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Politics in Mao’s Era

Politics in Mao’s Era. Birth of “New China”. Civil War in 1949 January, Beijing/Tianjin fell to CCP April, Nanking fell to CCP May, Shanghai fell to CCP Founding of the “People’s Republic” Sept. Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Common Program

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Politics in Mao’s Era

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  1. Politics in Mao’s Era

  2. Birth of “New China” • Civil War in 1949 • January, Beijing/Tianjin fell to CCP • April, Nanking fell to CCP • May, Shanghai fell to CCP • Founding of the “People’s Republic” • Sept. Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) • Common Program • Beijing – capital of the new state • Five-star flag

  3. The Common Program • PRC’s proto-constitution • PRC a people’s democracy People in PRC are the following • Workers • Peasants • Petty bourgeoisie • National bourgeoisie • Enemies of state (class enemies): • landlords

  4. People vs Enemies of State • Enemies of state in the PRC are: • Landlords • Bureaucratic capitalists • KMT reactionaries • Use of Class labels • Members of society classified based on family wealth, own history & social affiliation & political attitude • Poor and lower middle peasants • Rich peasants • landlords

  5. People vs Enemies of State • Use of class labels • Workers • Peddlers • Shop owners • Facts about class labels • Class labels assigned to everyone • Class labels assigned for life • Class labels hereditary • Class labels determine political, social, & economic status

  6. People vs Enemies of State • Political Use of class labels • Class labels divide the society into two separate camps • Class labels determine who to include and who to exclude in: • Job assignment • Education • Promotion • Distribution of resources

  7. Establishing & Maintaining State Authority • Political Campaigns • Land Reform & Land Redistribution • 1948-1950 • Undermine the economic power of the landlords • Disenfranchise the landlord class politically • Resist the US and Aid Korea • 1950 -1953 • Eliminate pro-America & pro-West sentiments • Rally nation against an external enemy • Foster nationalism

  8. Establishing & Maintaining State Authority • Political Campaigns • Suppression of Counter-revolutionaries • Eliminate secret societies • Eliminate resistance from forces against the Communist regime • Penalize whoever who questioned the Communist rule • Eliminate societal elements deemed as a hindrance to socialist transformation • Drug dealers • Pimps

  9. Establishing & Maintaining State Authority • Political Campaigns • Eliminate societal elements deemed as a hindrance to socialist transformation • Prostitutes • Hooligans, thugs, fortune tellers • Anyone considered a threat to the State • “Three-anti-five-anti” campaigns • Three-anti • Anti-corruption

  10. Establishing & Maintaining State Authority • Political Campaigns • “Three-anti-five-anti” campaigns • Three-anti • Anti-waste • Anti-bureaucracy • Five-anti • Anti-bribery • Anti tax evasion • Anti fraud • Anti theft of government property • Anti theft of state economic secrets

  11. Establishing & Maintaining State Authority • Political Campaigns • The Hundred Flower Campaign: 1957 • Discontent was rising in China • Forced collectivization • Nationalization • Suppression of alternative views • Developments in Soviet bloc countries • Khrushchev's de-Stalinization • Hungarian Crisis • Mao’s intention • To ease tensions in Chinese society • To ease popular discontent towards CCP • To show to the world that China was different from other socialist states

  12. Establishing & Maintaining State Authority • Political Campaigns • The Hundred Flower Campaign: 1957 • Mao’s assumption • Chinese people were unlike Hungarians • Chinese people shared same interests as CCP • Chinese people identified with CCP and were united behind CCP objectives • People’s views are “non-antagonistic” • Mao’s two internal speeches • One in 1956 • One in 1957

  13. Establishing & Maintaining State Authority • Political Campaigns • The Hundred Flower Campaign: 1957 • Initial Societal Response • Deafening silence (disbelief) • Cautious criticism • Larger role for CPPCC & minority parties • More foreign academic journals • Active Response • Beijing University, big posters • Intellectuals joined the criticism

  14. Establishing & Maintaining State Authority • Political Campaigns • Active Response • Entire society joined the criticism • Major Criticisms • Communist state is simply another feudal dynasty • CCP is estranged from the masses • Officials are not “servants of people” • CCP officials do not like different views

