History of China in the 20 th Century

1. History of China in the 20th Century

2. 1989: A Year that Changed the World • USSR • Mikhail Gorbachev • Glasnost (openness) • Perestroika (Restructuring) • Afghanistan War Ends • Fall of Berlin Wall • Polish Elections • Velvet Revolution (Czechoslovakia) • Romanian Revolution • Economic Collapse in Soviet states • END OF COMMUNISM "What we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of postwar history, but the end of history as such: that is, the end point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government." Francis Fukuyama

3. Tiananmen Square, June 1989 • Cause & Effect – • In allowing ‘free market forces’ into a totalitarian regime…… • Consequence? • Do economic reforms result in political reform/ freedom? • China required the economic reforms the west could offer, but it was not prepared for the ideology of the west • More China modernized, the more its society moved toward the west in its expression • Liberalization gave the illusion of freedom • University students begin to ask questions of the Chinese government • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu3mtfECR5o • 1 million gather in Tiananmen Square • World media attention on China • Communist Party orders army to break up demonstrations • Democracy has no place in China • West condemns actions of Chinese Communist Party and continues to speak out against China’s human rights violations, but trade continues to grow with China.

4. Background to 1919 1919 – China a divided country – “Open Door Policy” in late 19th century left the world’s largest nation in terms of population one of the least industrialized. China was a weak nation that could not defend itself • European, US and later, Japanese colonialism Boxer Rebellion, 1900 - Opposition to Foreign States • Sun YatSen(right) leads Kuomintang Party (nationalists) in early years of 20th century • Sun played an instrumental role in inspiring the overthrow of the Qing (Manchu) dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China in 1912. • After the success of this revolution, he quickly fell out of power in the newly founded Republic of China, and led successive revolutionary governments as a challenge to the warlords who controlled much of the nation.

5. Chiang v. Mao Chiang Kai Shek (left) replaces Sun as leader of Kuomintang 1925 – Chiang Kai-shek leads a Nationalist campaign to unify China into a modern State wrestling power away form local leaders and warlords who control much of Chinese countryside However, Kai-Shek soon faced ideological challenges within the nationalist movement when the Communist Party led by Mao Zedong began gaining popular support. With the ideological clash between nationalism and communism a bitter civil war broke out lasting 22 years. Chinese Civil War 1927 – 1949 Kai-shek gains support from the USA to fight communism (and later Japan), but he is an unreliable ally with a private agenda. Mao began a guerrilla campaign refusing to fight national troops in open battle, rather he began a series of retreats know as THE LONG MARCH.

6. The Long March What (or who?) did Mao believe was the key to the revolution? The Long March: 100,000 men, 6000 miles • 30 000 survivors • Mao’s orders – • The peasants need not suffer • Nationalist troops on the other hand often abused the peasant taking food and conscripting the male population. “The Red Army lives among the people as a fish dwells in water” Mao Zedong • Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945 • Both Nationalists and Communists fight invader • Nationalist, under Chiang Kai-Shek, continue to pursue Communists even though Japan overruns China

7. Rise of Mao Zedong "Revolution is not a dinner party, nor an essay, nor a painting, nor a piece of embroidery; it cannot be advanced softly, gradually, carefully, considerately, respectfully, politely, plainly, and modestly. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another." Mao remains a controversial figure to this day – • revolutionary • political strategist • military mastermind • Poet • philosopher • visionary • savior of the nation or cult of personality? Many Chinese also believe that through his policies, he laid the economic, technological and cultural foundations of modern China, transforming the country from an agrarian society into a major world power.

