The Peoples’ Liberation Army,

1949

The Peoples’ Liberation Army,

1949

The Communist Victory

The Communist Victory

Geographical Changes

• Communist China gained control over:– Chinese– Turkestan

(Xinjiang)– Inner

Mongolia– Manchuria– Tibet

PRC = People’s Republic of China (Communists) / ROC = Republic of China (Nationalists)

Political Changes under Mao

• Communist government on mainland China

• Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong)– Chairman Mao – chairman

of the Communist party and leader of China – 1943-1976

Mao Zedong毛泽东

Mao and Communism Victorious

October 1949:Mao and Peoples Liberation

Army win

Jiang Jishi and Nationalists flee to Taiwan

The People’s Republic of ChinaLife Under Mao

The People’s Republic of China

The People’s Republic of China

People’s Republic: 1949 +

Mao Establishes Single Party government• Centralized under Chinese Communist Party• Restores order• Organizes production and food distribution• Eliminates mass starvation within 3 years

• Land Reform: land to the peasants

Reasons for the Communists’

Success

Reasons for the Communists’

Success► Mao won support of peasants – land

► Mao won support of women

► Mao’s army used guerilla war tactics

► Many saw the Nationalist government as corrupt

► Many felt that the Nationalists allowed foreigners to dominate China.

Mao's political ideology

IDEOLOGY: based on Marxism but adapted specifically to Chinese conditions; added own ideas of self-reliance; continuation of revolution; class struggle; learning from the people and mass mobilisation Self-reliance:• China to be independent and powerful• liberate China from foreign control• free the people from feudal landlords

Continuation of Revolution:• 1949: revolution begins now• essential for new generation to be involved in revolutionary struggle• Revolutionary zeal was top priority

Class struggle:• continuing class struggle vital to CCP's survival• CCP to be periodically "rectified" e.g. Yanan Rectification Campaign

(1942)

Mao's political ideologyLearning from the people:• CCP should be embedded in the masses• CCP to listen to concerns of the people• Masses to participate in policies discussions• The people: most important in ensuring CCP rule stays

fair/does not succumb to corruptionMass mobilisation:•  mobilise people in mass campaigns to achieve objectives• Mao strongly believed in goodness of people - believed

China's mass population could achieve everything 

Mao's political ideology• 1949: Mao established himself as undisputed leader of party• developed own distinctive reactionary Communism: MAO

ZEDONG THOUGHT• became cause of much debate/division within Party• Mao's flexibility enabled him to make tactical alliances with

certain Party members while maintaining ideological goals• eventually rid CCP of 28 Bolsheviks who opposed his

ideology - thus limiting USSR influence in China Cult of Mao:• Elevated Mao's position as "The Leader" - greater than any

other CCP member• Mao seen as omnipotent, wise, virtuous• consolidated position in Party as support of his ideology and

Mao Zedong Throught increased; enabled larger support base

People's Liberation Army• The job of the PLA did not end after China seized power in

1949; their main roles are:o Used as a form of propagandao Used as a main component to bridge the gap between

Party and people, i.e:o Participate in public works alongside people

• A PLA soldier is trained not only in the art of warfare, but indoctrinated by the Chinese Communist ideologyo State spending on the PLA took up over 41% as of 1953o There were 5 million men in 1950, but its size reduced to

3.5 million in 1953; nevertheless, they remained as the largest military force in the world ~ POWER demonstrated

o Every year, an average of 800000 men were conscripted (compulsory enlistment) into the PLA

People's Liberation ArmyPropaganda:• The PLA were revered as they

physically fought in the Chinese revolution, thus they were used to promote good virtues and arouse a sense of patriotic pride: Discipline, Self- sacrifice, Endurance, Perseverance

Interaction with the people:• They were sent to pass on the ideology to the peasants• Take part in public works (i.e. rebuilding bridges, railways, roads

damaged in previous wars)• Some demobilized units were restructured: i.e. First Field Army

turned into Production and Construction army responsible for tapping minerals and developing agricultural land

• This is an example of MASS LINE as a method of power consolidation

Maoist Era (1949 – 1976)

• penetration of state into society– sweeping mass campaigns

Marriage Law of 1950

• The very first law promulgated by the People’s Republic of China (1949 - )

• abolished arranged marriage• abolished polygamy• right to divorce

– 214,000 cases of divorce in 1986– 1,665,000 cases of divorce in 2004

Maoist Era (1949 – 1976)

• transformation of “feudal” social customs– establish new loyalty to Mao and to CCP

“Socialist New Man”

• communist ideals• socialist moral• culture and education• discipline

“Socialist New Man”

• “serve the people”– Lei Feng (1940 – 1962)

“Socialist New Customs”

“Women hold up half the sky”

“Women hold up half the sky”

1949: Peoples Republic of China proclaimed October 1, 1949

February 1950: Mao signs “Treaty of Friendship with Russia Russia provides partnership

in reconstruction & rehabilitation

Restored railways and canals to distribute food and fuel to people

June 1950: Land reform

introduced Attempt to redistribute land

equally among people & reduce power held by individuals

1950-53: Korean War- China & N.Korea VS. U.S., United Nations & S.Korea

Mao increases government controls, ending all Western or Capitalist influence on economy

Major industries nationalized, labor relations, hospitals, schools

Economic Changes under Mao• First Five-Year Plan (1953-1957)

– Advances in agriculture and coal, electricity, iron, and steel production

• Second Five-Year Plan (1958-1962)– “Great Leap Forward”– China became a leading industrial country– Peasants organized into communes – Widespread catastrophe – famine – at least

14,000,000 deaths

Propaganda Poster for the Great Leap Forward

The Great Leap Forward• All people worked either in

factories or in the fields.• Little human capital was dedicated

to factories so they were not very productive.