  15. Establishing & Maintaining State Authority • Political Campaigns • Major Criticisms • CCP members are “flatterers, sycophants, and yes-men” • Marxism-Leninism should not be dogma • Collectivism hinders production • “Volunteer” work is a nuisance • Life was better under KMT • CCP should not monopoly power • Multi-party election ensures democracy

  16. Establishing & Maintaining State Authority • Hundred Flower Campaign • Mao and CCP Response • Initiation of Anti-Rightist campaign • Who were “Rightists”? • Some 500,000 people • Nation’s best & brightest intellectuals, scholars, professors, scientists, students • Punishment • Jail term • Labor camp • Demotion, excommunication, banishment to rural areas

  17. Establishing & Maintaining State Authority • Hundred Flower Campaign • Effect of Punishment • Family breakup • Stigma on entire family • Disenfranchisement of entire family • Life as social outcasts • Was “hundred flower” a conspiracy? • Did Mao intend to lure the opponents to expose themselves initially? • Or did he under-estimate public sentiments towards the CCP?

  18. Establishing & Maintaining State Authority • Hundred Flower Campaign • Was “hundred flower” a conspiracy? • Did Mao intend to lure the opponents to expose themselves initially? According to conspiracy theory • Or did he under-estimate public sentiments towards the CCP? • What does Prof. Dreyer say?

  19. Establishing State Authority • Hundred Flower Campaign • The Case of Harry Wu • A college student in 1957 • Voiced criticism of Soviet invasion of Hungry • Voiced criticism of the CCP • Condemned as a “counter-revolutionary rightist” • Sent to labor camp for 19 years • Beaten, tortured and almost starved to death http://www.echofoundation.org/wu/wu_biography.htm

  20. Economic Transformation • The Great Leap Forward, 1958 - 1961 • Why “Leap” • Mao’s impatience with slow growth • Limitation of Soviet model • Population an asset of growth • Sputnik & Khrushchev • Short-term Objectives • Iron-steel production • Coal production • Long-term Objectives • Increase of productive power

  21. Economic Transformation • The Great Leap Forward, 1958 - 1961 • Approaches • Mass mobilization • Diversion of labor to steel production • Creation of People’s Communes • Consequences • Grain production drop • Severe market supply of necessities • Strict rationing system implemented • Starvation swept across the nation • Peasant death in large numbers

  22. Economic Transformation • The Great Leap Forward, 1958 - 1961 • Unprecedented Environmental Damages • Forest devastation • Desertification in animal farming regions • Rivers running dry in lower valleys • Assault on sparrows • Wildlife devastation (Mongolian gazelles)

  23. Intra-Party Conflicts • Evaluating the “Leap” • The Lushan Conference, 1959 • Marshal Peng Dehuai & Mao • Peng’s letter • “Leap” a waste of labor • “Leap” counter-productive • “leap” a violation of economic laws • Mao’s response • Oust Peng as defense minister • Condemn Peng as “anti-Party”

  24. Cultural Revolution • 1962 Expanded Party Conference • Objective of Conference • Evaluate Party leadership & work since 1958 • Reaffirm economic consolidation policy • Reaffirm production restoration measures • Differences on Party Responsibility • Liu Shaoqi • Party leadership failure mainly responsible

  25. Cultural Revolution • 1962 Expanded Party Conference • Differences on Party Responsibility • Liu Shaoqi • Lin Biao • Economic fiascos results of failure to follow Mao’s instructions • Mao leadership flawless. • Socialist Education Campaign • Mao: • Officials are becoming corrupt • Socialist China is in danger of capitalist restoration

  26. Cultural Revolution • CCP Leadership in Early 1966 • Mao Tsetung: Chmn of CCP Central Committee • Liu Shaoqi: President of PRC • Zhou Enlai: Prime Minister • Lin Biao: Vice Premier, & Defense Minister • Jiang Qing: Mao’s wife • Mao’s Economic Policy • Collective economy is unshakable • Individual production, hotbed of capitalism

