China and Spain Compared China v Spain Similarities

China and Spain Compared

China v Spain: Similarities CHINA SPAIN Collapse of imperial China (Pu Yi!) -weak republic 1911 Collapse of autocratic monarchy (Alfonso XIII) – democracy had shallow roots Revolution in the countryside – Yanan Soviet Collectivisation and land seizures – esp in Catalonia Political assassination - murder of communists in Shanghai Assassinations led to army coup in 1936 No experience of democracy or compromise politics failure of parliamentary politics 1931 -36 Role of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek – a nationalist anti communist Role of General Franco – a nationalist anti communist Marxism – CCP Marxism – Spanish Communist Party Comintern – Otto Braun Comintern – creation of Popular Front Economics – inflation 1946 -48 – destablised the middle class Economics - Great Depression 1929 -36 – destablised society

China vs Spain: Differences CHINA GMD was not traditionalist or monarchist – a left wing party that moved to the right SPAIN Role of peasants Anarchism and POUM in Catalonia Large working class and mass trade unions Role of Japan and WWII Religion played a minor role Role of German/Italian support for Nationalists Monarchists Role of regional warlords – fragmented China Failure of USA to broker peace after WWII Regionalism – Basques and Catalans Catholicism vs anti -clericalism Chinese communism was more independent than Spanish communism – Mao Role of USSR in the north of China after WWII Officer corps highly traditionalist Role of the professional army

Consequences: China and Spain compared International. Social – Political – Economic Religious Military –