1. Communists Take Power in China

4. Communists vs. Nationalists
Background Info:
Remember China was invaded by Japan in During this time, China was in a Civil War between the Nationalists and the Communists

6. The Communists Mao Zedong -leader of the Chinese Communist Party
1. Communists had a stronghold in Northwestern China
2. They mobilized peasants for guerilla warfare against the Japanese.
3. Due to the efforts to improve food production, the Communists won support in NW China by 1945

9. The Nationalists Jiang Jieshi –leader of Nationalist China
Dominated southwest China and protected from the rugged mountain ranges.
With an army of 2.5 million and aided by the U.S. to fight Japan, they did little WWII.
Instead, the saved up their strength to fight Mao’s Red Army after WWII ended

11. The Chinese Civil War The renewed Civil War lasted from 1946-1949
Nationalist Army outnumbered the Communists and they were supported by the U.S.
But Nationalists could not win popular support
As China’s economy collapsed as a result of WWII, thousands of soldiers and civilians switched to the Communist Party

12. The Chinese Civil War
By 1949, China’s major cities fell to the Red Army
Jiang’s army and government fled south to Taiwan
Mao’s Promises
Give land back to the peasants
China became the People’s Republic of China
Signed Treaty of Friendship with Russia

13. Two Chinas 1. Taiwan or Nationalist China
13,000 square miles
Aka Republic of China
Supported by the U.S.
Militarily weak and corrupt
Weak public support
Communist or People’s Republic of China
3.5 million square miles
Supported by the Soviets
Soviet-Chinese Alliance to support each other if attacked by the West
Experienced motivated guerilla army
Strong Public Support

15. Communist China Expands
The Chinese Red Army expanded into Tibet, India, and Mongolia
, brutally took control of Tibet and the Dalai Lama fled to India
India harbored Tibetan refugees which increased tension between China and India

21. Communist Transformation in China
1. Set up two political organizations, both headed by Mao until 1959.
The Communist Party
National Government
2. Agrarian Reform Law of Mao seized land of owners and returned it to peasants. He killed over a million people in the process.
3. Established a 5 Year Economic Plan to boost industry and business and increased output in steel, concrete, coal, and electricity
4. “Great Leap Forward” 1958

23. Communist Transformation in China
The Great Leap Forward (1958)- called for larger collective farms, communes, where peasants worked, lived, dined, and slept together and they owned nothing. Was considered a failure after crop famines killed 20 million people.
China and USSR began to compete to lead the worldwide Communist Movement by the late 1950’s.

25. The Cultural Revolution
Led by the Red Guards, militias of Communist supporters.
Goal: To establish a society of peasants and workers in which all were equal.
Anything intellectual and artistic were considered useless
Red guards shut down colleges and schools.
Intellectuals had to “purify” themselves by doing hard labor
Thousands were executed and imprisoned.
The chaos threatened farm production and industry.
The Communist National Army was told to suppress the Red Guards and end the revolution