Revolt, Revolution and Civil War!

Empress Dowager Ci Xi tried to adopt reforms to help China in education, government, and economics---doesn’t work  New elite wanted a say in the government  A young radical, Sun Yat-sen, formed the Revolutionary Alliance which became the Nationalist Party  Developed a 3 stage reform process to take over China  1. Military takeover  2. Transitional phase where Sun’s party prepare the people for democratic rule  3. Create a constitutional democracy Fall of the Qing Dynasty

In 1908 Empress Dowager Ci Xi died  Guang Xu died one day before  China’s last emperor became Henry Pu Yi—an infant  In October 1911 Sun Yat-sen’s followers launched an uprising  Toppled the Qing Dynasty  Established General Yuan Shigai as President  He controlled the military (think Sun’s stage #1)  Unfortunately Yuan was hated by everyone  Ruled in traditional manner, not in a democratic way.  Used terror to control the people  The Nationalists launched a rebellion against Yuan but were defeated  Sun Yat-sen fled to Japan  Today Sun Yat-sen is credited with founding modern China Revolution of 1911

 By 1920, two parties emerged fighting to control China: the Nationalists and the Communists  Initially the two parties worked together to take control of China  Leaders:  Chiang Kai-shek: Nationalists  Mao Zedong: Communists  Chiang founded a new Chinese republic in Nanjing and tried to reunify China.  Broke alliance with Communists  Shanghai Massacre—killed thousands of Communists  Chiang tried to kill all Communists  Mao’s military used guerrilla tactics—VERY SUCCESSFUL Nationalists and Communists

 In 1934 Chiang’s army had surrounded Mao’s army  Mao’s army broke through the Nationalists lines and began the “Long March”  Travelled 6,000 to reach last Communist area in Northern China  90,000 troops started, 9,000 survived the march  Crippled Mao and the Communists  Chiang Kai-shek tried to follow Sun Yat-sen’s plan  Tried to westernize China  Built roads and railroads  But also censored the media and oppressed the people (due to fear of communist influence) The Long March

 1945 Mao had gained support and began a Civil War with Chiang Kai-shek  By 1949 Chiang was defeated and fled to Taiwan with 2 million of his followers  Mao made China Communist  Took almost all private land and businesses  Ruled from  Great Leap Forward: Program of economic growth  Created communes – massive farms were +30,000 people lived and worked together  Food production plummeted —massive starvation and poverty  15 million died from starvation  Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution  Wrote “Little Red Book” which had important Communist ideas  Red Guard: Kill ANYONE against Mao  Eliminate “Four Olds:” Old ideas, old culture old customs, old habits  Basically brainwashed the people Mao’s Triumph