1. Establishing Modern China

2. A little bit of history….
The Chinese were the first people to invent:
Gunpowder
Fireworks
Tea
Silk
Printing Press

3. A little bit of history….
Great Britain tried to colonize China because of China’s resources and to spread Christianity. (Remember the 3 reasons they colonized Africa?
For thousands of years, China was ruled by dynasties, or families of rulers.
The Chinese Dynasties fell from power after the Opium War with Great Britain.

4. The Opium War
When China refused to be colonized and trade with Europe, Great Britain fought against them in the Opium War, and the British won.
China was forced to give up control of many of their resources, including the city of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong belonged to Great Britain until 1999.

5. The Japanese Colonize China
After WWI, the next group of people to colonize China were the people from Japan.
Two different groups emerged to fight against the Japanese: The Nationalists & Communists
When the USA defeated Japan to end WWII, China became an independent country again.

6. The Communists take over China
The communist leader of China was Mao Zedong.
Mao established an oligarchy in China.
Mao Zedong’s rise to power is called the Communist Revolution.

7. The Communists Take over China
After WWII, the Nationalist party takes over China. The Nationalists were supported by the USA, because they wanted China to become a presidential republic.
The Nationalists then try to expel the communists from China on the Long March, or forced them into prisons.
This started a civil war which would be won by the communists.

8. Mao’s Stranglehold on China
Mao Zedong implemented several laws and policies in China to ensure government domination, including:
The Great Leap Forward
Taking over all Chinese schools
Taking over all businesses and farmland.
Not allowing citizens to choose their own educational and vocational path

9. Mao’s Stranglehold on China
As a result, the citizens have very few liberties..
Citizens who did not support the Communists were jailed or persecuted.
Mao started the Cultural Revolution to rid China of all who opposed Communism.

10. Tiananmen Square
In 1989, a group of college students in China protested the government in an event called Tiananmen Square.
They were protesting for democracy in China.
The government responded by sending out the military to squash the protest.
This caused international outrage and many countries to place an embargo on China.

11. The USA and China today…
China is still one of our primary “frenemies”.
That means that we trade with them because resources are cheap, BUT
We still oppose their government and take citizens who are fleeing the Communists.