Key Question: How did Mao impose his authority on China?
Mao declared the People's Republic of China (PRC) on October 1, 1949, establishing a one-party state; the citizens were expected to conform to the government's directives.
Divided into six regions, each governed by four officials:
Chairman
Party Secretary
Military Commander (from PLA)
Political Commissar (from PLA)
Command structure ensured military control over governance.
Official claims stated all power rested with the people; however, only the Communist Party (CCP) could run for election.
Politburo: Inner circle led by Mao Zedong, executing actual power;
Mao's approval was required for any policy, ensuring his ultimate control.
The government enforced control through military campaigns in 1950 to suppress independence movements:
Campaigns in Tibet, Xinjiang, and Guangdong were labeled 'reunification' efforts.
Created fear through 'anti-movements' targeting bourgeois elements:
Establishment of dangan (dossiers) on individuals, monitoring dissent.
Mao supported North Korea against US-backed South Korea after invasion in 1950, reinforcing national solidarity.
Mao argued against focusing solely on internal issues, emphasizing external threats as justification for increased loyalty to the state.
Campaigns designed to dismantle landlord power followed by confiscation and redistribution of their lands.
Many landlords faced public trials; estimates suggest up to 1 million were killed.
Mao's attempt to encourage criticism within the Party:
Initially invited dissent but rapidly retracted when criticisms grew severe;
Thousands labeled as 'rightists' faced imprisonment after expressing views.
Historians debate if this was a genuine call for criticism or a manipulative strategy by Mao.
Mao's Approach: Objective to expose and eliminate dissent;
Encouraged intellectuals to speak against bureaucratic corruption but subsequently punished them for speaking out.
Campaign outcome revealed Mao's fear of internal opposition, leading to an exacerbated culture of fear and suppression.
Implemented to advance industrialization in China post-1949, relying heavily on Soviet support.
Mao’s vision aimed to develop an industrial power rapidly through collective efforts but ultimately backfired due to unrealistic expectations.
Ambitious collective farming and mass steel production program:
Led to severe famine due to crop production decreases;
Reports indicate around 40 million people died from starvation caused by both bad policy and mismanagement.
Mao's paranoia about losing power and wanting to maintain revolutionary fervor among the masses.
Cultural Revolution aimed at eliminating perceived opposition within the Party and government, purging 'reactionaries' and 'capitalist roaders'.
'Four Olds' Campaign: Attack on old customs, culture, habits, and thoughts, led chiefly by Red Guards who were fervently loyal to Mao.
Struggle Sessions: Public humiliations used against intellectuals and party officials accused of betrayal. Many faced brutal treatment and deaths.
Red Guards committed widespread violence, vandalism, and suppression of dissent against anyone suspected of counter-revolutionary thoughts;
The PLA eventually took over to restore order as internal conflicts peaked.
Established a system of labor camps aimed at re-education through hard labor, imprisoning suspected dissidents:
Conditions were brutal, resulting in millions of deaths due to harsh treatment and starvation (over 25 million reported dead).
Mao's rule drastically transformed Chinese society through authoritarian control, military enforcement, and cultural repression, illustrating the extreme measures taken to maintain power and suppress dissent.