China- From Dynasty to Communism

Start UpWhat do you know about China?

Dynastic ChinaPowerful emperors ruled China for 2, 000 years. Emperors were believed to have a “Mandate from Heaven”According to Confucian tradition, dynasties could be overthrown if they governed poorly. Absolute Power- obedience of authority is taught in Confucianism. Social Structure is a pyramid.

Fall of Dynastic ChinaQing Dynasty in powerIntended to keep China isolated from other countries and foreign trade. Starting in the late 1700s, the British traded opium illegally. When Chinese authorities objected, the British defeated China in a series of wars and forced it to open itself up to trade. Other European countries and the U.S. also began trading with China.

Besides foreign trade, China had other internal problems.

Population GrowthShort food productionCorruption

Boxer RebellionAlthough it failed, led to nationalism. Chinese revolted against foreign influenceWants government to be responsive to their needs.

DiscussWere the opium wars harmful or beneficial to China?

WriteWhat influence did foreign nations have on China? Give specific evidence.

Use pages 335-339 in your books for more information.

CreateCreate a Venn Diagram comparing China under Dynastic rule and China under socialist/communist rule.

Start UpWrite 3 things you know about Communism.

Sun Yixian, leader to the Nationalist Party was successful in overthrowing the emperor of the Qing Dynasty- last dynasty in China. Wanted to make China a democracy Government was unstable- turned into military dictatorship- civil wars.

Mao ZedongChina was unhappy about the Treaty of Versailles after WWI- thought European imperialists would leave China. Rallies and Revolts led by Mao Zedong.People turned against the idea of democracy in favor of Lenin’s Soviet Communism.

Lenin and China become allies and share resources and ideas for a communist country. Civil War between Nationalist Party and Communist Party.Mao Zedong unites the peasants to his side. Communist Revolution- China officially becomes Communist in 1949.

Most Importantly, the leaders wanted to modernize the economy while giving everyone an equal share in the wealth. By 1956, Mao rejected the Soviet system which he thought relied too much on technology. He began a unique communist experiment relying on hard work and sacrifice.

Used propaganda to INDOCTRINATE everyone to his beliefs

IntroMao’s reforms brought some positive changesBut also ended all freedomsAnd destroyed traditions that had lasted thousands of years1953--5-year plan focused all nat’l efforts on improving factory outputRemarkably successfulLed to a terrible disaster:

The Great Leap Forward 1958-61

2nd 5-year plan focused on agriculture

Created massive collective farms

Peasants forced to live in military-like conditions

With 25,000 others

Great Leap ForwardPeople were forced to work together on large industrial projects. Had to work long hours- were compensated with health care, clothing, and food. People had to study the communist ideals to rid themselves of anti-Communist thoughts.

GLF, cont.Total disaster

Widespread resentment

Repeated crop failures

Famine led to 25 million deaths

Even industrial production fell

Govt cancelled program in 1961

Results of Great Leap Forward

FailurePoor ManagementPeople realized they could work little and still get benefits. One of the largest famines in history between 1958-1961

New LeadersIn wake of this disaster, Mao surrendered some duties

New leaders tried to modernize economy

Allowed peasants to sell crops for profit• Bonuses for hard workers in factories &

fields • Brought in experts w/ special skills

Cultural revolution, 1966-1969

• By 1965, economy had recovered

• But Mao disliked changes it brought:

• Higher wages weakened revolutionary spirit

• A privileged class of “experts” emerged

• He wanted complete equality

Red Guards

• 1966, Mao trained 11 million young people

• Formed units called Red Guards

“The Little Red Book”

• Each person carried “Quotations of Chairman Mao”

Goals:• To REJUVENATE the

revolution• By eliminating all

opposition to Mao• And all special privileges• Also, to remove all

reverence for for Confucius and other traditions

Methods• Attacked professors, writers,

scholars, musicians, & scientists

• Thousands killed or imprisoned

• Perceived enemies put on trial

• Then “purged & humiliated”• Entire economy disrupted by

the chaos

End of Cultural Revolution

• Mao finally realized students had gone too far

• Red Guards disbanded in 1969

Open Door Policy

Improved relations w/ US• Pres. Nixon visited 1972• Normalized relations in 1979• But 1st step, in 1971:

Deng Xiaoping• Took over when Mao Zedong died. • Encouraged economic reform and an incentive

system.• People were now allowed to sell their crops, if they

first met the quota to give to the government.• Allowed capitalist business form other countries to

enter China and use Chinese labor in specific places.

• Successful, but did not fix everything.

Tiananmen Square, 1989

• 1980s: reforms lifted std. of living

• More material. goods available

• But new capitalist ideas clashed w/ communist values

• By late ‘80s, students, writers, & artists calling for greater political freedom

• Many people, especially students wanted political reforms to match economic reforms.

• They wanted some freedoms such as freedom of the press, some wanted democracy.

Tiananmen Square• April, May 1989 • Hundreds of

thousands of protesters gathered in T.S. in Beijing

• The world watched, hoping for the best

• Soldiers broke up crowd w/ tanks and gunfire

• Killed hundreds, wounded thousands• Across China, those who spoke up were

shot, imprisoned, or tortured• The Chinese still wait for true freedom

• Protest of about 2 million people in Tianamen Square (in Beijing)- military put down the protest with force. Up to 3,000 killed.

Write• What prevented the Great Leap forward

from being successful?

• Read the last paragraph on pg. 555. Do you think China will ever allow more political freedom? Do economic and political freedom have to exist? Or can you have one without the other?

Homework• Make a study guide- Study for the Test!