The People’s Republic of China Life Under Mao

People’s Liberation Army

People's Liberation Army The job of the PLA did not end after China seized power in 1949; their main roles are: Used as a form of propaganda Used as a main component to bridge the gap between Party and people, i.e: Participate in public works alongside people A PLA soldier is trained not only in the art of warfare, but indoctrinated by the Chinese Communist ideology State spending on the PLA took up over 41% as of 1953 There were 5 million men in 1950, but its size reduced to 3.5 million in 1953; nevertheless, they remained as the largest military force in the world ~ POWER demonstrated Every year, an average of 800,000 men were conscripted (compulsory enlistment) into the PLA

People's Liberation Army Propaganda: The PLA were revered as they physically fought in the Chinese revolution, thus they were used to promote good virtues and arouse a sense of patriotic pride: Discipline, Self- sacrifice, Endurance, Perseverance Interaction with the people: They were sent to pass on the ideology to the peasants Take part in public works (i.e. rebuilding bridges, railways, roads damaged in previous wars) Some demobilized units were restructured: i.e. First Field Army turned into Production and Construction army responsible for tapping minerals and developing agricultural land This is an example of MASS LINE as a method of power consolidation

Five Year Plan Second Five Year Plan Great Leap Forward Economic Changes Made Five Year Plan Second Five Year Plan Great Leap Forward

Economic Changes under Mao First Five-Year Plan (1953-1957) Advances in agriculture and coal, electricity, iron, and steel production Second Five-Year Plan (1958-1962) “Great Leap Forward” China became a leading industrial country Peasants organized into communes Widespread catastrophe – famine – at least 14,000,000 deaths Note: Chairman Mao’s role as China’s leader became less significant following the failure of the Great Leap Forward. Propaganda Poster for the Great Leap Forward

Great Leap Forward

The Great Leap Forward All people worked either in factories or in the fields. Little human capital was dedicated to factories so they were not very productive. Collective Farms became huge communes—25,000 peasants living together! Poor production, droughts, and floods caused one of the worst famines in history. In two years 20 million people starved to death.

The Great Leap Forward (1958-1961) Second 5 year plan to compete with the West Agricultural Production Steel Production Scrap metal –tools, pots,pans, etc. Backyard Production – furnaces made by the peasants

The Great Leap Forward (1958-1961) Negative Results Plan was abandoned early Goals were not met Injuries Starvation from famine Million of deaths

The Great Leap Forward (1958-1961) Positive Results 1961-1965 Recovery Chinese government made agriculture receiving first consideration, light industry second, and heavy industry third. production in both agriculture and industry surpassed the peak levels of the GLF by 1966

How Mao Used Repression and Terror to Control the Chinese

Repression and Terror The outbreak of the Korean War engendered a sense of fear among people for the threatened Chinese Communist revolution This atmosphere was used by Mao and Party officials to justify their more radical actions against "counter revolutionary elements" (i.e. landlords, bourgeoise) Main Methods: Labour Camps (Lao Gai) Public "trials" Imprisonment and/or executions Social scrutiny Mass Campaigns

Repression and Terror Three Antis Campaign: (1951) Again, an internal persecution campaign targeting against corruption, bureaucracy and waste Targets included managers, State officials and Party members (* In 1953, the first major purge of the Party took place, seeing the persecution of leading members such as Gao Gang and Rao Shushi) Targets were forced to publicly self- criticize and be humiliated Five Antis Campaign: (1952) This tackled problems such as bribery, tax evasion and theft of State property Targets included most of the bourgeoise class Mass meetings and group criticism sessions took place Instead of executions, many targets in fact committed suicide as a result of the repression

Trials of Landlords During 1949-1951, the Communists held mass trials of landlords and KMT leaders all over the country. Peasants were urged to denounce crimes committed by the former rulers. This tied the peasants who participated to the regime because they were implicated in the deaths of the elite.

Accusing the landlord of abusing his tenants

Trials Hundreds of thousands of members of the former elite were put to death in the mass trials of 1949-1951. Their land was then distributed among the poorer peasants. This was the most important revolutionary act in the rural villages of China.

Cultural Revolution

The Cultural Revolution - To maintain control Chairman Mao launched the Cultural Revolution to remove opposition to the Communist Party.

The Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution punished people who spoke against communism or the government. The Red Guard supported his efforts. Western influence was destroyed (literature, music, etc.) Artist were forced to create propaganda supporting communism.

