Mao's China: Authoritarian State

communism i guess

Meiji Restoration

1868, marked accession of new emperor, Meiji, in Japan. Country embarked on industrialization and modernization of Japan, educated Chinese wanted China to follow Japan’s lead.

Confucian Values

Heart of Chinese society, values were a way to build harmony and make people accept social order without complaint. The moral/ethical core of Chinese society for over 2000 years, teachings of the sage and philosopher Confucius, created with the aim of building societal harmony and competency to authority

Mandate of Heaven

Was where the right to rule in China was derived from, allowed the ruler to suppress opposition or threats to power.

Qing Dynasty

China’s ruling dynasty during the 19th century where imperialization of China began from Europe and Japan, led to deep resentment of the dynasty amongst the Chinese population because of presence of foreign imperialists, consequently multiple rebellions erupted throughout the country.

Taiping Rebellion

1850-1864, one of the most serious rebellions against the Qing Dynasty.

Boxer Rebellion

1898-1900. The other most serious rebellion against the Qing dynasty, Boxers murdered missionaries and Christian converts, eventually foreign powers defeated the Boxers through 50k members international relief force, following this China was sued by international powers for $330 million, Chinese bitterly resented this. This was the beginning of anti-Western ideology.

Cixi

The powerful and unforgiving Dowager Empress who controlled Chinese government from 1861-1908, rose to power following an 1861 coup that made her the de facto leader. Was conservative and resistant to western ideas.

Hundred Days of Reform

A policy proposed by the ruling emperor Guang Xu that would help modernize China, the initiatives would modernize bureaucracy, the armed forces, and transport systems across the country, but once Guang Xu died in the coup and Cixi took power, she blocked this reform from proceeding. Perhaps where Mao got some of his ideas

Sun Yatsen

1911, leader of the young revolutionaries who were against the Qing Dynasty. His revolutionary league was founded on nationalism, democracy, and improving lives with socialism. Founded GMD.

Guomindang (GMD)

The National People’s Party, also called the GMD, formed in 1912 by Sun Yatsen, banned in 1913 by president Yuan Shikai after they won the elections, GMD was one of the main parties for years to come along with the CCP

Twenty-One Demands

Imposed on China by Japan, Yuan Shikai submitted to foreign aggression 1915. Demands that were imposed on China by Japan, including but not limited to: transferring former German privileges in Shandong to the Japanese, and allowing the Japanese rights to exploit materials in Southern Manchuria.

Yuan Shikai

Made deal with rebels after 1911 Revolution, promised to support the revolution if he became president, not Sun Yatsen. 1912, Republic of China was formed. Overthrew the Qing dynasty in a revolution in 1912, powerful imperial general and eventually first leader of the Republic of China, despised the GMD and banned it in 1913, shut down parliament in 1914, ruled like a dictator and eventually died in 1916 having made no significant national progress. Left China weak and divided.

Warlord Period

1916-1927. After Yuan Shikai died, power was left in the hands of the warlords. Period of time where there was no central government, instead powerful warlords led certain regions of the country with frequent wars, causing national economic despair, high taxes imposed in combination with looting, pillaging, and essentially anarchy. Living conditions for peasant were awful.

May Fourth Movement

After the WWI Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919, all of Germany’s land ownings (like Shanghai) in China were given to Japan, enraged many and sparked protests from students across Beijing on May 4, 1919, subsequent demonstrations were held across the nation. Felt betrayed by western powers.

Chinese Communist Party

One of the main parties along with the GMD, formed in Shanghai in 1921 and led by Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao, Mao Zedong highly influential figure in the party that rose to fame and power (CCP/CPC)

Comitern

Short for communist international, the body founded in 1919 by the USSR to globalize communism, aided in the formation of the CCP.

Marxist

Those who followed and believed in Karl Marx’s theories that proclaimed a working class revolution needed to occur in order to take power out of the hands of the elite. Mao was a Marxist.

