China Under Mao The Chairman Smiles 1949 to

China Under Mao The Chairman Smiles (1949 to 1976)

Mao Zedong “Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan, ” (March 1927) “A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another. ”

Chinese Civil War Nationalists vs. Communists (1946 to 1949)

Chinese Civil War (1946 to 1949) Guomingdang (GMD) Nationalist Party Jiang Jieshi (President) Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Developed on a Soviet model, model although Marxist-Leninist thought was often problematic when applied to China Mao Zedong (Leader)

Chinese Civil War (1946 to 1949) Mao Zedong paints the war as a revolution to remove “three big mountains: ” mountains Imperialism Feudalism Bureaucrat-Capitalism Creates a united front to combat GMD, primarily made up of: Urban Workers (Few) Peasants (Many)

Map of CCP Expansion during Civil War 1946 to 1950

Chinese Civil War (1946 to 1949) People’s Republic of China (PRC) established on October 1, 1949 Mao Zedong as Chairman of the CCP Government of the Republic of China (GMD) retreats to Taiwan

Mao Zedong in Beijing, 1949

Recovery and Early Socialism Defining a New China (1949 to 1956)

Recovery and Early Socialism Adoption of a Soviet model Land reform (goal of eliminating landlord class) Development of heavy industry (owned by state) Emphasis on status of women Involvement in Korean War (October 1950) First National People’s Congress in 1954 Establishes the Constitution of the PRC Zhou Enlai takes position of Premier and Foreign Minister

Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, 1954 “In the year 1949, after more than a century of heroic struggle, the Chinese people, led by the Communist Party of China, finally won their great victory in the people's revolution against imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat-capitalism, and thereby brought to an end the history of the oppression and enslavement they had undergone for so long and founded the People's Republic of China - a people's democratic dictatorship. The system of people's democracy - the system of new democracy - of the People's Republic of China guarantees that our country can in a peaceful way eliminate exploitation and poverty and build a prosperous and happy socialist society…. ”

Rethinking the Soviet Model Marx can be Modified, Apparently (1956 to 1961)

Rethinking the Soviet Model In 1953, the population of the PRC was found to be 583 million– million a number far higher than had been anticipated. Growing concerns regarding population and the speed of economic development led to: Collectivization of farmland the creation of “People’s Communes” A series of Five Year Plans targeted to increase industrial output

Rethinking the Soviet Model Great Leap Forward (1958 to 1960) Goal to surpass the industrial output of the United States and the United Kingdom Rural industrialization and agricultural collectivization led to MASSIVE famines Death toll somewhere between 18 and 32. 5 MILLION Political component Anti-Rightist Movement Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom Sino-Soviet split (1960)

Recovery Stepping Away from the Edge (1962 to 1965)

Recovery (1962 to 1965) Growing division within the CCP Charismatic leadership (Mao Zedong) versus bureaucracy (Deng Xiaoping) Xiaoping Mao forced to the sidelines by more conservative members of the CCP Reorganization of agricultural collectivization Farmers given more say in agricultural production

Cultural Revolution Mao’s Back. (1966 to 1976)

Cultural Revolution (1966 to 1976) Resurgence of Mao Zedong’s influence within the CCP “Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution” Revolution Re-commitment to revolution and class struggle Power struggle to succeed Mao Progression: Rise and Fall of the Red Guards Rise and Fall of Lin Biao Rise and Fall of the Gang of Four

Cultural Revolution: Red Guards Purge of CCP leaders who took control following the Great Leap Forward Deng Xiaoping Purge of intellectuals Use of “re-education camps” Public shaming for the “Four Olds” Old customs Old culture Old habits Old ideas

Cultural Revolution: Lin Biao had been put forth as the possible successor to Mao Zedong In 1971, Lin allegedly tried and failed to: Assassinate Mao Flee to the Soviet Union After the alleged assassination attempt, Lin and his family reportedly attempted to escape to the USSR. Their plane crashed, killing everyone on board. Highly suspect circumstances Destruction of CCP documents relating to the incident

Cultural Revolution: Gang of Four 1972 to 1976 was marked by a power struggle inside the CCP, led by Jiang Qing (Mao’s wife) “Gang of Four” was a nickname for four radical political leaders, including Jiang, who wanted to intensify the Cultural Revolution and its associated purges Their rivals were the “moderates” of the CCP, led by Zhou Enlai

Reestablishing Diplomacy Nixon in China (1976 to 1979)

Diplomatic Breakthroughs In 1971, the People’s Republic of China replaced the representative of the Republic of China (Taiwan) at the UN In 1972, Richard Nixon became the first American president to visit the PRC since its establishment in 1949 Official US-PRC diplomatic relations resumed in 1979

Diplomatic Breakthroughs Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai both died in 1976 The “Gang of Four” was arrested End of the Cultural Revolution Deng Xiaoping took control of the leadership of the CCP Focuses on economic modernization