IGCSE History: Conflict Crisis and Change: China 1911-1989

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the IGCSE History lecture on China from 1911-1989.

Kuomintang

The People’s National Party established in 1912 by Sun Yat-sen based on his Three Principles: Nationalism, Socialism, and Democracy.

Three Principles

The foundational ideas of the Kuomintang: Nationalism, Socialism, and Democracy.

Warlords

Military generals in China during the early 20th century who had set up their own governments in various provinces.

Northern Expedition

A military campaign led by Chiang Kai-shek from 1926-1928 aimed at removing warlords and uniting China.

Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

Political party founded in 1921 by Mao Zedong and others to advocate for Marxist socialism in China.

Mao Zedong

Leader of the Chinese Communist Party and key figure in the Chinese Revolution.

Agrarian Reform Law

Legislation passed in 1950 to redistribute land from landlords to peasants.

Great Leap Forward

A campaign initiated by Mao in 1958 aimed at rapidly transforming China from an agrarian society into an industrialized socialist society.

Cultural Revolution

A socio-political movement launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 to enforce communism by removing capitalist, traditional and cultural elements from Chinese society.

Tiananmen Square Massacre

The violent suppression of pro-democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in June 1989.

Red Guards

Youth groups mobilized by Mao during the Cultural Revolution to attack perceived bourgeois elements.

People's Liberation Army (PLA)

The combined armed forces of the CCP, which fought against the Kuomintang and then later during the Cultural Revolution.

Responsibility System

Policy initiated in 1978 allowing families in rural areas to manage their own plots of land under contract.

Four Modernizations

Deng Xiaoping's plan aimed at modernizing agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology in China.