United Front

1924, the comintern recommended that the CCP work together with the GMD to defeat the warlords and unite China. GMD and CCP allied to create the First United Front, needed to do this to beat the warlords. Increased CCP membership.

Chiang Kai-sehk

After Sun Yatsen died, Chiang Kai-shek became leader of the GMD, although the United Front had already been created, Kai-Shek completely turned on the communists and formed a government in Nanjing, eventually he gave into a Second United Front to defend against the Japanese but following that there was continued party infighting, fled back to Taiwan when he lost

Northern Expedition

1926-1928, a revolution against the warlord era led by the First United Front, tensions began to rise between the 2 political parties, Kai-Shek viewed CCP as a threat. Expedition was about 100,000 men, goal to unite China against the warlords. Started expedition in May 1926. Led by Chiang Kai-shek, successes, tension started to emerge between parties.

White Terror

1927, Chiang Kai-Shek decided to reassert his authority and used miltary support to purge by purging communist organizations in Shanghai, Wuhan, and Hunan. Union members, communists, and peasants came under attack and thousands were killed.

Nanjing Decade

Chiang Kai-Shek established a nationalist government in Nanjing (1928-1937), a period of rampant civil war across the country, China was torn apart by civil war. CCP survival hung in the balance.

Red Army

Original name of the paramilitary troops of Mao’s CCP, in Jianxi Soviet territory, the Red Army developed a strong guerrilla force. Later called the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Futian Incident

1930, a mass execution of Red Army troops that Mao thought were rebels, around 4000 brutally murdered. Thought they were plotting against him, ‘purging’ the Party.

Long March

1934-1935, GMD encircled the Jiangxi Soviet, Chiang wanted to starve CCP into defeat. CCP forced to retreat, had the Long March that took over a year, over 100,000 people participated in the 7000 mile trek to Yanan. Became important part of their lore, got support. Later used to aid Mao’s propaganda.

Yanan

Where the 100k members of the Long March intended to go, only a small handful succeeded on the journey, this is where Mao rose to extreme authoritarian power in the CCP. He started to impose his personal authority on the CCP. Overcame three struggles: other people leadership bids, rebuild CCP support base, and party ideological struggle within.

Mass Line

A policy of the CCP intended to increase and encourage contact with the masses and showing party leadership and its role, CCP cadres stationed with peasants to help them and learn their ways

Six Principles of the Red Army

A series of 6 rules for everyone in the Red Army to follow regarding their moral compass. Put back all doors when leaving a house, rice-stalk mattresses must be bound up and returned, be polite and help people when you can, give back everything you borrow, pay for all things broken, and don’t help yourself or search for things when people are not home.

Rape of Nanjing

1937-1938, also known as Nanjing Massacre, mass murdering and raping by Japanese troops unto the Chinese when the Japanese occupied Nanjing, hundreds of thousands murdered, tens of thousands raped

Taiwan

1945 to 1975, where members of the GMD fled following the Chinese Civil War, Chiang Kai-Shek decided he would move the GMD government base there. Chiang Kai-Shel ruled Taiwan as the Republic of China. Many western nations and the UN recognized Taiwan as the only legitimate government in China with a seat on the Security Council.

People’s Republic of China

1949, Mao declared the formation of this after winning the Chinese Civil War over the GMD, he created a novel form of government comprising of 6 regions, each overseen by 4 officials: a chairman, party secretary, military commander, and political commissar, the chairman obviously being Mao Zedong. CCP underwent unification campaigns to suppress all opposition, involving purges and invasions of Tibet, Xinjian, and Guangdong amongst others.

Cadres

Loyal employees of the CCP that worked as spies in townships. Reported on fellow CCP members and the public. Were trained for guerilla warfare, not to govern.

Reunification Campaign

1949-1950. A way for the CCP to gain full control of China and its borders involving multifaceted plans to overcome and suppress opposition; claims that these areas were historically part of China are still contested to this day.

