...Mao used various tactics and strategies to be able to consolidate his power over china. He used social, admin, military and political aspects to help him in the process. I do agree that the structure of the PRC in the 6 regions played a huge role in Mao’s consolidation of power but I don’t think it was the main reason. I believe that along with it, other factors were equally as important, such as training people who weren’t members of the CCP to join the government, terror with mass killings, imposed starvation and letting the national capitalists keep their job until he needed them to, so that the system was stable enough for him to control. He also made land reforms and introduced a registration system, which also helped consolidate his power. Mao also extended his political control with the “anti-movements” and the Politburo. The Anti-Movements was a movement against waste, bribery, and inefficiency. It was used as an excuse to getting rid of anybody standing in Mao’s was of ruling. He used to get rid of the people whom he had given jobs to in the beginning, those who weren’t past of the CCP, accusing them of inefficiency. He called these people “the bureaucratic capitalist class”. The Politburo was a circle of twenty leading members of the Communist Party, and the carried the government under the authority of Mao of course. So it was the party that ruled, and not the people. This helped Mao have a better control on the decisions taken for the country and therefore created...
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...To What Extend are the Chinese Views of Mao truthful? In China, Mao is more than a role model. Mao was often compared to the first Emperor of China who had united the 7 warring kingdoms in troubled times. Because of this, for the Chinese people, Mao symbolizes power, culture and unity. Contrary to this, Western Society believes that Mao was a dictator who was responsible for the death of 49-78,000,000 people during Mao’s reign: 38,000,000 from famine in the Great Leap Forward, 28,000,000 in the LaoGai Camps and 3,000,000 counterrevolutionaries’ participants. [1] Since there is such a difference in the opinions, it makes you wonder is there truth in the contradicting views of Mao. In China Mao was often seen as a militaristic leader who united China using clever strategic plans, whilst under times of turmoil. It is hard to argue against as I believe that it is almost true. Under Mao, there was the success of the Long March, triumphing in the Second Sino-Japanese war, Sino-Indian War and lastly the victory over the Nationalist Party. It makes me think: is it really possible for one man to do all that? For example on The Long March It was said that it was Mao’s Idea; Mao led the way, Mao who encouraged the marchers and so on. On the contrary, it was said he stayed way behind the front lines when there was fighting. Plus, it was Otto Braun (a Russian agent)’s idea to do a full scale retreat to Yan’an where the Chinese Communist’s Part Second Army was to be based....
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...destiny of China” To what extent do you agree with this statement? The Long March was an epic journey across China conducted by the Red army in 1934. After the breakdown of the first United Front, Chiang Kai Shek launched an offensive which forced a retreat from Mao and the Red army. This retreat is believed to have lasted for over a year and covered 6000 miles. By the end of the march, of the 80000 marchers who embarked on the journey, only 6000 made it to Yenan. It was a march rich with heroism and hardship. However to call the Long March a retreat that changed the destiny of china is controversial. The term 'destiny' can be interpreted in two different ways. It can be the outcome of the Long March influencing the civil war by 1949 or the world's perspective of China. According to many historians, such as Richard Cavendish, the Long March was a victorious march for Mao and the CCP. It made the survival of the imperiled CCP possible, gave Mao a secure grasp on its leadership and ultimately led to the creation of the People's Republic of China. “As a bulwark of Chinese pride and patriotism, skillfully exploited as such by Mao and his circle”. It is also sometimes believed that the Long March was a seeding machine, one that spread the Marxist ideology and manipulated the opinions of China and Mao across the globe. Before the epic journey began, the CCP was in a quagmire and the Nationalists seemed on the point of establishing an unshakeable control over China. The communists...
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...Establish planning (Central Planning) * Annual planning, similar to soviet style * Went back to recognising hierarchy and experts (Chinese) * Russians began to fear China, they armed the Chinese border * Pay differentials, if you do more skilled work you get paid more * By 1965 they’ve doubled their 1957 output * Introducing elements of capitalism and its working Politics: - Ideology takes second place to pragmatism - Mao is being ignored - They bring back many of the people in labour camps people Mao had purged in the past - Mao tries to get power back, power struggle and it’s going to bring negative impacts Cultural Revolution Key dates: 1976 Mao dies 1966-1976: - Cultural Revolution- intensifies in the beginning - In the mid 60’s the pragmatic group of the party led China - Trying to create a reasonable standard of living with economic stability - Still working on national unity - Making sure China’s place in the world is made secure Why it happens? * Mao still has a very revolutionary vision * One of those visions, is greater equality and of mass participation to create change * Mao thought China was stagnating in terms of revolution * He identified the things that were holding China back from proper revolution * Mao looks at education as one of the factors * Education gave a view privileges, e.g. people from rural areas received bad education * He saw this was becoming hereditary ...
