IB World Topics - Mao Vocab (copy)

Pu Yi

The last emperor of China from the Qing Dynasty, who was deposed in 1912. He later served as a puppet ruler under Japanese control in Manchukuo during World War II.

Yuan Shikai

A Chinese general and politician who was briefly the first President of the Republic of China after the fall of the Qing Dynasty. He attempted to declare himself emperor, which led to political chaos.

Guomindang (GMD)

Also known as the Nationalist Party, it was led by Chiang Kai-shek and opposed the Chinese Communist Party during the Chinese Civil War. It retreated to Taiwan after losing to the CCP in 1949.

Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

The ruling political party in China since 1949, founded in 1921. It followed Marxist-Leninist principles and was led by Mao Zedong during the revolution and early PRC years.

Sun Yat Sen

A revolutionary leader who helped overthrow the Qing Dynasty and founded the Republic of China. He is considered the “Father of Modern China” and initially worked with the CCP before his death.

Chiang Kai Shek

Leader of the GMD after Sun Yat Sen and a major opponent of Mao Zedong during the Chinese Civil War. He eventually fled to Taiwan, establishing a separate government there.

Mao Zedong

Leader of the Chinese Communist Party and founding father of the People’s Republic of China. He ruled from 1949 until his death in 1976 and implemented radical policies like the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution.

Zhou Enlai

Mao’s close ally and Premier of the PRC who played a key diplomatic and administrative role in the early decades of Communist China.

Lin Biao

A military leader and key figure in the CCP’s rise to power. He was declared Mao’s successor before mysteriously dying in a plane crash after allegedly plotting a coup.

Deng Xiaoping

A high-ranking CCP official who was purged during the Cultural Revolution but later returned to power, leading China toward economic reforms and modernization after Mao’s death.

Liu Shaoqi

A prominent Chinese Marxist revolutionary, former President of the PRC, and a senior CCP official who was once considered Mao’s successor before being purged and dying during the Cultural Revolution.

Dalai Lama

The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and a central figure in the promotion of peace and compassion worldwide who fled into exile after the failed Tibetan uprising in 1959, following the Chinese occupation of Tibet.

President Nixon

The U.S. President who visited China in 1972, marking a thaw in Sino-American relations and ending decades of diplomatic isolation for the PRC.

Chinese Revolution (1910)

Also called the Xinhai Revolution, this uprising led to the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China in 1912, creating the political instability that later enabled Communist rise.

May Fourth Movement (1919)

A nationalist and anti-imperialist student movement sparked by China’s poor treatment in the Treaty of Versailles, particularly the decision to transfer German concessions in Shandong Province to Japan rather than returning sovereignty to China. It helped spread Marxist ideas and inspired the foundation of the CCP.

First United Front (1923–1927)

A brief alliance between the CCP and GMD to fight warlords and unify China. It collapsed when Chiang Kai-shek turned on the Communists in the Shanghai Massacre.

White Terror

A violent suppression campaign launched by Chiang Kai-shek and the GMD in 1927 to eliminate Communists and leftist sympathizers, leading to the start of the Chinese Civil War.

Shanghai Massacre

An anti-Communist purge carried out by the GMD in April 1927, in which thousands of Communists and unionists were killed, ending the First United Front.

Long March

A year-long, 6,000-mile retreat by the Red Army in 1934–1935 to evade the encirclement of GMD forces. Despite huge losses, it solidified Mao’s leadership and became a foundational CCP myth.

Jiangxi Soviet

An early Communist-controlled region in southeastern China, where Mao and the CCP developed guerrilla warfare strategies and policies like land reform before being driven out.

Yan’an Soviet

The Communist base established after the Long March in northwest China. It became a center of CCP ideological training and propaganda development.

Marxism

A socio-economic theory developed by Karl Marx, advocating for a classless society through proletarian revolution. Mao adapted this to Chinese conditions through Maoism.

6 Principles of the Red Army

Mao’s ethical code for the Red Army that emphasized respect, discipline, and cooperation with the peasantry, helping build popular support.

Chinese Civil War

The armed conflict between the CCP and GMD (1927–1949), interrupted by the Second Sino-Japanese War. It ended with the CCP’s victory and the founding of the PRC.

People’s Liberation Army (PLA)

The military arm of the CCP, formed from the Red Army. It played a key role in the Civil War and later maintained CCP control over China.

Mao becomes Chairman of the PRC (Oct 1949)

Marked the founding of the People’s Republic of China, with Mao declared head of state and the CCP assuming total control.