Three-anti Campaign

1951, a reform movement developed by Mao consisting of 3 “anti’s” or concepts to defeat: waste, corruption, and inefficiency

Five-anti Campaign

1951, an extension of the three-anti campaign now including industrial sabotage, tax evasion, bribery, fraud, and theft of government property

Reactionaries and Counter-revoluntionaries

Leftover members of the bourgeoisie which Mao believed were a threat to the goal of communism, Mao believed that in order to achieve communism, the bourgeoisie had to be eliminated. Declared them enemies of the state.

Denunciation

Key method of turning on the ‘enemies’ of the revolution. People would denounce one another to show allegiance to regime. Anyone who was critical of the regime in any way was publicly denounced, either verbally or in print, friends ousted each other, children reported their parents, often the accusations were entirely false but it was a way to prove loyalty to the regime

Lao Gai

A network of prison camps across China that forced reform through labor, used the model of the Soviet Gulag to imprison and force labor upon almost 10 million ‘counter-revolutionaries’ on average, people placed into camps without due process where conditions were awful and over 25 million people died

Land Reform

Land was stripped of landlords and distributed to the peasants that had inhabited it, Mao aimed to eliminate all landlords through ‘speak bitterness’ campaigns that often ended in mass murders; overall 2-3 million landlords were executed, eventually the land became cooperatively owned

Politburo

A group consisting of around 20 people that led the CCP, where the real authority lied within the party

Democratic Centralism

The basis on which Mao’s chairmanship was justified, Leninist concept claiming that only the leaders of the communists could truly plan the revolution, placing emphasis on absolute authority. Although all communists were revolutionaries, only the leaders were educated in the science of revolution.

Korean War

Made Mao paranoid. 1950-53, war between South and North Korea. 1950, North Korea invaded South to try and unify under communist banner. China intervened on behalf of the North Korean side, Zhou Enlai believed the UN and US stepping in on behalf of South Korea was an ‘imperialist invasion’, Soviets had a more major role in the war which led global opinion away from China’s participation, largely viewed as useless intervention.

United Nations

Formed in 1945, aim of preventing conflicts between nations. UN interfered in the Korean War due to the persuasion of President Truman, attempting to push back North Korea and continue containment policy (containing communism worldwide).

Monolithic

The concept that the globalization of communism was controlled centrally by the USSR in Moscow.

The Bamboo Curtain

Border between China and non-communist nations, similar to the Iron Curtain between USSR and European non-communist neighbors, Mao aimed not to cross these borders

Zhou Enlai

Eloquent spokesman for China’s “Hate America” campaign, supported by relentless propaganda. Was premier and foreign minister in 1949. Able diplomat, seen as a massive influence during the Cultural Revolution.

Lin Biao

Communist military leader who played a key role in the CCP victory in the civil war. Helped create the cult of Mao, directed PLA during Cultural Revolution. Died in a plane crash after attempting to oust Mao.

Registration System

1955, tons of people leaving rural to leave starvation. Shou extended the house-registration system to the countryside. System requiring document holding that described employment and overall status, bound rural residents to countryside and urban residents to their cities, migration pass required to move.

de-Stalinization

Khrushchev’s speech denouncing Stalin for his actions and cult made a huge impact on Mao, he saw it as a potential threat to his personality cult and reforms. Led to Mao changing his own policies to avoid being denounced as well. In 1956 the personality cult was denounced and references to Mao Zedong thought were eliminated from the CCP charter.

Hundred Flowers Campaign

1956, Mao encouraged criticism both of party and country, eventually criticism became harsh to the point of accusing party leaders and Mao of corruption, Mao turned on the critics and labeled them ‘rightists’ including many influential leading figures like Zhou Enlai, many committed suicide or were sent to reformation camps in the countryside, the only way to avoid the label was to conform to Mao.

Anti-Rightist Movement

1957-1959, campaigns targeting those who were critical of Mao and his regime by labeling them ‘rightists’, denounced and humiliated into redacting their critiques or sent to the countryside for thought reformation.

Deng Xiaoping

Secretary General of the PRC from 1954-66, led the anti-rightist movement, labeling over half a million people as ‘rightists’ throughout the country and subjecting them to humiliation. Revolutionary of the Long March, Secret. Gen., purged twice, leader of China 78-92.

