History of the History of the People’s Republic of People’s Republic of

ChinaChina

Country Bio: ChinaCountry Bio: China Population: Population:

– 1,307.560,0001,307.560,000 Territory:Territory:

– 3,705,386 sq. miles3,705,386 sq. miles Year of PRC InaugurationYear of PRC Inauguration: :

– 19491949 Year of Current ConstitutionYear of Current Constitution: :

– 19821982 Head of Party and State:Head of Party and State:

– Hu Jintao (president)Hu Jintao (president) Head of Government:Head of Government:

– Wen Jiabao (premier)Wen Jiabao (premier)

Language:Language: – Standard Chinese or Mandarin Standard Chinese or Mandarin

(Putonghua, based on the Beijing (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect) dialect)

– Yue (Cantonese) Yue (Cantonese) – Wu (Shanghaiese) Wu (Shanghaiese) – Minbei (Fuzhou) Minbei (Fuzhou) – Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese)Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese)– Xiang Xiang – Gan Gan – Hakka dialects Hakka dialects – Minority languagesMinority languages

Mao’s China: 1949-1976Mao’s China: 1949-1976

Mao was charismatic leader of Chinese Mao was charismatic leader of Chinese Communist Party since its founding in 1921Communist Party since its founding in 1921

Wanted to create revolution from the rural Wanted to create revolution from the rural areas (“A single spark can start a prairie areas (“A single spark can start a prairie fire”)fire”)

For Mao, For Mao, peasantspeasants would be the source of would be the source of support for China’s Communist movement support for China’s Communist movement – (think about contrast with traditional Marxism's (think about contrast with traditional Marxism's

emphasis on the industrial working class)emphasis on the industrial working class)– Have to understand China's reality – If waiting Have to understand China's reality – If waiting

for the industrial working class, would be for the industrial working class, would be waiting a long timewaiting a long time

Land ReformLand Reform

Mao discovered in the 1920s that the Mao discovered in the 1920s that the Communists could win the support of Communists could win the support of the peasants by taking away land the peasants by taking away land from the rich and sharing it with the from the rich and sharing it with the poorpoor

The Long March (1934-The Long March (1934-1935)1935)

Communist Victory in 1949Communist Victory in 1949

Due to corruption and inefficiency Due to corruption and inefficiency among the KMT (Nationalist) among the KMT (Nationalist) leadership, the Communists took leadership, the Communists took power in mainland China in October, power in mainland China in October, 19491949

The KMT (led by Chiang Kai-shek) The KMT (led by Chiang Kai-shek) retreated to the island of Taiwanretreated to the island of Taiwan

The New Leader of ChinaThe New Leader of China

Trials of LandlordsTrials of Landlords

1949-1951—Communists held mass 1949-1951—Communists held mass trials of landlords and KMT leaders all trials of landlords and KMT leaders all over the countryover the country

Peasants urged to denounce crimes Peasants urged to denounce crimes committed by the former rulerscommitted by the former rulers– Tied peasants to the regime because Tied peasants to the regime because

they were implicated in the deaths of they were implicated in the deaths of the elitethe elite

Accusing the landlord of Accusing the landlord of abusing his tenantsabusing his tenants

Effects of the TrialsEffects of the Trials

Hundreds of thousands of members Hundreds of thousands of members of the former elite were put to death of the former elite were put to death in the mass trials of 1949-1951in the mass trials of 1949-1951

Their land was then distributed Their land was then distributed among the poorer peasantsamong the poorer peasants

IndustrializationIndustrialization

1949-1960–China followed Soviet 1949-1960–China followed Soviet strategy of industrialization with the strategy of industrialization with the help of Russian engineershelp of Russian engineers

Five year plans used to emphasize Five year plans used to emphasize investment in heavy industryinvestment in heavy industry

Great Leap Forward, 1958-60Great Leap Forward, 1958-60

In 1958, Mao decided that the Soviet In 1958, Mao decided that the Soviet strategy of industrial development strategy of industrial development was not suitable for Chinawas not suitable for China

Mao developed unique Chinese Mao developed unique Chinese method of industrializationmethod of industrialization– Mao thought that peasants could learn Mao thought that peasants could learn

to make steel on a decentralized basis in to make steel on a decentralized basis in backyard steel furnacesbackyard steel furnaces

Great Leap ForwardGreat Leap Forward

Small villages eliminated, peasants moved Small villages eliminated, peasants moved to larger towns to produce steelto larger towns to produce steel

Peasants forced to live in dormitoriesPeasants forced to live in dormitories Communal kitchens and nurseries Communal kitchens and nurseries

establishedestablished These measures failed on a massive scaleThese measures failed on a massive scale

Great Leap Forward Great Leap Forward (EFFECTS)(EFFECTS)

Millions of peasants pulled away from Millions of peasants pulled away from agricultural tasks in order to engage agricultural tasks in order to engage in industrializationin industrialization

This lack of attention to the crops This lack of attention to the crops added to the problem of a serious added to the problem of a serious drought and up to drought and up to 30 million30 million people people died in China during this perioddied in China during this period

Sino-Soviet DisputeSino-Soviet Dispute

Russians insulted that Chinese not Russians insulted that Chinese not following their advice and pulled out following their advice and pulled out engineersengineers

