1. Puyi of the Qing Dynasty
The Last Emperor
Puyi of the Qing Dynasty
Text

2. Sun Yatsen
The Republic of China
Reality: rule by
War Lords

3. Sun Yatsen
and Jiang Jieshu
Leaders of the
Guomindang

4. Early Years of Republic
May 4 Movement (1917): student-led;
frustration with Japan;
disappointment with Versailles
Guomindang works closely with USSR

5. Jiang Jieshi or
Chiang Kai-shek

6. Nationalists and Communists
Civil War between
Nationalists and Communists
In addition, the Japanese are making
inroads into China

7. The Long March

9. Late 1930’s - 1945: A Common Enemy: Mao and Jiang Jieshi “join forces”
Communists (CCP)
happy to let Nationalists
do the real fighting

10. Supreme Leader: 1949

11. Nationalists are left with Taiwan

20. The Great Leap Forward: 1958
In the end: up to 38 million died of starvation and relocation
“Production first: Life takes second place.”

21. Mao on the Great Leap Forward:
On peasants: “Educate peasants to eat less, and have more thin gruel.”
On the 38 million deaths: “Deaths have benefits. They can fertilize the ground.” (or) We are prepared to sacrifice 300 million Chinese for the victory of the world revolution. Don’t make a fuss (over this). At most - people die ...it’s best if half the population is left.”

22. “My farts are socialist farts, they have to be fragrant.”
On loyalty:
“My farts are socialist farts, they have to be fragrant.”

23. Out with the Old: “Growing flowers is a hangover from the old society, a pastime for the scholar class, bourgeois class, and other layabouts. We must change it now. Get rid of most gardeners.”
Anti-Intellectual: “The more books you read, the more stupid you become. Reading too much ruins you.”

24. The Cultural Revolution 1966-1976

25. Really, really bad: any kind of western art “Poisonous Weeds”:
porcelain
Opera
dance
Really, really bad: any
kind of western art
Theater
cinema
poetry
Folk Art
Story telling
literature
comics
all music, except songs praising CCP and Mao
traditional architecture

26. The Red Guard

27. Humiliation to all “opponents”. Or: death

28. Mao and Nixon

29. Mao: to this day - a much beloved figure in China