China

Qing Dynasty

The imperial dynasty of China from northern Manchuria and took over when they invaded and seized the imperial throne in 1644. However, by the 20th century there were many weaknesses in the dynasty such as the 'unequal treaties' with the west they were forced to enter, lacking economy compared to Japan, and famines because of increasing population which grew resentment towards the ruling Qing.

Sun Yat-sen

He was a Chinese revolutionary who founded and led the Guomindag (GMD), a nationalist party, and he founded the Chinese republic in the early 20th century. His goal and the GMD's in the Chinese Revolution (1911) was for China to embrace a revolution and the first step of the was to remove the Qing imperial system.

Guomindag (GMD)

A nationalist party founded by Sun Yat-sen, a Chinese revolutionary, who also founded the Chinese republic in the early 20th century. Yat-Sen's and this party's goal in the Chinese Revolution (1911) was for China to embrace a revolution and the first step of the was to remove the Qing imperial system.

Chinese Revolution (1911)

Yat-sen's and the GMD's goal in this was for China to embrace a revolution and the first step of the was to remove the Qing imperial system. This began when Yat-sen, A Chinse revolutionary, founded and led the Guomindag (GMD), a nationalist party, and then he later founded the Chinese republic in the early 20th century.

May Fourth Movement (1919)

This was caused by China's humiliation by the victorious allies at the Paris Peace Conference, a gathering that drew up the Treaty of Versailles, which increased Chinese resentment at the failure of the republic and it increased warlordism. Another cause was China being told they wouldn't be recovering territories taken from them by Germany and they were being handed to Japan instead.

Mao Zedong

Founded the Chinse communist party which allied with the Guomindang against warlords for 3 years in the late 1920's, but they split after they were turned on; he ended up surviving though after fleeing to Jiangxi and building the Chinese Soviet. He was also known Known for his approach to military and political success through extreme and ruthless methods which is shown in the Futian incident (1930) where he tortured and executed thousands of Red Army soldiers.

Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

Founded by Mao which allied with the Guomindang against warlords for 3 years in the late 1920's, but they split after they were turned on though Mao ended up surviving though after fleeing to Jiangxi and building the Chinese Soviet. Mao was also known Known for his approach to military and political success through extreme and ruthless methods which is shown in the Futian incident (1930) where he tortured and executed thousands of Red Army soldiers.

Chian Kai Shek

A nationalist leader that took over after Sun Yat-sen's death for the GMD that caused the CCP and GMD split because he turned on the communists but despite this, the CCP survived because Mao fled to Jiangxi. While in Jiangxi, he led Guerilla Resistance Autumn Harvest Uprising (1927) and built the Chinese Soviet which was the point where Mao was most ruthless.

Autumn Harvest Uprising (1927)

An organized Guerilla resistance against the GMD that Mao led in Jiangxi where he fled after Chian Kai Shek caused a split between the CCP and GMD because he betrayed the communists. During this time, Mao also built the Chinese soviet and was incredibly ruthless as he executed thousands of red army soldiers in the Futian incident (1930).

Futian incident (1930)

An incident by Mao and an example of his ruthlessness as he tortured executed 4,000 red army troopers because he claimed they were plotting to kill him. This came after he was forced to flee to Jiangxi because of the GMD and CCP splitting when the communists were betrayed by Chian Kai Sheck.

The Long March (1934-35)

This enhanced Mao's authority because he became an important organizer and insisted marchers, communists forced to abandon Jiangxi in 1934 because of Chian's army, to march north. He wanted people to go to Shaanxi instead of West to the Soviet Union and his success in the endeavor is what helped to increase his authority and reputation.

Yanan

This was where Mao implemented his peasant policy where he sent the Chinese red army to destroy neighboring villages and regions and then execute landowners to liberate the area. He portrayed the red army as ambassadors who carried the communist message and supported peasants by giving them land, medical support, education/literacy programmes, and ending exorbitant interest on loans but Mao was also very authoritarian towards them.

Chinese Red Army/People's Liberation Army

During Yanan, under Mao when he implemented the peasant policy, he sent them to destroy neighboring villages and regions and then execute landowners to liberate the area. He portrayed them as ambassadors who carried the communist message and supported peasants by giving them land, medical support, education/literacy programmes, and ending exorbitant interest on loans but Mao was also very authoritarian towards them.

Marxism-Leninism

A revolutionary theory of class wars advanced by Karl Marx and an ideology both the Comintern and Mao followed but the Comintern disapproved of Mao's approach towards this. This was because Mao believed revolution must come from the pesants while the Comintern emphasized that China lacked a working class to stage a full working-class revolution and that peasants were a precursor to the final revolution, not the end itself.