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...Mao’s philosophy on how to lead a revolution was bathed in Nationalism. It is Mao’s love for China’s independence coupled with agrarian reforms that put Mao on the road to power. After 1949, Nationalism would reappear in Mao’s cultural policies, his relationship with Moscow and underdeveloped countries. Mao feared nothing and no one. Using Marxism-Leninism as a framework, Mao proposed the use of peasants to create his revolutionary elite. His innovative thinking was unpopular among many of Mao’s Communist comrades; they believed the proletariat to be the key group (Cheek, 11). Mao also championed women’s liberation from masculine authority of husbands as well as clan, temple, and general religious oppression (Cheek, 11) also unacceptable position for a Communist to take. Mao’s breakdown of the rural classes into poor, middle and rich peasants demonstrated the Nationalist impulse rooted in his personality. His attachment to China led him to cooperate with the Guomindang, a nationalist group (Cheek, 10) and in the resistance war against Japan guided Mao to power (Cheek, 13). After standing up to his abusive father Mao said, “…I learned that when I defend my rights by open rebellion my father relented, but when I remained meek and submissive he only cursed and beat me the more” (Cheek, 1). During an interview with Snow, Mao adds, at the same time it probably benefited me. It made me most diligent in my work; it made me keep my books carefully, so that he should have no basis...
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...The Cultural Revolution lasted for a decade and saw the fragmentation of China only ending after yielding seemingly little benefit to anyone involved. Mao Zedong was foremostly, and most successfully, a revolutionary and much of his life had been spent seeking to fundamentally transform China. Mao’s goal, to form a new strong and prospering China, required the creation of a new national sense of being through the Cultural Revolution. To forge a new society and culture, rid of entrenched feudal ways was considered absolutely necessary with the omnipresent shadow of the New Culture Movement, which had been frustrated by the size of the task. Only a mass movement by the entire nation to reform themselves could succeed. Mao found his answer in the political philosophy of Marx and Lenin whose work he synthesised and altered, eventually focusing on the potentially revolutionary aspects of widespread revolution. Mao made a significant contribution to Marxist philosophy by concluding that in order to keep the results of a revolution in place, the revolution too had to be permanent. Mao launched the Cultural Revolution, motivated by this genuine desire to preserve and protect the revolution by making it impossible for China’s leaders to become comfortable and lead the nation to regress to capitalism. The Communist victory in 1949 and subsequent decade of control saw some slow improvements in the life of the ordinary Chinese, and few leaders of the CCP were adamant that a revolution was...
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...At the turn of the 20th century China was the world's oldest continuously extant civilization, being four thousand years old, but, a mere twenty years later that bastion of civilization was thrown into turmoil and discord by the arrival of western civilizations who brought with them a new ethos and dictum on the structure of society that, would open the eyes of the insular Chinese people and awaken the great sleeping dragon, that would propel them into modernity. A number of factors were present in China at the turn of the century that would led to the gradual establishment of Communist rule under the charismatic, enigmatic Mao Zedong. At the time of the CCP's inception in 1920 China was a deeply divided socially, economically and politically backward country ruled by self-serving, despotic war-lords and encumbered by foreign powers who held unequal treaties which entitled them to special economic and territorial privileges in China, a source of great discontent to the Chinese people. This great social upheaval gave rise to new and more radicalized schools of thought, led by disenchanted intellectuals who strove to unify China and rid her of her many tyrannical overlords.The Nationalist KMT Party were the Communists main contender for power; not only were they the public face of politics in China, they also had the backing of Soviet Russia, but, over time Chiang Kai-Shek and the KMT would come to represent consummate despotism; Siphoning of public funds, their brutality towards...
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...Emperor Mao Zedong's beliefs changed the way that China exists to this day. His ideas revolutionized Chinese culture and lifestyle for decades. His changes resulted in the deaths of millions of people, wasted time and brainwashed the people of China to follow his often misguided lead. A part of Mao's rise to power involved millions of people dying. Regularly land was taken from the landlords and given to the peasants who worked the land. This was a positive change in that it improved the lives of many Chinese people. Unfortunately, Mao also encouraged the public humiliation and murder of these landlords. Thousands of these men were put on stages, harassed and killed. Although the landlords made life miserable for the Chinese farmers and peasants,...