8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfJy_wduFy4 The Chinese Revolution October 1, 1949 – People’s Republic of China By summer of 1945, Mao’s forces had liberated much of northern China from the Japanese and with the peasantry solidly behind Mao, Chiang Kai-Shek would be forced to flee to the island of Taiwan where he set up Nationalist China Summary of Chinese Revolution • It lasted twenty years • It was simultaneously a nationalist war against foreign occupation (Japan) and a struggle to establish communism • It is not a classic Marxist situation in that peasants, not the workers, were leading the revolution • It was an open struggle, not a conspiracy like Lenin’s revolution Mao Zedong

9. Mao’s China 1949 – Communists may be seen as another dynasty with a “mandate from heaven,” who have the right to rule simply because they seized it Early Years – Democratic Centralism – nature of government • total obedience to its leaders • agrarian land reform redistributes land • Landlords • collectivization The First Plan – Five Year Plans • State control of major industries • Similar to New Economic Plan of USSR, also borrows concepts of Five Year Plan from USSR • Some aid from USSR • Emphasis on heavy industries at expense of light industries • Leads to collectivization of land (unpopular)

10. China in the World 1949 – People’s Republic of China Western powers of UN support Chiang Kai-Shek’s nationalist government in Taiwan as “China” 1950 – China invades Tibet 1950 – China invades North Korea [Korean War] Sino-Soviet Split (1950s) • Chinese dissatisfaction with lack of USSR help during Korean War • Slow return of USSR seized industries during WWII • USSR intentions to treat China as a satellite state • Kruschev’s foreign policy – Mao sees China as the leader of Communist states in Asia • No Nukes for Mao • Assumption that USSR and USA were only superpowers

11. Great Leap Forward 1956 – “Hundred Flowers Campaign” Sees open criticism on the government permitted; however, this is later used against those rightists who opposed Mao’s policies 500 000+ “enemies of the state” rounded up After the euphoria of the revolution wore off Mao became concerned with growing Soviet hegemony (sphere of influence) and feared that the Peoples Republic of China was well on it way to becoming a satellite state. THE CHALLENGE: How to industrialize the China when most of its people lived in rural villages? Was Mao willing to follow Stalin’s example and ignore the country side to industrialize?

12. Deepening the Revolution People’s Communes – Organized China into 25 000 communes run by a local government called the hsiang. Average size was about 25 000 people. Pillars of the Great Leap Forward • Great industrial and scientific activity • Muscle power and ingenuity were emphasized – ex. Irrigation, dams, canals • Many small communal factories Shortcomings of the Great Leap Forward • Natural disaster (flooding) • Overproduction of poor quality goods (command economy) • Break down of industrial centres • low morale among the Peasants

13. Cultural Revolution 1965 – Cultural Revolution Mao introduces a more “pure” form of communism Mao creates a personality cult centring on The Little Red Book and his trials during the Long March which became known as Maoism Mao looked to pure minds to spread the ideology throughout the countryside (where the masses lived). These pure mind were found in the children of the Great Leap communes = Red Guard (backed by the Peoples Liberation Army) Red Guard acted as cultural ‘storm-troopers’ sweeping the country of reformists and foreign influences such as art, music and literature. However, the Red Guard began to break into small factions that often battled in the streets. Cult of Personality

14. Legacy of the Cultural Revolution Today, the Cultural Revolution is widely seen inside and outside China – including by the Communist Party of China – as an unmitigated disaster, and as an event to be avoided in the future. Supporters of the Chinese democracy movement see the Cultural Revolution as an example of what happens when democracy is lacking, and place responsibility for it on the Communist Party of China. Human rights activists and civil libertarians see the Cultural Revolution as an example of the dangers of statism. These views attribute its cause to "too much government and too little popular participation in state affairs."

15. China in the World In the first decades of the People’s Republic of China, it became clear that she was going to be hostile to the West in general. Later, to confound Cold War theorists, she alienated the USSR, to the point that between the 1964-1969, there were close to 4 000 border incidents between these two countries. Border skirmishes in China 1962 – India (Himalayas) 1969 – Ussuri River (USSR) 1969 – Pamir Mtns (USSR) 1979 – Vietnam China intended the 1979 campaign to 'teach the Vietnamese a lesson' but a country which had recently defeated one superpower was not so easily dealt with. This was in response to the Vietnam invasion of Cambodia.

