Chinese Civil War

Mao Zedong (Tse-tung) Communism Wanted communist nation where peasants could be true revolutionaries. He would organize in rural areas. Lenin had befriended China, but his Marxism evolved from cities.

Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-shek) Nationalist (democratic) Promised democracy. Support from bankers, business people. Gov’t. became less democratic and more corrupt. Clashes with communists began in Full Civil War by Japan’s invasion in 1937 put war on hold until 1946.

The War Resumed in 1946 At first Nationalist had advantage with U.S. support ($2 b). Money didn’t go to people, many switched to communists. Mao’s Red Army soon took control of major cities by Chiang Kai-shek and Nationalist fled to Taiwan for democratic Chinese gov.

Communist Nations Expand Mao sends troops to Tibet, India and Mongolia, expanded borders. USSR sets up communist gov. N. Korea USA supports Taiwan, S. Korea

China Transforms Mao kills over a million resisting landlords to give land to peasants. Formed collective farms, each ran by households. Five-Year Plan greatly increased coal, steel, cement and electric production.

“The Great Leap Forward” Larger collective farms called communes Peasants owned nothing. Ate in communal dining rooms, slept in dorms, children raised in communal nurseries. Plan failed b/c peasants had no incentive to work. 20 m died of hunger. At same time relations w/ USSR fell

Cultural Revolution 1966 Mao urged youth to “learn revolution by making revolution”. Millions of teens left school to form Red Guards. Red Guards closed schools. eliminate “4 Olds” (ideas, culture, customs, habits). Resistors were executed or imprisoned. Major chaos caused Mao to stop revolution. Chinese Army ordered to stop Red Guards. Zhou Enlai restored order.