The Cultural Revolution (1966-1969) Purge the communist party’s opponents and instill revolutionary values in the younger generation Eliminate Mao’s threats Peasant and worker equality Red Guards

The Cultural Revolution (1966-1969) Negative Results Schools were closed Traditional art, literature, paintings were burned Historical buildings, temples and churches were destroyed People were beaten to death for opposing Maoism

The Cultural Revolution (1966-1969) Positive Results China exploded its first H-Bomb (1967) Various advances in science and technology. Healthcare was made free and living standards in the countryside continued to improve.

Red Guards

Phase I: Red Guards (1966-69)

Red Guard Red Guard activities were promoted as a reflection of Mao's policy of rekindling revolutionary enthusiasm and destroying "outdated," "counterrevolutionary" symbols and values. Mao's ideas, popularized in the Quotations from Chairman Mao, became the standard by which all revolutionary efforts were to be judged.

Red Guards: Struggle Sessions (Purges) Red Guard denounced teachers, parents, school leaders in public facing hundreds of people for crimes against Mao and the Revolution. This was a unique method used by the Communist Party of China in the Mao era to shape public opinion and to humiliate, persecute, and/or execute political rivals, so-called class enemies .

Red Guards March to Canton

Red Guards Schools closed so the kids could join They beat anyone that they thought were counterrevolutionaries Most of these people with authority. They were publicly humiliated, beaten, and sometimes killed

Elena Songster & Jessica Stowell, OU Struggle Sessions http://freespace.virgin.net/peter.nolan/blackgangsmall.jpg http://en.epochtimes.com/news_images/2006-1-30-poster51951585.jpg Elena Songster & Jessica Stowell, OU

The Little Red Book Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong was published in 1964. Every citizen was (unofficially) required to study and memorize quotes from it to be seen as a good citizen.

Little Red Book Everyone would carry around a “Little Red Book”, and it was required to be read during school. The cover of the book says “Citacoes do presidente Mao Tse Tung” . Inside are some of Mao’s quotes and past speeches.

Mao’s Little Red Book The Chinese Communist Party is the core of the Chinese revolution, and its principles are based on Marxism-Leninism. Party criticism should be carried out within the Party. The revolution, and the recognition of class and class struggle, are necessary for peasants and the Chinese people to overcome both domestic and foreign enemy elements. This is not a simple, clean, or quick struggle. War is a continuation of politics, and there are at least two types: just (progressive) and unjust wars, which only serve bourgeois interests. While no one likes war, we must remain ready to wage just wars against imperialist agitations. Note: Mao’s Quotations were published by the Chinese government from 1964 to 1976.

Mao’s Little Red Book Fighting is unpleasant, and the people of China would prefer not to do it at all. At the same time, they stand ready to wage a just struggle of self-preservation against reactionary elements, both foreign and domestic. China's road to modernization will be built on the principles of diligence and frugality. Nor will it be legitimate to relax if, 50 years later, modernization is realized on a mass scale. A communist must be selfless, with the interests of the masses at heart. He must also possess a largeness of mind, as well as a practical, far-sighted mindset. Women represent a great productive force in China, and equality among the sexes is one of the goals of communism. The multiple burdens which women must shoulder are to be eased.

Goals: Destroying the Four Olds

Cultural Revolution Swept Away 4 OLDS Old customs Old culture Old habits Old ideas

Burning of Books & Old Culture Burning of Buddhas

The “Four Olds” One of the ways to approach this is to rid every one of their valuable possessions. Mao’s Red Guards would raid houses looking for “four olds”. *A four old is an item or behavior that shows old custom, old culture, old habit, or old ideas. *Remember that while Mao was draining the people in China of their wealth and power, Mao was a very wealthy man himself.

The Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) Against the Four Olds Red Guards: school students, mostly teenagers Sacking, looting, beating and killing Destroyed public and personal properties, and anything regarded as representing the Four Olds landlords, reactionaries, counterrevolutionaries, rightists, bad elements, traitors, spies, capitalist-roaders, all of them “ox ghosts and snake spirits”

Elena Songster & Jessica Stowell, OU Destroy the Four Olds http://graphitefurnace.blogs.com/main/cultural_revolution_buddha_burning.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/21/Destroy_old_world.jpg/220px-Destroy_old_world.jpg Elena Songster & Jessica Stowell, OU