China under Mao Zedong 1949 - 1976

Outline GMD-CCP Civil War (1946-1949) Recovery and Socialism (1949-1956) Rethinking the Soviet model (1956-1957) Great Leap Forward (1958-1961) Recovery & growing elite division (1962-5) Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966-1976)

Anti-Japanese War (1937-1945)

Civil War (1946 – 1949) GMD: Guomindang (Nationalist Party) Chiang Kai-shek (President) CCP: Chinese Communist Party Mao Zedong

“War of Liberation”

Mao Zedong Thought A revolution to remove “3 big mountains” imperialism feudalism bureaucrat-capitalism A “United Front” of … workers peasants petty bourgeoisie and national bourgeoisie

People’s Republic of China 1949-10-01, PRC, Beijing Chairman: Mao Zedong 5-Star Red Flag Republic of China government retreated to Taiwan

Economic Reconstruction 1950s Soviet Union model and assistance land reform (eliminate landlord class) heavy industry (state-owned enterprises) First National People’s Congress (1954) PRC Constitution Zhou Enlai Premier Foreign Minister

First Five Year Plan – 1953-1957 Mao wanted China to “walk on two legs” – develop both agriculture and industry at the same time Soviet Union assisted with $300 million and 10,000 Russian engineers Targeted the development of heavy industry: coal, steel, chemicals, automobile, and transport

Effects of the First Five Year Plan Failure to meet the targets established by The National Resource Committee was the equivalent of failing China Overall industrial output increased 15.5% per year (faster than the target of 14.7%) However, less people worked on farms, so food production increased at an average of 2% per year, compared to 14% from 1949-52

Hundred Flowers Campaign (1957) Mao indicated his supposed willingness to consider different opinions about how China should be governed Given the freedom to express themselves, the Chinese began opposing the Communist Party and questioning its leadership

Anti-Rightist Campaign (1957 & 59) This was initially tolerated and even encouraged. However, after a few months, Mao's government reversed its policy They persecuted those who criticized, and were alleged to have criticized, the Party This was called The Anti-Rightist Campaign

Results of the Anti-Rightist Campaign 700,000 intellectuals were thrown out of their positions and professions In every factory, 5% of the workers had to be denounced as “rightists” All were sent to the countryside for reform – many died of malnutrition, illness, cold, overwork, and accidents doing unfamiliar jobs Some were executed or committed suicide

2nd Great Leap Forward (1958-1962) abandon the Soviet model of economic development Soviet “scientific planning” mass mobilization people’s communes

Great Leap Forward – Second Five Year Plan (1958-1962) Collectivization became the official policy. China’s land was divided into 70,000 communes He hoped that it would help unemployment and cause a genuine communal unity He accused peasants of hiding grain and used force against them The food would be traded for money to buy weapons or used for fuel

Great Leap Forward (1958-1960) unrealistic output targets industry agricultural and human disaster

Results of the Great Leap Forward 38 million died of: Being worked to death Others were killed, tortured, or imprisoned Famine (the average daily calorie intake was 1,534.8 for men and 1,200 for women – Aushwitz got between 1,300-1,700 calories per day) Heavy industry developed (although it was still behind most large industrial countries) Agriculture lagged behind

Results of the Great Leap Forward Agriculture failed because: Unscientific agricultural methods were used There was a shortage of agricultural labor because of peasants working on industrial projects The peasants disliked losing their private lots Natural disasters – droughts and floods Peasants didn’t work hard because grain was taken from them

Results of the Great Leap Forward As a result of the failure on the Great Leap Forward, Mao retired from the post of chairman of the People's Republic of China His place as head of state was taken by Liu Shaoqi, but Mao remained important in determining overall policy

Growing Division (1962-1965) Mao Zedong vs. Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping charismatic leadership vs. bureaucracy

Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution commitment to revolution and “class struggle” power struggle to succeed Mao Phase I: the rise and fall of “red guards” Phase II: the rise and fall of Lin Biao Phase III: the rise and fall of the “Gang of Four”

Phase I: Red Guards (1966-69)

Phase I: Red Guards (1966-69) Purge of party cadres Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping Purge of intellectuals

Phase II: Lin Biao (1969-71) the putative successor to Mao Zedong the cult of personality around Mao In 1971 Lin allegedly tried but failed to assassinate Mao to flee to Soviet Union (“9.13”) “9.13” eroded the credibility of the entire leadership of the Cultural Revolution

Phase III: the “Gang of Four” 1972 – 1976 power struggle between the radical “Gang of Four”, led by Jiang Qing, Mao’s wife the “moderates”, led by Premier Zhou Enlai the fate of Deng Xiaoping

Diplomatic Breakthrough 1971, PRC became the representative of China in UN (replaced ROC)

Diplomatic Breakthrough 1972, President Nixon visited Beijing

Mao and Zhou Died in 1976 Turning point in China’s postwar era “Gang of Four” were arrested End of the Cultural Revolution

Mao’s legacies

Reforms and Opening up The 3rd Plenum of the 11th CCP Central Committee in 1978 Deng Xiaoping’s ascendancy economic modernization became focus US-PRC diplomatic relations in 1979