Suppression of Counter-revolutionaries (1950)

A violent campaign launched by the CCP, aimed at targeting former GMD officials, landlords, and others labeled enemies of the state. Tens of thousands were executed.

Maoism

Mao’s interpretation of Marxism-Leninism, emphasizing a peasant revolution, continuous class struggle, and self-reliance. It became the ideological foundation of the PRC.

Rectification Campaign (1942–1943)

A CCP campaign aimed to consolidate Mao’s control by purging internal opponents and reinforcing ideological conformity in Yan’an.

PRC Constitution (1954)

A pivotal legal document that established China as a one-party socialist state, formally giving the CCP full control over governance and solidifying Mao’s authority.

Thought Reform Movement (1951)

A campaign aimed to indoctrinate intellectuals and students with Maoist ideology, with strategies like self-criticism and study sessions being employed to ensure that individuals adhered to Communist principles.

Reunification Campaigns (1949–1950)

Military operations conducted by the CCP, aimed at asserting control over peripheral regions of China, specifically Tibet, Xinjiang, and Guangdong, following the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War.

Little Red Book

A pocket-sized book of Mao’s quotes, distributed widely during the Cultural Revolution as a symbol of loyalty and ideological purity.

Hundred Flowers Campaign (1956)

Initiated by Mao Zadong, a brief period where intellectuals and citizens were encouraged to criticize the regime, which was followed by a harsh crackdown on dissenters.

Anti-Rightist Campaign (1957)

A political movement launched in backlash to the Hundred Flowers Campaign, in which critics of the party were labeled “rightists” and persecuted.

Struggle Sessions

Public humiliations or violent confrontations where individuals were forced to confess to political crimes as a way to enforce ideological conformity and eliminate perceived enemies. They were often used during purges and the Cultural Revolution.

Laogai

The system of forced labor camps in China used to punish political dissidents and criminals, modeled on the Soviet Gulag.

Laojiao

“Re-education through labor,” a parallel system to Laogai that didn’t require formal legal charges, used to suppress dissent and minor infractions.

Mao Crosses the Yangtze River

A symbolic reference to the final pivotal stages of the Civil War in 1949, when Mao’s forces successfully advanced into southern China and captured Nanjing, symbolizing the nearing end of GMD rule and Communist victory.

Politburo

The executive committee of the CCP, which held significant policymaking power. Mao chaired this body, solidifying centralized rule.

Cadres

Party officials and loyalists embedded in all areas of governance and society to enforce CCP policy and ideology.

New Currency “Renminbi”

Introduced in 1948 to stabilize the Chinese economy and replace the hyperinflated GMD currency. It became the standard currency of the PRC.

Agrarian Land Law (1950)

A major land reform initiative that redistributed land from landlords to peasants, often violently, eliminating the traditional rural elite and feudal landownership system.

Purge of Landlords

Violent class-based campaigns where landlords were executed or stripped of property. These campaigns were part of the Communist Party's efforts to eliminate class enemies, redistribute wealth, and promote socialist ideology.

First Five-Year Plan (1953–1957)

An ambitious industrial and economic initiative launched by the PRC, it modeled itself after Soviet methods, emphasizing rapid industrialization, particularly in heavy industry, and aimed to lay the groundwork for economic transformation and development.

Collectivization

The forced merging of individual farms into large collective units. It aimed to boost production but often led to inefficiency and resentment.

Communes

Larger collectivized units that were introduced during the Great Leap Forward that aimed to enhance agricultural productivity and industrial output through collective labor and combined agricultural and industrial work, disrupting rural life and governance.

Great Leap Forward/Second Five-Year Plan (1958–1962)

A socio-economic campaign launched by the CCP and Mao that attempted to rapidly transform China from an agrarian society into an industrialized socialist nation through mass mobilization of labor and resources, but instead resulted in one of the deadliest famines in history.

Great Famine (1958–1961)

Resulting from failed policies during the Great Leap Forward, it was marked by widespread food shortages and caused the deaths of an estimated 15–45 million people due to starvation.

The Four Pest Control

A part of the larger Great Leap Forward, this campaign aimed to eradicate four specific pests that were deemed harmful to public health and agriculture: rats, flies, mosquitoes, and sparrows. The campaign had far-reaching environmental and agricultural consequences due to its simplistic approach and lack of scientific understanding.

Marriage Law (1950)

A progressive reform banning arranged marriages, concubinage, and child brides. It promoted gender equality in marriage and divorce rights.