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...Stalin and Mao Every country has experienced and needed one or two remarkable leaders at one point or another. Some countries are very lucky to have a great leader at an important time and make full use of the leaders; however, other countries are unfortunate to have the good leader become weak and powerless. Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin are two of the greatest leader of China and Soviet Union all over the world. A great leader can influence a country for a long period of time and the impact can ever last for generations, for instance Mao’s impact on China which lasts for years until now. As the leader of the World Communist Party and the leader of Communist Party in China, Stalin and Mao share very similar thought and concept about the path of developing and Communist revolution, however, there is more divergence between them. Some scholars believe that they are both partners and competitors and this can be proved through many evidences. Although Mao and Stalin were two legend leaders of the Communist Party, it could not be denied that there are merits and demerits through their entire life. In the beginning, Mao was not as infusive as Stalin in the world in many aspects and he made important and strategic decisions with listening to the Stalin’s advices. There are few records or letters recording the communications between Mao and Stalin, however the left ones show that they once had very close and frequent communication with each other. Some scholars also believe that Stalin...
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...Dong Won Moon Ms. Jana Russ World Civilizations: China 23 July 2009 What were the reasons which caused Qing Dynasty to fall? And why is that important? What was the opportunity that does China got a foothold in modernization? What is the last Kingdom of the history of China? The Qing dynasty was the last kingdom ever lasted in Chinese history. In fact, the fall of the Qing dynasty facilitated modernization of China, however there were three main reasons which caused collapse of Qing dynasty: Empress Dowager Cixi, Opium war and rebellions during Qing period. First, who is Empress Dowager Cixi? As the textbook “CHINA: A Cultural, Social, and Political History” by Patricia Buckley Ebrey said the Cixi was most powerful person during the self-strengthening period. To maintain her authority, she chose her four years old cousin after her son’s death. The record also said that Cixi was a skillful political operator (p.223). However, Cixi was sided with conservative parts which caused French fleet attack on China (p.224). So this was the reason why Qing got attacked from foreign forces which the dynasty gradually got weakened, so Cixi was one of the reason why Qing dynasty got perished. This was also pretty interesting issue that it was kind of opposite view comparing to Kangxi who lived to perceive the Qing Empire firmly established (p.190). Another big issue that caused Qing dynasty to fall was the Opium War. As the textbook by Ebrey, it said that by the late 18th century...
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...Education System in the Eras of Mao and Post-Mao The education policy in China has been lasted for a long period of time; it can be trace to the imperial examination. In the early of the 20th century, the modern education system is being established and finalize. However, things change once the People's Republic of China founded. The Communist Party chairman, Mao Zedong, puts forward his own educational ideological and system in China, but his ideological had been fail at last because of the Cultural Revolution. Therefore, in the post-Mao period (1978 to present), the educational system has been reform again. The post-Mao education system has abrogated the old system and set up a new one that match the development of China. Since different chairmen will have different ideology, the educational systems between Mao and Post-Mao periods also have many differences. After the founding of the People's Republic of China (1949), the Chinese Communists are started reforming the political in the areas of politics, economics, military and religion, especially on the educational system. To be the leader of PRC at that time and was graduated from the Teachers’ College, Mao Zedong had put forward education ideological system for the people in China. At first, the new education system was based on the Soviet model, the government move the whole Soviet Union education system into China to replace the old education in China, therefore, the Chinese education and culture had become under the...
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...by the political rivalry of Khrushchev and Mao? The Sino Soviet split occurred largely due to the ideological issues that Mao and Khrushchev had, having vastly opposite ideas on the nature of Revolutions. However, through this you largely see the clash of their personalities and how they differed vastly seen through the Soviet speech in which Khrushchev seriously offended Mao by announcing de-Stalinisation. National security was the basis of much strain as neither country felt safe mainly due to the advancement of nuclear weapons. Both countries had many attempts in order to gain stability ahead of the other such as the Korean War, where the USSR forced Mao to pay a large sum of money in order to pay back the USSR for its aid. However, this caused further rifts in the relationship. Due to the shared border of China and the USSR, territorial disputes were not unheard of however, throughout the Cold War, this became a larger issue as each wanted to assert more power. Although relations with the US was a factor involved in the split, it did little but cause tension and demonstrate the further rift that was happening between the two countries through the various meetings with presidents. Ideological differences were pivotal in the breakdown of Sino-Soviet relations as they marked a significant flaw in the relationship; this was mainly due to their idea of the Nature of a Revolution. The Soviets believed in a Worker’s revolution whereas Mao was set on a peasant revolution, which can...