16. Official Relations with China 1949 – 1970 – USA refuses to recognize Red China USA recognizes Taiwan as “official” China “Ping Pong” Diplomacy – Process whereby USA finally accepts People’s Republic of China as the “official” China because it all began with a visit of the US ping pong team in the early 1970s – 1972 – US Pres Richard Nixon visits Beijing Mao becomes a realist –survival of the state by whatever means, so normalizing relations with the USA was a pragmatic move, not an ideological one China is seeking a counterweight to USSR domination Mao’s communism was not strong enough to counter Moscow on its own – at least this time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5V9sP_nDCM&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ1wW3Rpcig&feature=related

17. Watergate Scandal 1968 – Richard Nixon, Republican, elected Pres. 1971 – 5 men working for Rep. Party arrested for breaking into headquarters of Democratic Party. Attempted to place “bugs” in the offices 1972 – Nixon re-elected despite scandal Scandal started a process that saw the worst abuses of the executive level of US government Nixon was implicated in cover up of the scandal Impeachment – Resignation of Nixon in 1974 Worst scandal (exposed) in US history http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEOGJJ7UKFM

18. Mao’s Death The death of Chairman Mao Zedong in 1976 marked the end of an era of radical politics and isolation from the West. Although after Mao’s death a power struggle ensued in China. In this image, Chinese citizens file past Mao as he lies in state in Beijing on Sept. 12, 1976. GANG OF FOUR A group of Maoists attempt a coup against the new Government. All are caught (including Mao’s second wife) and subjected to show trials. In the trials the four are blamed for the excess of the Cultural Revolution (ala De-Stalinization)

19. Deng Xiaoping Bringing China into the modern world – A group led by Deng Xiaoping, who favoured a more liberal approach to economics, eventually consolidates power – foreign trade increases, China tries to modernize Socialism with Chinese Characters: Xiaoping begins to reform the economy opening the door for ‘market forces’ but not free capitalism. State still controls production Four Modernizations Agriculture – Industry – Science & Technology – Military Xiaoping also foresaw the challenges of China’s exploding population and introduces the ONE CHILD POLICY Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997)

20. Overpopulation • 1970s – China had one of the highest population growth rates in the world • 1 billion people – 1/5 world’s population at the time • Women averaged 6 children each

21. China’s One Child Policy - 1979 • At this point - # of births reduced to 2.7 children per woman • Government offered rewards to families such as: • Free medical care • Monthly wage bonuses • Preferential housing • Extra pension income • Penalties

22. China’s One Child Policy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4OWJlyaHt0&feature=related • Problems: • Greater in urban areas due to financial benefits • Rural areas – reply on children as labourers – • Value sons above daughters • Some families resort to infanticide (murder) of female babies • Others ignore policy in favour of their desired family structure • Current Status: average 1.8 • children per woman • Policy ended 2015

23. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn3BP6nVheA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7aJoiVg8Ig&feature=related “Openness” & “Market Forces” Xiaoping understands the need to open Chinese markets with the west (Sino-Soviet Split) and establishes SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES (SEZ) in several port cities. • SEZ’s allow foreign goods and experts to do business in China but in a controlled environment • Special tax incentives for foreign investments • Greater independence on international trade Economic characteristics are represented as "4 principles": • Construction projects rely on attracting foreign capital • Primary economic forms are sino-foreign joint ventures and partnerships as well as wholly foreign-owned enterprises • Products are primarily export-oriented • Economic activities are primarily driven by market forces Q. What would Mao think of Deng’s “radical” reforms?

24. Deng’s Challenges Challenge – in allowing free market forces into a totalitarian regime – What may come of the ideological impact? China required the economic reforms the west could offer, but it was not prepared for the ideology of the west More China modernized, the more its society moved toward the west in its expression Liberalization gave the illusion of freedom University students begin to ask questions of the Chinese government In Spring of 1989 students began to protest in favour of increased democracy against government corruption. The ruthless suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests from April to May, 1989 is evidence that political power still rested in the hands of the Communist Party. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnmnq5nFcZw

25. Deng gambled greed would outweigh any moral objections – Tiananmen Square 1 000 000 students occupy the square and call for reforms May 19 – Crowds of people sitting in across cities in China World media is centred on developments in China Deng orders army to break up demonstrations Deng shows world, democracy has no place in China West condemns actions of Chinese Communist Party and continues to speak out against China’s human rights violations, but trade continues to grow with China.