China

Dynastic China• 13 ruling dynasties from 2100BC until 1912AD

• Early dynasties developed paper, gun powder, working clocks, porcelain and other technological advances

• Traded with the Europeans along the Silk Road• Some dynasties were highly organized, almost

modern, bureaucracies based on civil service examinations

• Other dynasties were ruled by warlords or outside conquering forces

Decline of Dynastic China• Peasants lost land, floods were common,

and Western/foreign pressures contributed to its decline

• Members of a Buddhist cult led the White Lotus Rebellion, a peasant uprising against taxes and government inefficiency

• After the overthrow of the last Qing emperor (age 5), China became a republic (1912-1949)– A republic means citizens elect

representatives to control government & policy

The Republic of China• Put an end to more than 2000 years of

imperial rule

• Government ruled by the Kuomintang (KMT)

• The largest challenge to their power was the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

The Long March

• In 1934, the KMT forced the CCP to retreat to northwest China

• This year-long ordeal allowed Mao Zedong to get total control of the CCP and begin his Communist propaganda plan

WWII• Japan invaded Manchuria September 1931

and set up the former Qing Emperor as the head of a puppet government

• The Japanese military was extremely violent its rampage of China throughout World War II

• KMT leader Chiang Kai-shek was forced to partner with the CCP against the Japanese

• With support from the US and USSR, the Japanese were forced out and surrendered in 1945

Conflict with the Soviets• Although allies against the Japanese during

WWII, the KMT and the CCP returned to their struggle for control of China

• Even though KMT forces were much larger, they were worn out from fighting the Japanese

• The CCP “People’s Liberation Army” were rested and fighting a moral, not political, fight

Communist Revolution

• Starting in 1946, the CCP conquered each region of China

• The CCP captured the capital of Nanjing April 23, 1949

• October 1, Chaing Kai-shek and the KMT government fled to Taiwan while Mao Zedong declared the formation of the People’s Republic of China (Communist)

The Great Leap Forward• Mao attempted to get rid of any Western

influences & make a truly communist country

• He collectivized farms, forced all foreign steel to be melted down to produce “Chinese steel,” and began civil engineering projects without the input of experts

• The consequences were wide-spread famine with18-42 million deaths and a country-wide economic collapse

Cultural Revolution• Mao outlawed religion and Western cultural

influences

• When the Great Leap Forward failed, Mao turned his concentration to “anti-Chinese treasons” from 1966 to his death in 1976

• Religious artifacts were destroyed; scholars, artists and religious authorities were imprisoned or executed

• This was an era of fear and propaganda

Life After Mao

• Hua Guofeng and Deng Xiaoping succeed Mao as the leaders of the CCP

• Once Deng took control, he immediately put an end to violence and oppression of the Cultural Revolution

• China began to strengthen its economy by using a Western, market model

Life After Mao

• Hua Guofeng and Deng Xiaoping succeed Mao as the leaders of the CCP

• Once Deng took control, he immediately put an end to violence and oppression of the Cultural Revolution

• China began to reinvigorate its economy by using a Western, market model

• However, he did not westernize any aspects of government or social life

Tiananmen Square Massacre• People (mostly students) upset with the Communist Party began

a pro-democracy protest in Tiananmen Square starting April 1989– Younger people were influenced by Western media and culture

• Beginning on the evening of June 3rd, the military is sent to remove the 50-100K protesters– People attempted to block the tanks

• Under martial law, the military was ordered to clear the square by 6:00– Between 4-6K were killed

• The event was publicized by the Western media• The CCP was highly criticized and even condemned by

governments in Western and Eastern Europe, non-communist Asia and the United States

Modern China• 4th largest country by area

• The most populated country– 1.3 Billion– 23% of the world’s population– 1 child policy to slow population growth

• Moving toward a market economy

• Still a communist government

• World’s fastest growing economy– Over 2% GDP growth every year– Environmental pollution