Mao’s China:
“A revolution is not a dinner party...”
• “A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.”
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)
Having defeated the Guomindang, Mao set about building a Communist China. His first concern was rebuilding a country that had been torn apart by years of civil war.
• Communist ideology shaped new government
• Change in China’s political, economic systems
• Government discouraged practice of religion
Rebuilding China
• Also seized property of rural landowners, redistributed among peasants
• Put in place Soviet-style five-year plans for industrial development
Development
• 1957, first plan doubled China’s small industrial output
• Early efforts to build economy successful
• Improved economy, reduced poverty
First Plan
China under Mao
• China Modeled on Soviet Union
• Soviet Union provided financial support, aid in China’s first years • China modeled many of its new political,
economic, military policies on Soviet system• 1950s, territorial disputes, differences in ideology
pushed China away from Soviet allyImprovements in literacy rates, public health • Chinese life expectancy increased sharply over next few decades
• Improvements came at a cost– To consolidate Communist control over China, government soon began to
eliminate so-called “enemies of the state” who had spoken out against government’s policies
– Many thousands—including public officials, business leaders, artists, writers—killed, or sent to labor camps
So, overall was the first 5 yr plan a success or a failure?
• All health care was free• Western and traditional healthcare were
practiced.
“Women hold up half the sky!”
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