China

Language Mandarin Chinese – most commonly spoken language Ideograms, not phonetic, symbols represent ideas or things 2,000-3,000 symbols to master to read a newspaper 20,000+ to master the language Symbols are pronounced differently in parts of China

Ancient History Ancient Civilization developed along Huang He River Most advanced country in the world by 1000 ad – gun powder, printing, compass Developed an inward looking, closed society Emperors ruled China until 1900s, dynastic cycle

Colonial Spheres By 1800s, European technology surpassed China’s, divided China into spheres of influence Forced China to trade with the west Western influences and natural disasters caused Chinese to rebel.

Government Emperor abdicates on Feb. 12, 1912 Sun Yat-sen becomes president and Nationalists gain control of China by defeating local warlords Nationalists wanted a government based on Western democratic principles.

1920s Civil War Nationalists led by Chiang Kai-shek wanted to modernize and westernize China Communists wanted to give more power to the workers and land to the landless peasants Mao Zedong became the new leader of the Communists. Long March in 1935, communists fled Nationalist troops by moving northward 6,000 miles . 8,000/100,000 survived Rallied support for the Communists

WWII Japan invaded China Communists and Nationalists joined together to fight Japan After war ended in 1945, civil war broke out again Nationalists defeated in 1949 Chiang Kai-shek and followers fled to Taiwan

Great Leap Forward into Communism Mao Zedong – China’s most important Communist leader, 1949-1976 Wanted to change China into a modern industrial country Increase the population Increase production of steel, capital goods with heavy manufacturing Wanted to increase agricultural productivity by forming collective farms and people’s communes

Great Leap Forward into Communism “Great Leap Forward” became a “serious step backward” China’s population more than doubled in 40 years 55 million people in 1950 to 1.1 billion in 1990 In 1958, severe droughts across China led to widespread famines 20 million people died between 1958 and 1962 Production did not increase and China could not support a population that big

Cultural Revolution Cultural Revolution of 1966 Red Guards were sent out to destroy old ideology, old thought, old habits, old customs Hundreds of thousands of people who disagreed with Mao were imprisoned, beaten, executed, silenced Production fell in farms and factories, schools closed, economy almost ruined, a generation uneducated

Four Modernizations Established by Deng Xiaoping after Mao died in 1979 Improve agriculture, industry, science and technology, and defense Was willing to consider free enterprise ideas Government rented land to families who had freedom to plant what they wanted, in 8 years, farmers income tripled Switched from heavy industry to light industry, rewarded managers who found ways to produce more Special economic zones on SE coast to attract foreign companies, technology, capital, enormously successful

Results Uneven growth, income gap Urbanization Urban poor, crime, corrupt police China’s economy has quadrupled Daily life improved

Challenges Today Feeding an immense population Providing jobs Providing enough energy