The Chinese Communist Revolution

Kuomintang• Founded in 1912 by Sun Yet-

sen after the Republican Revolution of 1911

• Tolerant of communism• Influenced by President

Abraham Lincoln and Confucius

• Followed the Three Principles of the People– Nationalism– Democracy – Social Reform

Background

Sun Yet- sen

KuomintangUnder Chiang Kai-

shek:Completely anti-

communistImposed heavy taxesThe provinces of

China began to revolt through Communism.

Chiang Kai- shek

Mao Zedong• Born to a farmer in 1893• Became a Marxist during

1911 Chinese Revolution• Inspired by Lenin, Mao

established the Chinese Communist Party in 1921

• Created the Chinese Red Army

• Is credited with modern- day guerrilla fighting tactics

Chinese Red Army• Created in 1927• Mao ordered the Army to

not harm the peasants, and officers were forbidden from beating the men within the ranks.

• The peasants readily joined the communists

• In 1930, soldiers staged a revolt.

• Mao ordered 2,000 soldiers to be shot.

Mao’s Tactics

The enemy advances, we retreat.

The enemy camps, we harass.

The enemy tires, we attack.

The enemy retreats, we pursue.

Put back all doors when you leave a house.

Rice-stalk mattresses must all be bundled up again and returned.

Be polite. Help people when you can.

Give back everything you borrow, even if its only a needle.

Pay for all things broken, even if only a chopstick.

Don’t help yourself or search for things when people are not in their homes.

Chinese Red ArmySix Principles of the Red Army

• The city of Hunan was no longer able to handle the growing population of the communists.

• In 1929, Mao started a journey to Jiangxi, but lost 50% of their troops due to hunger, cold, and attacks from the KMT.

• Once in Jiangxi, they fought off the war lords and freed the peasants.

• By 1931, the total population of the communists was one million people.

Chinese Red Army

• In 1933 a German general named Hans von Seeckt advised the Kuomintang to launch an attack on the communists that were in Jiangxi.

• The method was slow but steady as they surrounded the territory with trenches and blockades, starving them out.

• Within a year, the Red Army had lost 50% of their territory and 60,000 soldiers.

• Otto Braun and his Russian agents advised the Red Army to fully attack the Kuomintang. Mao disagreed.

In your opinion, which method do you think is better? Who do you think the Red Army will listen to?

The Long March

The Red Army decided to full scale attack, as suggested by Braun. this cost the Red Army man and supplies, but they were able to break out.

Mao suggested a second attack at the rear of the Kuomintang forces, but Braun lead a retreat to Hunan, another communist base.

This began the Long March in the fall of 1934.Kuomintang found it easy to attack them on their

retreat, as Braun led them in a straight line.Mao took back the lead of the troops and took them in

a twisting path to Shaanxi.They reached Yan'an, Shaanxi in October of 1935. Only about 10% of the troops made it back.

The Long March

The Long March

The Kuomintang government was weak with corruption.

Mao took the opportunity and illegally set up a Communist government.

The population was much more supportive of Communism rather than Nationalism.

Chiang Kai- shek had to run away to Taiwan. October 1, 1949 the People’s Republic of

China was established.

End of Civil War

Mao became chairman of People’s Republic of China from 1954-1959.

The Communist Party took over the media and promoted good images of Mao.

Beginning in 1949 and lasting until 1953 millions of KMT officials, businessmen, landowners, and people who used to work for western companies were publically executed for suspected loyalty.

The Five Year Plan Background

In 1953 Mao began the first of two Five Year Plans.Purpose was to get China’s focus away from

agriculture and towards industry.Industrial plants were built and produced so

much that China did not need outside support.

The Five Year Plans

• In 1958 Mao launched the second Five Year Plan, also called, “The Great Leap Forward”.• This plan led the country into a famine that didn’t end until 1961.