Communism Spreads to China
1949-1970’s

Goal: Be able to explain
how Communists took power in China
changes the Communists made in China

Why is China important?
China’s huge economy:
GDP = $7.3 trillion
(More than Germany, France and Great Britain combined) (US = $15 trillion)
Huge population:
19% of world’s population
China’s military:
acquired nuclear weapons in 1960’s

Rise of the Kuomintang Party (Nationalists)
1911 - Kuomintang Party led a revolution against the Chinese emperor
Saw the emperor as backward, wanted a modern government
Opposed foreign intervention in China
1920’s – Fought against local rulers to unify China under Kuomintang rule

Civil War
1925 - Chiang Kai-shek became leader of Kuomintang

1927 – Communists in Kuomintang split, began a civil war with Chinese Nationalists
Communists led by Mao Zedong

Civil War (cont’d)
1937- Both sides joined forces to fight Japanese in World War II
1945 – Civil war resumed after WWII
1949 – Communists defeated Nationalists, Nationalists fled to Taiwan

August, 1949

1
What changes do you think Mao and the Communists will make in China?

Trials of landlords
1949-1951 - Communists held trials of wealthy landlords
Hundreds of thousands put to death
Their land was then given to poor peasants.

Accusing the landlord of abusing his tenants

Great Leap Forward, 1958-60
Attempt to bring about industrialization in China
Millions of Chinese work in state factories
Private farms abolished, peasants forced to work on state-owned farms
Many farmers forced to work in steel production
Led to famine resulting in millions of deaths

2
Do you think average Chinese person supported the landlord trials and the Great Leap Forward? Why or why not?

The Cultural Revolution 1966-1976
1966 - Mao Zedong began pushing to make the country more purely Communist
Mao attacked traditional Confucian and Buddhist aspects of Chinese culture

Cultural Revolution, 2
Educated, religious monks, anyone suspected of believing in tradition was publicly humiliated
Hundreds of thousands killed or sent to “re-education camps”
China essentially without schools in 1970’s
Communist Party members critical of government were removed from office

“The People's Liberation Army of China is the main school of Mao Zedong's thought"

3
Why do you think the Communism in China was such a failure? Could it have been done better or was it bound to cause disaster?

China and the Cold War
China supported North Korea in Korean War against South Korea/US

US accused China of sponsoring Communist revolutions throughout Asia
US did not recognize China’s Communist gov’t until 1972