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...PowerPoint presentations and hand out sheets. | -Early Chinese History; Qing Dynasty-Mao Zedong’s reign (Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution etc..)-Deng Xiaoping reign (rebuilding China) | | | | Deng Xiaoping and the transformation of China – Ezra. F. Vogel (author) | -Deng Xiaoping reign (how it differed to Mao Zedong’s, economic zones, -Chinese socialism – against traditional Marxist beliefs. | | | | Access to History, The People’s Republic of China, 1949-1976 – Michael Lynch (author) | -Mao Zedong’s reign (Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution etc..)-Deng Xiaoping reign (rebuilding China) | | | | The Search for Modern China – Jonathan. D. Spence (author) | -Life in China before Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping-The Chinese Empire; Qing Dynasty | | | | A Bitter Revolution: China’s struggle with the modern world – Rana Mitter (author) | -China before the present day/before it became so powerful worldwide-Mao Zedong’s and Deng Xiaoping’s reignModern Day China | | | | China: From Empire to People’s Republic 1900-1949 – Michael Lynch (author) | -Mao’s communist victory/takeover.-Mao speeches/quotes. | | | | China: A History – Harlod Miles Tanner (author) | -Mao Zedong’s reign (Great Leap Forward, -Cultural Revolution etc..) | | | | Mao Zedong’s Dictatorship – Kathlyn Gay (author) | -Mao Zedong’s reign (Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution etc..) | | | | Mao’s China: A nation in...
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...Mao Zedong is considered to be one of the most controversial political leaders of the twentieth century. He has been known both as a savior and a tyrant to the Chinese people. From his strategic success of the Long March, to his humiliating failure of the Great Leap Forward, to the Cultural Revolution that shocked the country and took countless lives, Mao has significantly influenced the result of what China is today. From humble origins, Mao Zedong rose to absolute power, unifying with an iron fist a vast country torn apart by years of weak leadership, imperialism, and war. This astute and insightful account by Jonathan D. Spence brings to life this modern-day ruler and the tumultuous era that Mao Zedong did so much to shape. Mao Zedong was born on December 26, 1893 in Shaoshan village in Hunan. He experienced a middle peasant upbringing that was “rooted in long-standing rural Chinese patterns of expectation and behavior” (Mao, 10). Mao went to Shaoshan village school where he learned the customary Chinese curriculum as well as studied the “time-honored texts from the Confucian canon” (Mao, 11). At this time in his childhood, the whole country could foresee the fall of the previous dynasty, the Qing. Mao studied to be a teacher at The First Provincial Normal School, in Changsha, which influenced his future thinking and beliefs. He believed that the Chinese way of thinking needed reform, therefore fixated on younger people and peasants to build his political career. In 1912...
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...designed by Mao to trap his opponents? “Criticism of the bureaucracy is pushing the government towards the better.” Mao managed to convince the intellectual population of China that he genuinely thought that criticism was a necessary factor in the further development of China as a communist nation. During the Hundred Flowers Campaign, many people criticized the party as well as Mao which led to Mao halting it. The communist party quickly reversed the movement and labelled all the critics as ‘rightists’. Historians still debate whether Mao designed the campaign to trick his opponents into revealing themselves or whether it was a social experiment that went wrong. Firstly, the Hundred Flowers campaign was a trick designed by Mao due to many reasons. Nikita Khrushchev denounced Stalin in The Secret Speech after the death of Stalin. This impacted Mao greatly and led him to believe that he would be similarly denounced upon his demise; therefore Mao wanted to identify and eliminate critics within China to prevent his legacy from being tainted. The Hundred flower Campaign can be considered a devious plan of Mao when he stated that he ‘flushed the snakes out of their caves’; this shows that Mao’s true purpose had always been to expose those who would dare to criticize him after his death, this he swiftly silenced them with the Anti-rightists Movement. The speed with which Mao reversed his policy is proof that the campaign had been a farce from the very beginning. Mao also had a strong...
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