republic of China
  communist
• Controlled inflation
• Promoted literacy
• Stopped corruption
• Women equal to men
• Why does Mao start the Cultural Revolution
  (1966-1968)?
• Red Guards (radical students)