Peng Dehuai

Minister of Defense in the PRC, spoke out about the famine in the countryside due to agricultural reform, delegates took Mao’s side instead and labeled Dehuai as an enemy of the state, purged from CCP in 1959 for treason

Tibetan Uprising of 1959

1959, an uprising against the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Mao’s famine caused by agricultural reform had stretched to Tibet and put millions there on the brink of starvation, cultural suppression and mass imprisonment ensued and the religion was under attack. Dalai Lama fled to Northern India and Chinese banned the mention of the Dalai Lama in Tibet, Mao arrested the Panchai Lama for speaking out against mass death and imprisonment, as Mao thought they were false claims, but it turned out these numbers were true.

Cultural Revolution

1962, Mao slips into the background. Cultural Revolution: 1966-1976, to reassert his authority, Mao started the revolution. Was in response to Deng Xiaoping and Liu Shaoqi’s increasing popularity, massive political upheaval resulting in genocide, war, economci chaos, and class divides, consisted of massive purges of any potential threats and resulted in Mao’s return to the sole leader of China.

Liu Shaoqi

Mao’s successor as president in 1959, purged in 1968 in the Cultural Revolution for gaining popularity, Mao perceived him as a potential threat to the party and his position. Died of harsh conditions in 1969.

Little Red Book

Compilation of quotes from Mao that became a core piece of PLA training and studied almost religiously, reinforced Mao’s position as cult leader and aided in resolving conflict and teachings around the country. Secular bible.

Gang of Four

Responsible for implementing the harshest and most radical policies of the Cultural Revolution. A group of the four most radical individuals of the Shanghai forum, consisting of Mao’s wife Jiang Qing and 3 of her strongest allies, set into place the harshest policies of the Cultural Revolution.

Central Cultural Revolution Group (CCRG)

Subcommittee in Politburo established in 1966 that led purges among moderate ‘counter-revolutionaries’, consisted of 17 members including the Gang of Four. Played key role in directing the C.V.

Jiang Qing

One of the most influential members of the CCP and part of the Gang of Four, Mao’s wife, helped implement the harshest policies of the Cultural Revolution. Great quote: “I was Mao Zedong’s dog. I bit whomever he told me to bite.” Sentenced to death after C.V. trial once Mao died.

Red Guards

Paramilitary social movement comprised of upstart youth, denounced their parents and committed to completely exterminating the four olds. Called themselves the Red Guards. Denounced people, beat them, basically little volunteer toy soldiers for the C.V.

Four Olds

1966 University attack. Lin Biao told students to exterminate the “four olds”: old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits.

Cleansing the Class Ranks

The massive attempts at removing all capitalist ideals and socioeconomic classes, hundreds of thousands brutally tortured and murdered, Mao sat incompetently as Jiang and extremists controlled the campaign. Committees were established across China to remove any forms of capitalism.

Tiananmen Square Incident

Zhou Enlai died of lung cancer (was the dude who tattled on plane crash dude, was a moderate) in 1976, memorial at Tiananmen Square. Demonstration in support of his moderate policies took place, dispersed after bloody police confrontation.

1976, a massive demonstration in Tiananmen Square occurred after Zhou Enlai’s death in support of his moderate policies, after deadly conflict with police and tanks the crowd was dismissed and Deng Xiaoping dismissed from his position

Bandung Conference

April 1955, comprised of 29 Asian and African nation leaders, met in Bandung Indonesia to talk about peace and the role their country played in the Cold War. Mao seen as communist leader after Stalin’s death in 1955, so important.

Sino-Soviet Rift

1958-1976. Nikita Khrushchev denouncing Stalin, who was allied with Mao, so Mao felt threatened. Mao worried about USSR increasing diplomacy with western countries as Khrushchev took power. Both sides continued to disagree, tensions rose between China and USSR, Mao blamed USSR for blocking support to attack Taiwan, in turn USSR called CCP reckless.