• Collective Farms became huge communes—25,000 peasants living together!

• Poor production, droughts, and floods caused one of the worst famines in history.

• In two years 20 million people starved to death.

Second 5 year plan to compete with the West

Agricultural Production

Steel Production Scrap metal –

tools, pots,pans, etc.

Backyard Production – furnaces made by the peasants

Negative Results Plan was abandoned early Goals were not met Injuries Starvation from famine Million of deaths

Positive Results 1961-1965 Recovery Chinese government

made agriculture receiving first consideration, light industry second, and heavy industry third.

production in both agriculture and industry surpassed the peak levels of the GLF by 1966

1956: “Hundred Flowers Campaign”Mao invites suggestions from

scholars and writers on improving communist system

1957: Campaign dropped and those found criticizing government are punishedEnd of freedom of thought for

China, reinforcing dictatorial power of CCP

Repression and Terror• The outbreak of the Korean War engendered a sense of fear

among people for the threatened Chinese Communist revolution

• This atmosphere was used by Mao and Party officials to justify their more radical actions against "counter revolutionary elements" (i.e. landlords, bourgeoise)

Main Methods:• Labour Camps (Lao Gai)• Public "trials"• Imprisonment and/or executions• Social scrutiny• Mass Campaigns

Repression and TerrorAmong many mass campaigns, the following were examples of the use of terror and repression

The Resist America and Aid Korea Campaign: (1950)• As a result of the Korean War, Americans and foreigners were

targeted as enemies of the state and expelled from the nation ~ China becomes closed to Western influences

• Any institutions that have Western links (i.e. Churches) came under state suspicion

The Suppression of Counter Revolutionaries: (1950)• This was the persecution of internal elements such as people with

links to the GMD, or religious sects• In Shanghai along in 1950, 40000 people were allegedly

persecuted, investigated, denounced and punished• Executions took place in public to install fear

Repression and Terror

Three Antis Campaign: (1951)• Again, an internal persecution campaign targeting against

corruption, bureaucracy and waste• Targets included managers, State officials and Party members (*

In 1953, the first major purge of the Party took place, seeing the persecution of leading members such as Gao Gang and Rao Shushi)

• Targets were forced to publicly self- criticize and be humiliated

Five Antis Campaign: (1952)• This tackled problems such as bribery, tax evasion and theft of

State property• Targets included most of the bourgeoise class• Mass meetings and group criticism sessions took place• Instead of executions, many targets in fact committed suicide as a

result of the repression

1952: ‘Five Anti Campaign’- Aimed to clean up corruption in China Lead against merchants &

businessmen accused of bribery, dishonesty or fraud

Accusations spread to countryside, millions died

5 Antis:BriberyTheftTax EvasionCheating on

government contractsStealing state economic

information

Trials of landlords

• During 1949-1951, the Communists held mass trials of landlords and KMT leaders all over the country.

• Peasants were urged to denounce crimes committed by the former rulers.

• This tied the peasants who participated to the regime because they were implicated in the deaths of the elite.

Accusing the landlord of abusing his tenants

Trials, 2

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

• Their land was then distributed among the poorer peasants.

• This was the most important revolutionary act in the rural villages of China.

The Cultural Revolution

- To maintain control Chairman Mao launched the Cultural Revolution to remove opposition to the Communist Party.

The Cultural Revolution

- The Cultural Revolution punished people who spoke against communism or the government.

- The Red Guard supported his efforts.

- Western influence was destroyed (literature, music, etc.)

- Artist were forced to create propaganda supporting communism.

Cultural Revolution

-During the years of the Cultural Revolution the economy weakened and the government was unable to perform their duties such as health care and education.

-Many Chinese called for reform. -Mao Zedong died in 1976 and the Cultural

Revolution ended.

Purge the communist party’s opponents and instill revolutionary values in the younger generation

Eliminate Mao’s threatsPeasant and worker

equality Red Guards

Negative Results Schools were closed Traditional art,

literature, paintings were burned

Historical buildings, temples and churches were destroyed

People were beaten to death for opposing Maoism

Positive Results China exploded its first H-

Bomb (1967) Various advances in science

and technology. Healthcare was made free and

living standards in the countryside continued to improve.

Foreign Relations• Russia (Soviet Union)

– Growing split between USSR and China• “Peaceful coexistence” policy of USSR viewed as surrender

– 1960 – end of Soviet economic aid• Tibet

– Seized in 1962• Korea

– Aided North Korea in the Korean War (1950-1953)• Vietnam

– Supported North Vietnam and aided Viet Cong during Vietnam War (1959-1975)

Foreign Relations• Cold War

– Economic aid to Africa, Asia, and Latin America• “Atomic Club” (1964)

– Fifth overall, and first non-white, country to develop nuclear weapons

• United Nations– One of five permanent members of U.N. Security

Council (1971, replacing Taiwan)• Relations with United States

– 1972 – U.S. President Richard Nixon opened diplomatic relations with China

Maoism created the foundation for modern Chinese ideals

Mao modernized Chinese industry and political culture

Although millions of lives lost during Mao’s reign, the Chinese economy did progress