Describe Mao’s Career and his contribution to the CCP

1. Describe Mao’s Career and his contribution to the CCP

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFKlpWBe6Xs

3. Born 1893, raised in a peasant family in HuNan • Trained as a teacher and worked in the university library in Beijing • Introduced to Marxist Literature Before CCP

4. 1911 – Mao joined revolution • 1919 – Became communist, set up communist cell group at Changsha • 1921 – Started CCP with Chou En-Lai • 1923 – CCP allies with KMT • 1931 – Elected chairman of the Central Executive Committee Establishment of the CCP

5. 1926 – Northern march, KMT & CCP set out to destroy warlords • 1927 – Hankow, Shanghai & Nanking • 1928 – Beijing captured United Front

6. 1930-1934: Five campaigns aimed to destroy communists • CCP took to the mountains and concentrated on building up Red Army • Early 1934 – Mao’s base area surrounded by KMT • Oct 1934 – CCP broke through CKS’s lines Chiang’s ExterminationCampaigns

7. 1934: • Aim: Escape KMT andcreate new power base • 100,000 communist covered 6000 miles in 368 days • Eventually 20,000 survivors reached Yenan, Shensi province, and set up new power base • Effects: • Mao’s leadership of CCP accepted, made chairman during the march • Members left along the route to promote communist cause • Massive propagation of Communism • Mao gained faithful supporters Long March

8. Means of executing Mao’s goals • CCP and KMT allied against Japanese invasion • KMT removed anti- Communist resistance and CCP allowed use of Red Army by KMT • Free themselves from nationalist attacks • Expand military strength and spread Communism over wider areas Second United Front

9. KMT made no major offensive action to push back Japanese forces • Retreated to Chongqing • KMT’s weaknesses exposedwhen financial crisis from war emerged- discontentment and loss of support from middle, upper classes and military when it made no economic reforms WW2

10. Mao’s tactics gained him massive support-guerrilla activities behind Jap. Lines • Expand visibly as compared to KMT’s little progress • Soldiers given regular political instruction- prevent lossof morale • Red army educated Chinese on how to defend their villages and set up militia force(2 million) to defend as well • Communists set up village councils- land programme gave peasants land and reduced rents to manageable levels • Considerable expansion in countryside-won over millions of peasants in Communist- controlled land WW2

11. Chinese of all classes came to respect CCP as leader of China through their effort in resisting Jap. Forces • ‘New Democracy’ included election to local committees from every social class- appealed to masses, even the wealthy • By 1945, CCP controlled 19 ‘liberated’ areas- Many people recognised Mao’s authority • CCP militarily stronger at end of the war and demanded end to KMT’s one-party rule • Coalition denied and civil war broke out(1946) WW2

12. KMT inefficient & corrupt • KMT only looked after interest of industrialist, bankers & landowners and its decisions were not aimed for popular support from the peasants and working class • Mismanagement of government funds • Failure to implement plans of reform • Little improvement in factory conditions • Mao & communists provided better alternatives • NO improvement in peasant poverty • 1930s – Series of droughts and bad harvests • High taxes and forced labour • Communists land policy much more attractive- equal land distribution and more food How CCP gained support

13. KMT put up no effective resistance against the Japanese • 1937 – KMT forces quickly defeated by Japs and quickly retreated, choosing instead to rely on allied aid to force back Japanese • Enabled Mao to present Communists as patriotic nationalists leading a guerilla campaign against the Japs • Won them massive support with the peasants and middle class How CCP gained support

14. Won the peasant support through quick land reforms, rent reduction and Red Army recruitment • Won social revolution in coutryside • Concentrate military forces on for mobile warfare to avoid direct confrontation with the GMD instead of securing land • Mao evacuated Yenan and stayed in the Shanxi base area to evade pursuers Mao’s role during the Civil War

15. 1949 – Communists captured Beijing • Chiang fled to Taiwan • Mao in control of mainland China • Oct 1949 – Mao proclaims himself chairman of the CCP and president of the republic Communist VICTORY

16. Reasons for CCP triumph • Won popular support with the peasants by their land policy • Communist armies well disciplined • Administration honest & fair • Some KMT troops influenced by communist propaganda and deserted • Communist armies more tactically competent than KMT Communist VICTORY

17. Problems after communist victory • Country devastated by civil war and Japanese invasion • Food shortages due to inefficient agriculture • Backward industry China’s problems

18. 1950 constitution • Included the National People’s Congress, State Council and the Chairman • Made sure that laws were carried out and that administration went ahead • Opposition ruthlessly suppressed • Significance: Provided China with a strong central government Mao deals with China’s problems

19. Industrial changes • Most businesses nationalized • 1953 – Five Year Plan concentrating on the development of heavy industry (iron, steel, chemicals and coal) • Agricultural changes • Land taken from large landowners and redistributed to peasants • Peasants then persuaded to join collective farms • Significance: Transformed small, inefficient private farms into large co-operative farms Mao deals with China’s problems

20. Industrialization produced a new class of experts (technicians and engineers) • Party cadres believed the experts would threaten their authority • However, government decided that open discussion might improve relations and called for constructive criticism Hundred Flowers campaign (1957)

21. Unfortunately for Mao, more criticism than expected • Campaign hurriedly called off • Significance: Showed how much opposition remained Also convinced Mao that he needed to consolidate the advance of socialism Hundred Flowers campaign (1957)

22. Involved further developments in industry and agriculture • Aim: Increase output through mass mobilisation of labour • Introduction of communes • Units larger than collective farms • Ran their own farms and factories • Contained up 75 000 people Great Leap Forward

23. Change of emphasis in industry • Smaller factories set up in the countryside instead of large-scale works • Mao talked of 600 000 ‘backyard steel furnaces’ springing up, organized and managed by communes • Communes also undertook to build roads, canals, dams, reservoirs and irrigation channels Great Leap Forward

24. Seemed doomed to be a failure at first due to bad harvests from 1959 to 1961 and the withdrawal of Russian aid • Massive decline in agricultural production • Famine and millions of deaths • Coupled with lack of experience among cadres, caused hardship from 1959 to 1963. • Mao’s prestige suffered and he was forced to resign as Chairman of the People’s Congress Effectiveness and Consequences of Great Leap

25. Eventually, agricultural and industrial production increased • By mid-1960s, China was able to feed its population without famine • Communes became efficient units of local government • Allowed central government to keep in touch with local opinion • Economy continued to be labor-intensive • Ensured that everyone had a job, thus avoiding unemployment problems Effectiveness and Consequences of Great Leap

26. Aim: Re-assert Mao’s authority by purging elements that did not follow Maoism and reviving the revolutionary spirit • Roused many students • Red Guards toured the country to persuade Mao’s case • Many schools and companies closed down • Many were violently abused and killed, not just Mao’s opposers The Cultural Revolution(1966-9)

27. 1.5 million killed • Loss of China’s cultural heritage • Many cities were on the verge of anarchy • Mao had to send in the army to restore order • Massive decline in Mao’s support The Cultural Revolution(1966-9)