Ping-Pong Diplomacy

1971, Mao invited the US table tennis team to play in China. Zhou Enlai and Henry Kissinger steered negotiations, became known as ping-pong diplomacy.

Command Economy

Economic system in which the means of production and publicly owned and economic activity is controlled by a central authority. Central planners decide what goods to produce, allocate raw materials, set prices, and fix quotas. It was believed that China needed this in order to succeed in the revolution.

First Five-Year Plan

1952-1957, a five-year economic plan involving the targeting of certain individual goods such as goal, steel, and petrochemicals, also involved advancements in transportation and civil engineering. Key priority was the development of the transport industry.

Great Leap Forward

1958-1962, a second five-year economic plan that Mao hoped would fully industrialize China in the least time possible, he hoped to catch up with Great Britain. Mao emphasized agricultural surpluses where they would trade the food to Western countries in exchange for industrial technology to produce more food, the cycle would continue until full industrialization. Aim to turn China into modern industrial power. Focus on “General Steel” and “General Grain”.

Backyard Furnace

All families were encouraged to craft a smelting machine, blast furnaces crafted in backyards to craft steel, but there was a widespread lack of knowledge how to do so, unsuccessful results.

Iron Rice Bowl

A system that guaranteed jobs and steady wages, but was inefficient because all surpluses were given to the government, little motivation to be efficient or productive in the workplace, all enterprises owned by state (SOEs)

Applied Communism

Concept where planning was devised in accordance with Marxist thought, involved government ownership of economy and no private ownership, hindered by multiple weaknesses in the regime.

The Great Famine

1958-1962, catastrophic famine plaguing rural families across the nation due to drought and flooding during the Great Leap Forward, Chinese residents were encouraged to kill all sparrows because they were pests, but this led to a massive insect infestation of the crops. There was low agricultural production, food shortages, and mass starvation.

Collectivization

Also referred to as state ownership of land, originally adopted by Soviets in 20s and 30s, collectivization forced residents to give up their farms or land to the state and join large cooperative farms with many people.

Communes

An organized region where the collectives were grouped together (state owned farms combined were collectives), the government determined prices of goods and dictated the schedule.

Lysenkoism

Official policy in 1958, replaced peasants expertise knowledge. Trofim Lysenkoism was a Soviet researcher, claimed to have techniques to make “super crops”, took an extreme Marxist approach to biology. Stalin believed him, so Mao believed him, but actually false. Farmers forced to follow his ideas.

Religious Policies

Communism saw religion as the invention of capitalists, Mao wanted religion to be replaced with undying loyalty to the CCP, churches forced to close and were stripped of land, anti-Buddhist and anti-Christian propaganda became mainstream, religious clothing was banned, as well as worshipping ancestors, mass purges of clergy, Confucianism frowned upon.

Female Infanticide

Historic practice of murdering newborn girls, widely received that boys brought honor to the family and girls did nothing other than drain resources, this practice continued throughout the Mao era for this reason.

Pinyin

Pinyin: a standard phonetic system for transcribing Mandarin. Helped raise literacy levels in China, was implemented by the PRC. System invented by Mao that characterized sounds in Mandarin into symbols that people could write, first time there was a phonetic system for spoken Mandarin.

Patriotic Health Movements

Started 1952, multiple campaigns to increase healthcare access in China, especially in remote areas, government-funded schemes preached health and hygiene, local communes launched efforts to get rid of insects and drain swamps to mitigate disease, record numbers of doctors and nurses trained to increase medical care access, but during cultural reform access to healthcare became bourgeoisie and medical practitioners targeted.

Barefoot Doctors

1973, healthcare workers put through a crash programme in the late 1960s, provided aid in remote areas, young idealists were trained, amounted to over a million, provided treatments to peasants that was usually free, greatly helped peasant lifestyle.

Marriage Reform Law

1950, concubinage was abolished, arranged marriages came to an end, paid dowries forbidden, those who had been forced to marry could get divorced, and all marriages had to be registered with the state. Received well by residents.