New China
Background World War II Civil War Destruction Collaborators Civil War Armies, inflation, refugees → Communist Party has to become a ruling party
Understanding the Transition Why it is interesting: Transition between two very different societies Questions to ask: Was the new state something new, or was it a continuation of earlier 20th century practices? Was the 1950s a golden age? How much choice did people have in what they did?
The Communist Party The earliest members: Urban intellectuals The top leadership till the 1980s Peasant leaders from the base areas Little education and very dependent on the party Young intellectuals who joined in Yan’an Strong commitment to Communist ideals Middle class backgrounds make them too dependent on the party Strong sense of community and strong ideals
Changes in the Countryside Initial rent reduction and other limited changes Identify potential activists Land Reform Give class designations eg poor peasant, landlord Confiscate property from rich peasants and landlords and redistribute to hired labourers and poor peasants Results Class labels (hereditary) Destruction of social institutions
Changes in the Countryside Initial rent reduction and other limited changes Identify potential activists Land Reform Give class designations eg poor peasant, landlord Confiscate property from rich peasants and landlords and redistribute to hired labourers and poor peasants Results Class labels (hereditary) Destruction of social institutions
Changes in the Cities Economic recovery Korean War Campaigns of 1951-2 Suppression of Counter-Revolutionaries Three-Anti and Five-Anti Results Government can collect taxes effectively Recruit activists Class labels
Poster from the Korean War Long live the victory of the Korean People’s Army and the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army
The Questions Again How new were the practices of the Communist state? To what extent were they a continuation of early 20th century practices? Was the 1950s a “golden age”? How much choice did people have in what they did? Was this a “totalitarian” state?