IB History SL: Authoritarian States: Mao's Emergence to Power

This is for IBDP History SL/HL students

What were the economic factors that played a significant role in Mao’s emergence to power?

• Poverty and land inequality among the chinese peasants

• GMD corruption and inflation

• China was divided into “spheres of influence”

• Wealth was concentrated disproportionally in the hands of wealthy landlords

• A significant portion of land was unusable due to natural disasters

How were the social division conditions that led to Mao’s emergence of power?

• Feudalism with disproportionate concentration of wealth

• The May Fourth movement (1919)

• Social hierarchy with the emperor on top

What was the May Fourth Movement?

Chinese cultural and anti-imperialist political movement where students protested the government’s weak response to the Treaty of Versailles

What was the impact of war?

• China suffered from lack of unity (spheres of influence)

• Dominated by foreign power (Japan)

• Won against the Japanese using guerrilla warfare, thus becoming more attractive options for the people compared to GMD

What was the impact of the weakness of the political system (Qing Dynasty)?

• Defeat in Opium Wars (1839-42)

• Defeat against Japan (1894-95)

• Boxer rebellion (1898-1901) - Britain sought to profit from China and split the country

• Resented government taxes

• Inflation

• Peasants of China succumbed to widespread revolutionary ideas

What was the impact of the weakness of the political system (New National Assembly)?

• Sun Yat Sen resigned as president after lack of military support, replaced by Yuan Shikai

• Yuan Shikai created another dynasty, where he was in control

• He banned parliamentary elections and lacked loyalty towards revolutionary ideologies

• After his death the warlords took over

What was the impact of the weakness of the political system (Beijing Government)?

• Lack of supporters

• Tried to establish popularity by joining WWII but Japan was revarded in ToV infuriating the Chinese

• May Fourth Movement

What was the role of the leader (Mao)?

• Jiang Jieshi broke alliance with Mao as he attempted to revolt

• Formed the Red Army (1928)

• The Long March

• Advocating guerrilla warfare

• Implementing land reforms and appealing to the rural population

• Developing Mao Zedong Thought

What was the impact of the Long March (1934-35)?

• Relocation of the communist revolutionary base as the Nationalist forces were advancing

• The heroism inspired many young Chinese to join the CCP

What was Mao’s ideology?

• Maoism = Product of Mao’s own peasant background

• Focus on peasant and not workers

• Energy of the masses

• Ruthless determination: Violence was a necessary element of revolution

• Mao was always right

• “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun”

What is communism?

• Political and economic doctrine

• Based on marxism

• Aims to replace private property and profit-based economy with public ownership and communcal control

• Revolution from the working class

• Advocates for classless society

What was Mao’s use of force during his emergence?

• When Mao established the Red Army they were poorly equipped, leading them to develop guerilla tactics

• Though the Red Army (later to be PLA) were fewer troops, their experience, morale, and discipline eventually lead them to victory

What was his use of propaganda during his emergence?

• Varied in themes such as Maoist ideals, anti-imperialism/anti-capitalism, family/social values

• Posters, media, schools, literature, music, etc

• The CCP army assisted in mass indoctrination and reinforcing political messages