VCE History Revolutions 2025 Unit 4 AOS 2: Consequences of the Chinese Revolution

What was the CCP’s first task according to Tom Ryan?

‘Bringing stability to a nation torn apart by decades of war and economic turmoil’.

At what rate was China’s population growing after the revolution?

The birthrate was 2.2%, and the population was increasing by 50 million per year.

Was production keeping up with population growth?

No. Industrial production was down almost 50% on pre-war levels, and food production was down 25%.

What did Mao say about the right to vote?

‘The right to vote belongs only to the people and not to the reactionaries.’

What was the name if the new land campaign?

The ‘land to the tiller’ campaign.

What were ‘Speak Bitterness’ meetings?

‘Everyone in the village gathered together’ for ‘long public denunciations. 2-5 million landlords were executed through the Agrarian Reform Law. Mao described it as ‘vicious war’.

What was the goal of the Sanfan 3-antis campaign?

It was created in 1951 to eliminate ‘corruption, waste and bureaucracy’, for ‘a good clean up’ (Mao).

What was the goal of the 1952 Wufan 5-antis campaign?

To eliminate bribery, tax evasion, theft of state property, cheating on government contracts, and stealing economic info.’

What did Mao do for women?

‘Women hold up half the sky’. He introduced the Marriage Law of 1950, however ‘efforts to improve women’s rights had limited success in rural areas.’

How did life expectancy change?

It increased by 21 years, from 36 in 1950 to 57 by 1957.

How many Soviet-designed programs made up the First Five Year Plan?

156, and 700 new industrial enterprises were constructed.

What percentage of the government’s production budget did manufacturing receive?

89%.

Was the First Five Year Plan a success?

In heavy industry, the results constituted ‘a formidable achievement’ (Jonathan Spence). There was a 10-16% increase in overall annual production.

How did farming productions fare after the revolution?

Farming production grew by only 4% annually, and grain production increased by only 2-3%.

How much of the peasantry joined higher cooperatives?

By December 1957, 97% of the peasantry had joined higher cooperatives.

What did Mao do to ensure loyalty?

Gao Gang was expelled from the CCP in 1954, Mao described him as ‘a sinister wind’.

How did coal production increase?

It went from 66 million metric tonnes to 130 million metric tonnes by 1957.

By how much did the urban population increase?

It increased from 57 million in 1949 to 100 million in 1957.

By how much did steel production increase?

It went from 1.3 million tonnes in 1952 to 5.3 million tonnes in 1957.

What is the hundred flowers quote?

‘Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend.’ Mao in Feb 1957.

What did Mao claim was the goal of the Hundred Flowers Campaign?

‘Promoting progress in the arts and the sciences and a flourishing socialist culture.’

What did a democratic league minister say about the Hundred Flowers Campaign?

‘During the past year, not many flowers bloomed and few schools of thought contended in the academic and ideological fields… the basic cause lies in the fact that the higher intellectuals are still suspicious.’

What did some historians think Mao expected of the Hundred Flowers Campaign.

He expected ‘moderate criticism of the details’- Rana Mitter.

What did Mao say when he ended the Hundred Flowers Campaign?

June 1957- ‘Any word or deed at variance with socialism is completely wrong’

What were the repercussions of the Hundred Flowers Campaign?

Institutions that employed intellectuals were obliged to expose 5% of their staff as Rightists. 300,000 to 400,000 were sent for ‘re-education through labour’ for up to 10 or 20 years. Mao wished to ‘[entice] the snakes out of their lairs’.