28 Bolsheviks

A set of communists who were trained in Moscow and sent back to China with the goal to make the CCP conform to Soviet ideas of revolution. Mao survived opposition from them and other groups because of his success in the Long March, his background that made him well educated in peasant policy, his high determination and self-belief, and his indispensable role as a military planner.

Rectification of Conduct Campaign (1942-44)

Within the CCP, Mao wanted to advance the idea of revolutionary correctness, the ideas that Chinese communism was the body of social/political/economic truth, to stop internal betrayal which was also why he encouraged public self-criticism of members to avoid revisionist ideas. He believed people didn't understand democratic centralism and this movement led to the CCP moving towards cult status, Maoism, and Mao being referred to as "the great helmsmen".

Revolutionary correctness

The ideas that Chinese communism was the body of social/political/economic truth and was the idea Mao wanted to advance in the CCP to stop internal betrayal which was why he encouraged public self-criticism of members to avoid revisionist ideas. He believed people didn't understand democratic centralism and this movement led to the CCP moving towards cult status, Maoism, and Mao being referred to as "the great helmsmen".

Self-criticism

What Mao encouraged members of the CCP to do publicly because he wanted to advance revolutionary correctness, the idea that Chinese communism was the body of social/political/economic truth, to avoid revisionist ideas. He believed people didn't understand democratic centralism and this movement led to the CCP moving towards cult status, Maoism, and Mao being referred to as "the great helmsmen".

Cult status

A consequence of the Rectification of Conduct Campaign (1942-44) and Mao advancing revolutionary correctness, the idea that Chinese communism was the body of social/political/economic truth to stop internal betrayal which was also why he encouraged public self-criticism of members to avoid revisionist ideas. He believed people didn't understand democratic centralism and other consequences of this were Maoism and Mao being referred to as "the great helmsmen".

Maoism

This was Chinese communism centered around Mao and was a consequence of the Rectification of Conduct Campaign (1942-44) and Mao advancing revolutionary correctness, the idea that Chinese communism was the body of social/political/economic truth to stop internal betrayal which was also why he encouraged public self-criticism of members to avoid revisionist ideas. He believed people didn't understand democratic centralism and other consequences of this were cult status and Mao being referred to as "the great helmsmen".

The Great Helmsmen

A title people referred to Mao as and was a consequence of the Rectification of Conduct Campaign (1942-44) and Mao advancing revolutionary correctness, the idea that Chinese communism was the body of social/political/economic truth to stop internal betrayal which was also why he encouraged public self-criticism of members to avoid revisionist ideas. He believed people didn't understand democratic centralism and other consequences of this were cult status and Maoism

Chinese Civil War (1945-49)

A war between the Guomindag and CCP that the CCP won because of weaknesses of the Guomindag that ended up driving Chian Kai-shek out of China to Taiwan and Mao establishing the People's republic of China. The Guomindag lacked morale, skill of military commanders, and effective use of resources from the U.S. while the CCP had Mao as a skilled military commander, his self-confidence, and the red army's ability to survive off the land.

Chinese Politburo

Inner core of 20 CCP leaders that were part of the People's Republic of China and followed Mao, the ultimate authority, but helped to carry out government decisions in the one-party state. This was the reality of the Chinese government but the idealized structure was that the peasants held authority instead.

'Reunification' campaign (1950)

A government euphemism for forcibly bringing invaded provinces into line by sending 3 separate armies into the west and south under the idea they would help local conditions. However, their main purpose was to impose martial law and they also helped schemes like building roads in these areas.

'Anti-landlord' campaigns

This was a part of Mao's 'anti-movement' campaigns to help him consolidate power and in this specifically landlord property was confiscated and redistributed among former tenants. Some landlords were given a portion of land and became peasants but most were declared enemies of state and about 1 million were killed.

Korean war (1950-53)

This was a proxy war during the cold war between USSR backed North Korea and US backed South Korea that began when North Korea invaded South Korea. Stalin persuaded Mao to join him against the US because he claimed that if the US took control over Korea that would be a stepping stone to them taking over China next.

100 Flowers campaign (1957)

Was part of Mao's purges and was created by Mao to encourage free speech where he let CCP members criticize the government and its policies because he suspected there were people who didn't fully support him. This led to people denunciating government policies and attacks on Mao that caused him to end the campaign and arrest and imprison thousands of 'rightists' (people who wanted a slow/less violent revolution).

Five Year Plan

This was a programme for industrial development based on a set of production quotes. When Mao wanted to implement his 5 year plan he was unhappy with aid from the USSR because they charged him heavily for loans and materials and one example of a five year plans was Mao's Great Leap Forward which caused millions to die of famine.