  27. Cultural Revolution • Mao’s Economic Policy • Mao’s Foreign Policy • Ideological conflict with USSR • Hostility towards West • Support for world revolution • Mao’s Education Policy • Formal education should be reformed • Education be combined with labor • Suspension of int’l educational exchanges • Mao’s Policy towards Intellectuals • Ideological reform of intellectuals

  28. Cultural Revolution • Liu’s Economic Policy • China-foreign economic relations desirable • Mixed economy serves socialist objectives • Liu’s Education Policy • Formal & informal education equally important • Int’l educational exchanges important • Liu’s Policy towards Intellectuals • Intellectual activities respected

  29. Cultural Revolution • Liu’s Downfall • August, 1966: 2nd to 8th in ranking • Sept – Oct, 1966: public humiliation • Nov, 1966: disappearance from public • Oct, 1968: excommunication from CCP • 1969: died in house arrest • Liu’s Family • Wife: accused of being an American spy; life imprisonment (changed from death sentence) • Eldest son: suicide

  30. Cultural Revolution • Interpreting Cultural Revolution • Factional Model • Mao vs Liu • Political Culture Model • Tradition of authoritarian politics • Palace Politics Model • Mao • Liu • Lin • Politics of succession

  31. Cultural Revolution • Aftermaths of Cultural Revolution • Political crisis • Political succession crisis • Death of Lin Biao • Mao’s prestige eroding • Economic stagnation • Rationing system permanent • Production hardly matching population growth

  32. Cultural Revolution • Aftermaths of Cultural Revolution • International relations • US-China relations • Nixon’s visit in 1972 • Ford’s visit in 1975 • China-USSR relations • 1950 military alliance • Soviet model & Sino-Soviet friendship • Sino-Soviet ideological differences • Sino-Soviet military clashes 1969

  33. Cultural Revolution • Aftermaths of Cultural Revolution • International relations • US-China relations • China-USSR relations • China-Europe relations • 1964 Beijing-Paris diplomatic relations • 1966, burning of British mission in Beijing • China-Asia relations • Indonesia • North Korea

  34. Cultural Revolution • Aftermaths of Cultural Revolution • Education • Disruption of formal education • Suspension of int’l educational ties • Close of universities and colleges • Abolition of college entrance tests

  35. Major Actors in 1975 - 1976 • Mao Tsetung • Zhou Enlai • Deng Xiaoping • Deputy prime minister • A reformer • Jiang Qing & “Gang of Four” • Jiang: Mao’s wife

  36. Major Actors in 1975 - 1976 • Jiang Qing & “Gang of Four” • Jiang: Mao’s wife • “Gang of Four” (Shanghai clique) • Jiang Qing • Zhang Chunqiao • Wang Hongwen • Yao Wenyuan • Hua Guo-feng • Deputy Prime Minister • 1st Vice Chairman and Prime Minister

  37. Major Actors in 1975 - 1976 • Cultural Revolution (CR) Beneficiaries • Mao • Jiang Qing • “Gang of Four” • Hua Guofeng • CR Victims • Deng Xiaoping • Ye Jianying

  38. PRC in 1976-1978 • End of Mao Era • Sept. 9, 1976, death of Mao • Oct. 6, 1976, arrest of “Gang of 4” • Rise of Hua Guofeng • Hua: Chairman of CCP & Premier • Policy Debate • Hua: “two whatevers” • Deng: “Seek truth from facts”

  39. PRC in 1976-1978 • 3rd Plenum of 11th Party Congress • Nov-Dec 1978 • Decisions • Rehabilitate CR victims • Suspend Mao’s mass class struggles • Initiate economic reform • Initiate open policy • Reorient Party work on economic modernization

  40. PRC in 1976-1978 • Rise of Deng Xiaoping • Four modernizations • Education reform • Formal education • Standard tests • Restoration of university education • Admission based on academic performance • Restoration of int’l educational exchanges

  41. PRC in 1976-1978 • Rise of Deng Xiaoping • Four modernizations • Education reform • Intellectual Policy • Socialist mental workers • Int’l Economic Relations

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