Mao'a Campaigns

Campaign to suppress counter-revolutionaries

1950-1953

aimed at preventing nationalist sympathisers and spies and rivals from threatening and undermining the regime,, they forced people to leave the country or sent them to laogais ext

in 1951- the defintion of “counter-rev activity” was extended and now included all forms of political opposition and dissidents

but- still didnt have 100% control, the party needed to increase the support from the people(esp the peasants) and provide eceonomic growth,, this campaign only really eliminated/suppressed obvious opposition

The Reunification Campaign

launched in 1950

was aimed at increasing the party and mao’s control over the entire nation buy reclaiming land and suppossed “chinese territory” and “reunifying the country”,,they used the PLA to consolidate control or the periperal regions of China

they called the seizure of land “reunification” as to try and legitimise their actions(convince the people that all the areas had once been apart of the Chinese state)

possibly triggered by the fact that the failure to control tibet, taiwan, guangdong ext posed a dire threat to the CCP(they were far from beijing and so succeptible to more foreign influence)

but- by taking over areas with separate identities from china, it would only heighten opposition as would resent the ccp and china for stripping them of their cultures, freedoms and liberties

The Five Antis Campaign

1952

was utilised to remove possible oppostion and seize control over economic assets—> it was dedicated to eradicating: bribery, tax evasion, theft of state property, cheating on government contracts and stealing state economic information

specifically tragetted middle class and private businessmen, as the party attempted to dilute their power and influence

punishments included prison, fines, confiscation of property

but- only really impacts the economy and doesnt consider the need to the support of the masses

The Three Antis Campaign

(aug) 1951-(july)1952

After Mao ordered a ‘big clean up throughout the party’,, the campaign targetted communist cadres who were becomming too close to campitalism(indulging too much),, a reform movement to eliminate opposition,potential opposition and corruption

it was targetted against: corruption, waste and obstructionist bureaucracy in the government

the campaign allowed mao to strengthen his support within the party and government as loyal members were selected- strategically

but- the campaign only targetted oppostion within th party/internally and fails to have an impact on a wider scale

The Hundred Flowers Campaign

1956

“let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend”-Mao

a doctrine whereby intellectuals were encouraged to be open, speak their mind in hopes of helping the government to solves current problems by providing innovative solutions, they were a key asset for mao in reconstructing the country,, they hoped the intellectuals would help identify and rectify errors

marked an ideological shift which intended to foster a more open and free(and possibly demo) society,, intellectuals were granted greater freedoms of thought and speech,, relaxation of strict comm control,, criticism was labelled as “non-antagonistic”

many criticised- corruption, bureacracy, dogmatism, lack of freedoms, repression, cult of personality, compared violence and tactics to the likes of Hitler and Nazis,ext

soon- intellectuals were emboldened and motivated and energised,, the party was subjected to a huge wave of critisism and condemnation,, increased mao’s support for a brief period as was seen as allowing freedoms and comprimises for the sake of the modernisation and revival of china

but- many were unwilling to risk their lives and current freedoms by suggesting new ideas or going against the government,, the first few months saw little progress,, many thought theyd be denounced as “counter-revs” or re-classified as enemies of the state and the people,, also the critisism the party and mao were subjected to became too severe and risked many being disillusioned by the comm regime and mao himself, an error of judgement?,, begs the question was it a genuine error of judgement OR a ploy to coax dissidents and therefore just an illusion of freedom and acceptance

Anti-Rightists Campaign

1957(july)

demonstrated the 100 flowers campaign as a short lived episode of liberalisation as a counter attack was launched against the “rightists”← a LARGE-SCALE ANTI-INTELLECTUAL CAMPAIGN

intellectuals who had spoken out -thereafter-were dennounced publicly, purged, sent to laogais, imprisoned,ext,, crimes liable for punishment increased significantly,, around 400000-700000 intellectuals were purged as a result

cadres were even given quotas- 5% of people were to be damned as rightist- SO many were wrongly accused to ensure targets were met

it was launched after the criticism received from the 100 flowers was too extreme and intense for mao and the ccp to handle- they had ‘abused their freedoms and were “poisonous weeds”,, allowed the ccp to attempt to regain order and control over the population and silence opps,, the campaign demonstrated how the authority of the state was ultimately left as supreme and formidable and faultless(the facade they wanted to emulate)

but-given the campaign was a nationwide purge of intellectuals, it had a detrimental and unfathomable/robust/significant on the chinese economy immediately after and also decades after,, it ostensibly creates greater social coercion and stability and political grasp on power but in reality the economic drawbacks and sacrifices were tenfold more significant and severe,, further impoverished the country

Ultimately, the r________ c_________ that had emerged during the c_______ of the h_______ f________ campaign was s________ in the s____________ campaign against the anti r__________ (which was against r________ d_____________)

ultimately, the revolutionist currents that has emerged during the course of the hundred flowers campaign were suppressed in the subsequent campaign against the anti rightists (which was against rightist deviation)

who did the hundred flowers campaign sit at odds to and why?

the soviet union

as the campaign stressed how the “non-antagonistic” criticism and contradictions were to be considered mainstream and a normal phenomenon

what were the purges which came in accordance/ coincided with the campaigns successful at doing?

they were used to accentuate the party’s rectfication of society and the party itself

simultaenously they allowed the ccp and mao to stress their overarching control over the nation by using terror( especially the liquidation of opposition/ rivals )to silence and suppress and enforce subservience

what message did mao want to place significant emphasis on through these campaigns and in the years after to this?

that china was no longer going to be exhauusted by foreign powers ( esp the ussr and the west) and wouldnt play a secondary role in global stances and affairs that was asigned to her throughout stalin’s rule

what is the order in which the campaigns took place?

1. the campaign to suppress counter-revolutionaries- 1950

2. the reunification campaigns- 1949-50

3. the 3 antis campaign- (aug)1951-(july)1952

4. the 5 antis campaign- (feb-may) 1952

5. the hundred flowers campaign- 1957

6. the anti rightists campaign- 1957 (june)