Great Leap Forward (1958-62)

This was a five year plan created by Mao because he wanted rapid industrial growth to create resources so he could break away from USSR control and his goal was to have peasants, through collectivization, mass produce goods like steel so they could compete with other economies. However, because Mao rejected modern technology and peasants weren't able to adapt to communes and collective farming, this plan failed and 40 million starved as a result but no one dared to oppose Mao for it because of past actions like the 100 Flowers Bloom campaign.

Cultural Revolution (1966-76)

Mao had many motives for the implementing this but his main reason was fear of opposition within the CCP because of things like his old age, he feared people would revolt once he died which gave him a lot of paranoia about being overthrown. He also resented the failure of the Great Leap Forward, complacency within the government, and the USSR which motivated him to increase nationalism.

Lin Biao

A propagandist for Mao that promoted Maoism; he was also leader of the PLA and Mao's successor and portrayed Mao as the savior of the nation and benefactor of the people. One of his most effective propagandist pieces was the Little Red Book that held quotes and speeches by Mao which people carried with them everywhere and helped to settle disputes.

Little Red Book

One of Lin Biao's most effective propagandist pieces that held quotes and speeches by Mao which people carried with them everywhere and helped to settle disputes. Lin Biao created this because he was a propagandist for Mao that promoted Maoism; he was also leader of the PLA and Mao's successor and portrayed Mao as the savior of the nation and benefactor of the people.

Four Olds

These were what Lin Biao and Mao claimed they must attack these to destroy revisionism, ideas that departed from true communism accepted by Mao, when speaking at a rally in Tiananmen square in August 1966. Specifically, these were old culture, thoughts, habits, and customs and the rally itself brought the Cultural revolution to full attention.

Red Guards

These were units of young people created by Mao for the Cultural Revolution to act as terror squads and he chose to use young people because they were the most loyal and willing to act for him which reflected Confucian values despite them rejecting Confucianism. These groups would attack the education system, vandalize homes, libraries, and museums, commandeered public transport, and took control of TV and radio.

Liu Shaoqi

He along with Deng Xiaoping helped to end famines in China from the Great Leap Forward but because this was an example of Mao's failures and caused him to lose some popularity, they were subsequently removed from their government positions. This man was forced to be subjected to 'struggle sessions' were he faced self-criticism until he confessed out of guilt before being imprisoned and eventually died because of lack of help with his diabetes.

Deng Xiaoping

He and Lui Shaoqi helped to end famines in China from the Great Leap Forward but because this was an example of Mao's failures and caused him to lose some popularity, they were subsequently removed from their government positions. While Shaoqi died in prison, he escaped after being yelled abuse at by 3,000 red guards publicly and forced into corrective labor where he experienced harsh conditions.

Central Cultural Revolution Group (CCRG)

They, along with the Red Guards, created disruption in Tiananmen square where many ministers and officials lived by putting it under siege and yelling assault at them non-stop. They also formed gauntlets around those who tried to leave which led to schools closing and civils wars starting which Mao responded to by ordering the Red Guards to be taken over by the PLA.

"Up to the mountains and down to the village" campaign (1967-72)

This was a result of Mao ordering the Red Guards to be taken over by the PLA because of their extreme actions and verbal assault towards ministers and officials along with the Central Cultural Revolution Group. This campaign was then to rid urban areas of troublesome young people and move them to the countryside where they faced homesickness, starvation, and began to question Maoist propaganda.

Jiang Qing

She was the wife of Mao and the leader of the Gang of Four, hardliners of the CCP Shanghai faction, who developed the "cleansing the class ranks" campaign (168-71). In this terror campaign they worked to exterminate all those with a social background that made them potential enemies of Mao and the communist state which resulted in thousands to millions dying.

Gang of Four

This group was made up of hardliners of the CCP Shanghai faction, led by Jiang Qing--Mao's wife--, who developed the "cleansing the class ranks" campaign (168-71). In this terror campaign they worked to exterminate all those with a social background that made them potential enemies of Mao and the communist state which resulted in thousands to millions dying.

"Cleansing the class ranks" campaign (168-71)

This campaign was led by Jiang Qing's (Mao's wife) Group of Four, hardliners of the CCP Shanghai faction. In this terror campaign they worked to exterminate all those with a social background that made them potential enemies of Mao and the communist state which resulted in thousands to millions dying.

Laogai

A term to describe 're-education through labor' and were an extensive prison-camp system Mao created to enforce obedience, enlighten people, and use their labor for hazardous projects in the Great Leap Forward. They would do this by forcing confessions for the bare minimum food and beat them, sleep deprived them, starved them, and tortured them in other ways till they conformed.