Communist China under Mao

“We must have faith in the masses and we must have faith in the Party. These are two cardinal

principles. If we doubt these principles, we shall accomplish

nothing.”

Mao Zedong

“Protect the interests of the youth, women and children - provide assistance to young students

who cannot afford to continue their studies, help the youth and women to organize in order to

participate on an equal footing in all work useful to the war effort and to social progress, ensure

freedom of marriage and equality as between men and women, and give young people and children a

useful education....”

Mao Zedong

Questions

• What does this mean?

• What does this say about the Chinese government under Mao?

Mao

• Wanted to help China by…– Helping poor farmers– Create economic equality– Set up a dictatorship to force changes• Totalitarian = government w/ total control

• In other words, he was a hardline communist

Great Leap Forward

• 1950s• Wanted China to take a great leap forward by

using peasants to industrialize• Created communes of collective farming– Farmers forced to meet quotas & turn harvest

over to government• Huge failure – resulting in famine– Peasants too uneducated to industrialize

Cultural Revolution

• 1960s• Effort to keep communist energy &

revolutionary spirit going– Create youth groups called Red Guard– Wrote book called: Little Red Book

• Tried to end old ideas & capitalism

• Huge failure: Attacked educated professionals

Cultural Revolution docs

1. Everyone read Origins of Cultural Rev.2. Second reading, read 1 of:– Cult of Mao– Destroy Four Olds– Rustication of Youths

• In groups of 3, discuss specifics of program

Communist China under Deng Xiaoping

Deng

• Led China in 1980s• Wanted to help China develop with more

economic freedoms– Industrializing & focusing on manufacturing– Wanted to allow for profits (motivation)– Kept tight Communist control of government• No democratic reforms• 1-Child Policy to reduce population

• In other words, he was a dictator who wanted to keep Communists in power without using communist ideas.

Four Modernizations

• Special Economic Zones– Cities allowed to trade

• Responsibility System– Farmers given reduced quotas so extra harvest

could be sold for profit

Tiananmen Square Massacre

• 1989• Students protest for democracy• Government massacres 2000 protestors

Closure

• What is the difference between Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping? What the similarity between Mao and Deng?

China Today

China Today

• 2nd largest economy– …but divided among almost 2 billion people• Average Chinese person makes $10,000• Average American makes $45,000

• Industrialized– Economy based on manufacturing small, cheap

goods– …but lots of pollution

How has Chinese family life changed?

• Tried to weaken influence of family• Women gained legal equality– Allowed choice in marriage– Ended footbinding– Work & school opportunities

What is China doing to limit population growth?

• Population doubled under Mao• One Child Policy– Limits all couples to 1 child– Fines families with more than 1

Why is China criticized for its views on human rights?

• Does not allow any democracy• Harshly punishes those who criticize

government– Tiananmen Square

How has China’s relationship with Hong Kong changed since 1997?

• Britain returned control of its colony won in the Opium War to China

What is China’s relationship with Taiwan?

• Tense • Nationalists fled to Taiwan after losing civil

war– Government in exile– Waiting for Communist government to fall