(f) Success in controlling power within the PRC with their political system

How was China governed immediately after the Communist takeover, and what changed by 1954?

Temporary bodies were set up to run the country, and a provisional constitution was adopted. By 1954, more permanent political institutions could be established.

How did the Chinese government control the press after 1949, and what was the effect?

Press control, already normal before 1949, continued through Xinhua, the government-run news agency. This ensured that all mass-circulation newspapers reported positively on government policies and Party initiatives, giving the new system favorable publicity from the start.

The organisation of the government: What was the CPPCC of September 1949?

The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) was summoned as the civil war ended to prepare a new political system. It had 600 delegates, mostly Communists but including minority groups like the China Democratic League for broader legitimacy.

The organisation of the government: What was the CPPCC’s key roles?

• Appointed the Central People’s Government as the supreme state body

• Approved the Common Program, a temporary constitution for five years

• Decided state symbols, including the flag, anthem, calendar, and capital

The organisation of the government: What did the Common Program declare, and how did practice differ from theory?

The Common Program declared China a new society based on a worker–peasant alliance, represented by the Communist Party. It guaranteed personal freedoms and gender equality, making China theoretically very free. In practice, however, it gave the army and police powers to suppress counter-revolutionaries, which were widely used in the following years

The organisation of the government: What was Mao’s concept of New Democracy, and how did it work in practice?

Since China was not ready for full socialism, Mao allowed a transitional period where the working class co-operated with capitalist elements, though their long-term position was insecure. In his speech “On the People’s Democratic Dictatorship,” Mao identified four classes allowed rights; everyone else was to be repressed. This system, called New Democracy, operated under democratic centralism, very different from Western-style democracy.

The organisation of the government: How did the CCP organise regional control after 1949, and what powers did officials hold?

China was divided into six regions (bureaux) to implement national decisions locally. Regional congresses gave the impression of local input, but each region had four senior Communist officials: a military commander, army political commissar, government chairman, and Party secretary (most powerful). In some regions, power was highly concentrated, showing the CCP’s tight control.

The organisation of the government: How was power concentrated in key regions like Manchuria, and why?

In Manchuria, Gao Gang held all four top posts; elsewhere, leaders like Deng Xiaoping, Lin Biao, and Peng Dehuaiheld multiple posts. This highly centralised control aimed to prevent a return to the warlord chaos of the 1920s, when regional leaders fought while the central government was powerless.

What were the key features of China’s 1954 constitution and its political structure?

The 1954 constitution officially made China a Communist country, heavily based on the 1936 Soviet Constitution. Key points:

• National People’s Congress (NPC) created as the legislature

• State Council replaced the Central People’s Government

• Elections were mentioned, but the Communist Party controlled the entire process

• Real power remained with the Party, which made decisions before state bodies endorsed them

• Administrative divisions changed: six regions → 21 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 2 urban centres (Beijing & Shanghai)

• The constitution was modified in 1975 but still largely based on 1954.

Growth in bureaucracy: How did the size of China’s bureaucracy change after the Communist takeover?

As the Communist system expanded, the number of state officials grew from 720,000 in 1949 to nearly 8 million by 1959, reflecting the enormous administrative demands of the new system.

Growth in bureaucracy: Why was Mao concerned about the rapid growth of bureaucracy in China?

Although it strengthened central government, Mao feared that too many bureaucrats would slow down the revolution. Officials often prioritized preserving their careers over advancing revolutionary goals, and excessive paperwork delayed change. Mao saw this “bureaucratisation of the revolution” as a problem that had gone wrong in Soviet Russia.

The role of the Communist Party: How were key positions in the state and military controlled after 1949, and what did this mean for Party leadership?

Leading CCP officials held top posts in both the state and the army. For example:

• Zhou Enlai: Premier of the State Council (1949–1976)

• Peng Dehuai: Minister of Defence and PLA Commander-in-Chief
  Both were central to Party hierarchy. While the Politburo theoretically decided policy collectively, Mao’s growing power made it increasingly hard to oppose him.

The role of the Communist Party: Politburo

Political leaders knew they had made it to the top when they were invited to join the Politburo

The role of the Communist Party: party headquarters

The Party headquarters in Beijing was located in Zhongnanhal, the former municipal government buildings in Tiananmen Square. It is China's version of the Russian Kremlin.

The role of the Communist Party: How was CCP membership controlled, and how many members were there after 1949?

Party membership was restricted to those proving commitment and ideological correctness. Out of a population of ~500 million, there were 4.5 million members in October 1949, rising to 5.8 million by the end of 1950.

The role of the Communist Party: What role did CCP cadres play in early Communist China?

Trained Party members (cadres) monitored the civil service, legal system, schools, and army at a local level, ensuring that Mao’s policies and ideology were strictly followed.

The role of the Communist Party: How did the CCP encourage mass participation, and what was the role of the danwei?

Unlike Russia, mass participation in Party groups was encouraged:

• Youth League: 9 million members by 1953

• Women’s Federation: 76 million members
  This helped ordinary people identify with Party causes, as seen in land reform and later the Cultural Revolution.

The role of the Communist Party: What was a danwei, and what powers did it have over citizens?

A danwei was a work unit for every employed citizen, led by a Party cadre, which controlled key aspects of life, including permits for travel, marriage, and job changes.

the People's Liberation Army: What role did the PLA play in Communist mythology after 1949?

The PLA held a special place for defeating the Japanese and the GMD, embodying revolutionary values such as discipline, self-sacrifice, and perseverance against the odds.

the People's Liberation Army: How large was the PLA after 1949, how did its size change, and why?

The PLA was the world’s largest army, with 5 million men in 1950, consuming over 40% of the state budget along with the navy and air force. To reduce costs and free manpower for the peace-time economy, it was cut to 3.5 million by 1953 and 2.5 million by 1957, under Minister of Defence Peng Dehuai. This also ensured the Party controlled the military.

the People's Liberation Army: How did the PLA change as it became smaller in the 1950s?

As the PLA shrunk, it became more professional and technically advanced, with ranked pay scales. To maintain goodwill with peasants, the PLA’s political department issued a 1956 code of conduct, emphasizing helping peasants on collective farms.

the People's Liberation Army: What were the internal and external roles of the PLA after 1949?

Internally, the PLA:

• Indoctrinated 800,000 annual young conscripts for three-year terms

• Provided labor for public works, rebuilding transport after the civil war

• Enforced central government control

Externally, the PLA aimed to help China achieve Great Power status, a role demonstrated in the Korean War.