Sino-Soviet DisputeSino-Soviet Dispute

From 1960 onward, China and Russia From 1960 onward, China and Russia disagreed on major domestic + disagreed on major domestic + foreign policyforeign policy

The Great Proletariat The Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution (1966-Cultural Revolution (1966-

1976)1976) Mao began pushing a new crusade Mao began pushing a new crusade

to transform Chinese culture to to transform Chinese culture to make the country make the country more purely more purely communistcommunist

Main Goal: eliminate all opposition Main Goal: eliminate all opposition to Mao’s ideasto Mao’s ideas

Attacked traditional Confucian and Attacked traditional Confucian and Buddhist elements in Chinese cultureBuddhist elements in Chinese culture

Cultural RevolutionCultural Revolution

Any Communist leaders who were Any Communist leaders who were not strongly for equality were not strongly for equality were condemned in this movementcondemned in this movement

– Included purging moderate political Included purging moderate political leadersleaders

Effort to mobilize mass action and Effort to mobilize mass action and revive revolutionary commitmentrevive revolutionary commitment

Communist Party leadership Communist Party leadership manipulated public opinion in order manipulated public opinion in order to strengthen their political positionsto strengthen their political positions

Deng Xiaoping (Economic Deng Xiaoping (Economic Reforms)Reforms)

1976 to 1997– China led by Deng 1976 to 1997– China led by Deng XiaopingXiaoping Introduced capitalist-type economic reformsIntroduced capitalist-type economic reformsWelcomed foreign investmentWelcomed foreign investment

Special economic zones (SEZs)Special economic zones (SEZs)Experimented with free marketsExperimented with free markets

Peasants allowed to leave the collective Peasants allowed to leave the collective farms to farm their ownfarms to farm their own

Local governments permitted to establish Local governments permitted to establish industrial companies that functioned like industrial companies that functioned like capitalist firmscapitalist firms

Deng XiaopingDeng Xiaoping

Post-Mao Political ReformsPost-Mao Political Reforms

Constitution revised in 1982Constitution revised in 1982 Local Congress ElectionsLocal Congress Elections

– Chinese citizens now vote for representatives Chinese citizens now vote for representatives to the local People’s Congressto the local People’s Congress

– competitive elections initiated to control local competitive elections initiated to control local corruption and incompetent leaders and to corruption and incompetent leaders and to provide more legitimacy for leadersprovide more legitimacy for leaders

Mandatory retirement ages for national leaders Mandatory retirement ages for national leaders and term limitsand term limits

Loosened restrictions on internal movement Loosened restrictions on internal movement within Chinawithin China

Post-Mao ProtestsPost-Mao Protests

Democracy Wall – A place where Democracy Wall – A place where political views were freely displayed political views were freely displayed early in the post-Mao era (1978)early in the post-Mao era (1978)

Democracy Movement – led by Democracy Movement – led by university students demanding university students demanding more rapid political reform (1989)more rapid political reform (1989)

– Tiananmen Square massacre of June 4, Tiananmen Square massacre of June 4, 19891989

Political ParticipationPolitical Participation

Ethnic MinoritiesEthnic Minorities

Ethnic minorities fairly small populations + Ethnic minorities fairly small populations + geographically isolatedgeographically isolated

Post-Mao– more freedoms for ethnic Post-Mao– more freedoms for ethnic minorities in things like population control minorities in things like population control and languageand language

But, protests in Tibet and by the Uighurs But, protests in Tibet and by the Uighurs have been met with violencehave been met with violence

Government views Hong Kong, Taiwan, Government views Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Tibet as integral parts of a united and Tibet as integral parts of a united Chinese stateChinese state

Uighurs in Western ChinaUighurs in Western China

TibetTibet

Tibet ProtestsTibet Protests

Dalai LamaDalai Lama

Jiang Zemin and Hu JintaoJiang Zemin and Hu Jintao

Most recent general Most recent general secretaries/presidents of Chinasecretaries/presidents of China

2002– 12002– 1stst transition from one transition from one general secretary to another that general secretary to another that followed new rules on term limits followed new rules on term limits and retirement ageand retirement age

Smooth processSmooth process

Assessing MaoAssessing Mao

In spite of the deaths during the GLF and In spite of the deaths during the GLF and the social and economic disruption of the social and economic disruption of the CR, they helped to modernize China the CR, they helped to modernize China both in its rural economy and in its both in its rural economy and in its ideologyideology

Chinese economic growth since Mao’s Chinese economic growth since Mao’s death in 1976 owes much to these two death in 1976 owes much to these two movementsmovements– They helped to give primacy to industry and They helped to give primacy to industry and

technologytechnology

After MaoAfter Mao

Mao would be turning over in his grave at Mao would be turning over in his grave at the foreign investment and the consumer the foreign investment and the consumer culture that is spreading in China todayculture that is spreading in China today

However, Mao’s efforts did create a strong, However, Mao’s efforts did create a strong, united Chinese state that after Mao’s united Chinese state that after Mao’s death was able to make serious reforms to death was able to make serious reforms to compete in a global economycompete in a global economy

But, China’s per capita GDP is still But, China’s per capita GDP is still relatively low, which is why it’s considered relatively low, which is why it’s considered a developing nationa developing nation