The Shifting Winds of Chinese Communism

The Fall of Dynastic China (1911)

The Fall of Dynastic China (1911)

• Powerful Emperors ruled for thousands of years

• “Mandate from Heaven” to rule• Large majority of population are peasants• Manchu Dynasty fell in 1911. Afterwards,

China controlled by various warlords.

The Communist Revolution (1949)

The Communist Revolution (1949)

• Long Civil War before Communists took power• Communists took over countryside and

confiscated landlords land and gave it to the peasants

The Influence of Soviet Socialism (1949)

The Influence of Soviet Socialism (1949)

• Leaders wanted a socialist and modern state• Heavy industry over revolutionary spirit• Communists organized peasants into state-

owned collectives• Chinese wanted a sense of human spirit and

value of equality

The Great Leap Forward (1958-61)

The Great Leap Forward (1958-61)

• Mao’s plan to teach masses of people to industrialize China in one “great leap”

• Large communes for services such as food and health care

• GLF failed and resulted in widespread famine

The Cultural Revolution (1966—76)

The Cultural Revolution (1966—76)

• Focus on rebuilding economy after GLF failure• Mao called on young people, termed Red

Guards, to guard culture/spirit of Revolution• Little Red Book = Mao’s quotations• Guards stamp out “incorrect” behaviors

The Economic Reforms of Deng Xiaoping (Begin 1979)

The Economic Reforms of Deng Xiaoping (Begin 1979)

• Rejected the socialist values and shifted focus back to making China economically powerful

• Peasants who met their government quota could then sell extra’s at market

• Capitalist enterprise began• These reforms were successful

Protest for Democracy at Tiananmen Square (1989)

Protest for Democracy at Tiananmen Square (1989)

• Students held a protest for democracy in Beijing

• Army called in to use force to clear the square• Between 700 –3,000 citizens were killed• Student leaders arrested and no democratic

reforms occured