Mao Zedong and Communism in China

WWII A large portion of WWII was fought in Asia. Many Asian countries had to be rebuilt after the war. Many countries experienced a change in government after WWII.

Leaders of China Chiang Kai-shek- Mao Zedong- Leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chiang Kai-shek- Leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang/ KMT)

Mao Zedong and China

Mao Zedong (Before WWII) Mao Zedong came from a peasant background. In 1918 he began working at the Beijing University library, where he studied Marxist ideas. Marxism is a political philosophy that focuses on class struggle. The ultimate goal is to have a classless society. The basic ideas for communism came from Marxism.

Mao Zedong and the CCP In1921, Mao joined the Chinese Communist Party. The CCP was formed because many young Chinese were unhappy with the Kuomintang, or the Nationalist Party, which headed the government. The KMT could not control the robbers and thieves who roamed the countryside. Also, the KMT could not improve agriculture as many Chinese faced famine.

CCP & KMT Chinese Communist Party Kuomintang/ KMT (Nationalists)

Mao Zedong and Civil War in China The formation of the CCP was inspired by the recent communist revolution in Russia. For a few years the two parties tried to work together. But in 1929, the KMT (Nationalist Party), led by Chiang Kai-shek, attempted to wipe out the Communists.

Mao Zedong and Civil War in China A civil war began between Mao and his communist followers and the Nationalist government.

The Long March In 1933, Mao’s 100,000 troop Red Army faced defeat by the 700,000 troop Nationalist Army. The Red Army retreated towards the mountains, beginning its dangerous journey called The Long March. The troops marched 6000 miles to avoid capture.

The Long March After about a year, Mao and his 6,000-7,000 survivors settled in caves in northern China. Chinese Communists today look at the Long March as a symbol of Mao’s dedication to his cause and to the Chinese people.

The Long March

China and WWII In 1937, Japan invaded China. The Japanese set up a puppet state- a Chinese leader would be the head of the government, but the Japanese government would make all the decisions.

CCP & KMT This invasion brought the KMT and CCP together (Lucknow Pact!!). The two parties put aside their differences and worked together against Japan.

Japanese Occupied Lands During WWII

China after WWII The Japanese surrendered on September 2, 1945, but peace did not come to China. The KMT and CCP began fighting for control again in a civil war- CCP won October 1, 1949- Mao Zedong, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, established the People’s Republic of China.

The Great Leap Forward Mao tried to reorganize all of China along communist lines: Factories and farms would be owned collectively. Private ownership was eliminated.

The Great Leap Forward Production Quotas were set for agriculture and industry. Society would be classless--everyone would be treated exactly the same and no one had more than anyone else. In 1958, Mao instituted the Great Leap Forward.

The Great Leap Forward This was a series of policies that Mao thought would help China make positive changes, becoming equal to the leading powers of the West. Mao believed the power of the peasants would make this work.

Great Leap Forward Propaganda

Great Leap Forward Propaganda

The Great Leap Forward He decided to organize all farms into large collectives, where all ownership and decision-making would be in the hands of the government. Because they didn’t own anything themselves, they had little reason to work very hard.

The Great Leap Forward Several crop failures followed. Sometimes peasants even lied about the amount of grain that had been produced rather than admit they hadn’t made their quota. A massive famine resulted. Millions of people died throughout China. The Great Leap Forward was abandoned in 1960.

How Mao thought China would look after the Great Leap Forward…

What China actually looked like for millions of people during the Great Leap Forward

The Cultural Revolution After the Great Leap Forward failed, farmers and factory workers tried to create some private ownership again. Mao saw his classless society ideal failing. Realizing that there was still a large gap between the educated elite in the cities and the peasants in the country, Mao’s response was to begin The Cultural Revolution in 1966.

The Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution was Mao’s attempt to rid China of anything that encouraged class differences. The Cultural Revolution attacked education, religion, private ownership, and anything from the west. Mao permitted the destruction of books, artwork, religious temples, and anything that was connected to China’s past or foreign ideas. Mao urged students to leave school and help “clean up” China.

The Cultural Revolution Many of these students were organized into a military group called the Red Guards. It was their job to find and remove anyone who was preventing China from becoming a classless society.

The Cultural Revolution Schools and universities were closed. Mao discouraged old Chinese cultural ideas.

The Cultural Revolution Teachers, artists, and writers were sent to the countryside to do hard labor. The Cultural Revolution was a time of great chaos in China.

The Cultural Revolution Many innocent people were killed or committed suicide during it. It lasted 10 years and only ended when Mao died in 1976.

Buddhist statues and ritual objects in the Jokhang Temple destroyed by the Red Guards.

Underneath a portrait of Mao Zedong,  the banner reads: "Completely destroy the old world!  We shall be the master of the new world."

China After Mao Zedong After Mao’s death, Deng Xiaoping was named China’s new leader. Deng had been with Mao since the Long March, but his ideas about communism in China were more moderate. He allowed farmers to own some of their own land. He allowed some private business.

China After Mao Zedong Deng opened China to foreign investment and technological advancements. Deng realized, unfortunately, that foreign trade opened up China to western influence. Western ideas new to China led to a series of student protests in 1989.

Tiananmen Square The biggest of these protests was led by 10,000 students in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. The students were protesting corruption in the Chinese government. They called for a move towards democracy. The students raised a statue called “Goddess of Democracy,” modeled after the Statue of Liberty.

Goddess of Democracy

Tiananmen Square* June 4, 1989- The Chinese government ordered soldiers to break up the demonstration in Tiananmen Square. They opened fire on the students, destroyed the Goddess of Democracy statue, and arrested thousands of people. The brief pro-democracy movement in China was ended.

Summarize… 1 Paragraph each describing each of the following: Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek The Long March The Great Leap Forward The Cultural Revolution Tiananmen Square