China and the Revolution

The End of Chinese Imperial Rule Reasons –foreign influence during Age of Imperialism China abused by Western nations –China lacked industrialization –weak military –poor education system

The End of Chinese Imperial Rule Nationalists –Kuomintang (KMT) the nationalist party in China leader was Sun Yixian (Sun Yat Sen) leader of China for only 6 weeks

Sun Yixian "Three Principles of the People" –Nationalism-- end foreign control –Democracy-- rights of/by/for the people –Economic security/freedom for all Sun turned control over to Yuan Shikai –Yuan turned China into military dictatorship –revolution & warlords dominated China. –peasants & country as a whole suffered

World War I Joined Allied side in 1917 –hoped to have foreign influence in China removed in return –German-held land in China given to Japan by Versailles Treaty

World War I May Fourth Movement (May 1919) –when news of treaty reached China, protests broke out in China –KMT shared anger of May Fourth Movement but unable to increase own power or make reforms –Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-Tung) among the young communists who called for revolution in China –increasing numbers of Chinese turned away from democracy and toward communism

The Rise of the Communists in China Sun Yixian disillusioned by Western nations –liked Lenin's (Soviet Union's) organization –Sun asked for/received aid from Soviets –Soviets sent military aid/advisers/equipment to China in return for aid communists were allowed to join the KMT

The Rise of the Communists in China Death of Sun Yixian (1925) → Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-Shek) taking over –had middle and upper classes on his side –middle & upper classes feared communist influence on the economy

The Rise of the Communists in China Jiang Jieshi worked with communists to put down the warlords –KMT needed more men to fight Turned against communists soon after

Shanghai Massacre (April 1927) April 1927 communists nearly eliminated Civil War begins Jiang Jieshi becomes president of China communists flee to western China

Chinese Civil War ( ) Jiang loses support of the peasant class –promised reforms were never delivered to peasants cities modernized; rural areas ignored –Mao & communists redistributed land to the peasants

The Long March (1934) communists were outnumbered by 6:1 –had to retreat to mountains of western China 6000 miles away –thousands of communists killed but not whole army communists live to fight another day-- seals Jiang's fate

Japan's Invasions of China (1931 & 1937) Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 in response to economic problems of the Depression –Japan created puppet state of Manchukuo

Japan's Invasions of China (1931 & 1937) Japan invaded remainder of China in 1937 –Japan reasoned China was distracted from defense by Civil War –invasion brought about uneasy truce b/t communists & KMT both sides supposed to work together against Japan Jiang promised to make needed reforms--he didn't

The End of the Civil War in China The Civil War resumed in 1945 at end of WWII Jiang's Nationalists millions received millions in US aid money –money went into Jiang's pockets instead into KMT's soldiers' Jiang had much larger army –did not suffer great losses in war--they let communists do the fighting

The End of the Civil War in China KMT was corrupt, incompetent & offered nothing to the common soldier –KMT soldiers deserted in large numbers –deserters joined communists by 1949 communists pushed KMT of mainland China –KMT forced to Taiwan & created Republic of China –US supported Taiwan & USSR supported People's Republic of China

China Under Mao signed friendship agreement with Soviets in 1950 Mao began land redistribution program –10% of population (550 million) owned 70% of the land –anyone who resisted was killed (about a million)

China Under Mao Agricultural changes –created small collective farms at first consisting of families –success of collective farms led Mao to proclaim the Great Leap Forward

China Under Mao the Great Leap Forward –designed to improve China's agriculture –created communes to build on success of collective farms –huge farms (25,000 people or more) –failed miserably b/c peasants had no ownership of anything they produced –crop failures led to death of over 20 million