Three Antis Campaign (1951)

Aimed at addressing serious issues of corruption, waste, and bureaucratic inefficiencies within the party and government institutions; served as a means to consolidate power, eliminate dissent, and establish a culture of discipline among party members and government officials.

Five Antis Campaign (1952)

Aimed at private businesspeople, it targeted five categories of crimes: bribery, theft of state property, tax evasion, fraud, and industrial spying. It sought to consolidate communist control over the economy and eliminate bourgeois influences.

Cultural Revolution (1966–1976)

A mass movement launched by Mao to reassert his authority by purging “counter-revolutionaries” and capitalist elements, leading to chaos and violence.

Barefoot Doctors

Health workers established in China with basic training who were sent to rural areas during the Cultural Revolution to provide medical services and promote public health.

Patriotic Health Movement (1950)

A campaign to improve public hygiene, fight disease, and promote preventive health care, especially in rural areas.

Danwei

Chinese “work units” that managed employment, housing, and welfare, acting as the basic organizing structure of urban life under Communist rule.

Hukou

A household registration system that restricted internal migration in attempt to manage urbanization, tying people to their birthplace and regulating their eligibility for access to social services such as housing, education, healthcare, and employment.

Destruction of the “Four Olds”

A campaign during the Cultural Revolution to eradicate old customs, culture, habits, and ideas, often involving the destruction of historical sites and texts.

Yangbanxi (Revolutionary Opera)

Politicized operas created under Mao’s wife, Jiang Qing, used to promote revolutionary ideals and CCP propaganda.

State Atheism

The official policy of the PRC that discouraged religious practice, replacing it with loyalty to the CCP and promoting materialist Marxist ideology.

Tibetan Uprising (1959)

A failed revolt against Chinese rule in Tibet, after which the Dalai Lama fled to India. It was met with violent suppression by the PLA.

Oppression of Uyghurs

Ethnic and religious repression in Xinjiang, where this Muslim population faced forced assimilation, severe human rights abuses, systematic discrimination, and surveillance under CCP rule.

Cultural Unity

A CCP goal to create a homogeneous national identity by suppressing ethnic, religious, and linguistic differences through education and propaganda.

Socialist Education Movement (1962)

A campaign to reintroduce revolutionary values and Maoist ideology in schools and society after the failures of the Great Leap Forward.

Pinyin

The Romanization system for Mandarin Chinese introduced in the 1950s to improve literacy and make Chinese more accessible to learners.

Increase Literacy

Nationwide campaigns that aimed to educate the population, especially peasants, by aligning literacy efforts with ideological indoctrination.

Agricultural Middle Schools

Schools set up to blend academic education with agricultural labor, reflecting Mao’s emphasis on learning through practice.

Red Guard

Radical youth groups organized by Mao Zedong that were mobilized during the Cultural Revolution to attack intellectuals, destroy the “Four Olds,” and enforce Maoist ideology.

“Up the Mountain and Down the Countryside” Movement

Mao’s campaign to send urban youth to rural areas for “re-education” through manual labor and integration with peasant life; is often viewed critically, as many young people faced harsh living conditions and a lack of education.

Chinese Communist Youth Movement (CYL)

A party-run organization that trained young people, typically ages 14-28, in Communist values and prepared them for future roles in the CCP.

Youth Pioneers

A mass youth organization in China for children aged 6–14, teaching loyalty to Mao and the Party through songs, activities, as well as uniforms, and they were also taught the principles of socialism and communism.

Comintern

The Soviet-led organization promoting global communism. It provided early guidance and support to the Chinese Communist Party.

2nd Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945)

A brutal conflict between China and Japan, during which the CCP and GMD temporarily allied. The war boosted the CCP’s popularity.

2nd United Front

The brief alliance between the CCP and GMD during WWII to resist Japanese invasion, setting aside internal conflict temporarily.

“Resist America & Aid Korea” Campaign (1950–1953)

A propaganda initiative launched by China that coincided with its military intervention in the Korean War. It aimed to mobilize support for the Chinese effort against U.S.-led UN forces and promote national unity against perceived foreign aggression.

Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship (1950)

An agreement between Mao and Stalin that provided China with financial aid and military support in its early years as a republic.

China attacks USSR’s policy of “Peaceful Coexistence”

Mao criticized Khrushchev’s policy of diplomacy with the West that undermined communist principles, contributing to the Sino-Soviet Split.

China produces atomic bomb (1964)

A successful attempt made by China, at the Lop Nur test site in Xinjiang. This event marked China as the fifth nation in the world to possess nuclear weapons, following the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and France.