Mao Terms Test

Regionalism/local power structures: The division of a country into regions with significant autonomy and local governance, often leading to decentralized authority; Example: During the Warlord Era in China, different military leaders controlled separate regions, resisting central authority.

Red Army/PLA: The Red Army was the military force of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) before 1949, later reorganized into the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) after the founding of the People’s Republic of China; Example: The Red Army carried out the Long March to escape Nationalist forces and spread communist ideology.

Mandate of Heaven: A political and religious doctrine in ancient China that justified the rule of emperors based on divine approval; Example: The Qing Dynasty lost the Mandate of Heaven in the early 20th century as corruption and rebellion weakened its rule.

Chiang Kai-shek/Jiang: The leader of the Nationalist Party (GMD) who led China during the Chinese Civil War and later retreated to Taiwan after the Communist victory in 1949; Example: Chiang Kai-shek launched the White Terror to suppress communists in China.

Warlord Era: A period from 1916 to 1928 when China was divided among military commanders who ruled different regions with their own armies; Example: Warlords such as Zhang Zuolin in Manchuria controlled vast territories, resisting the central government.

Dialectician: A person who studies dialectics, a method of reasoning based on contradictions and their resolution, often associated with Marxist theory; Example: Mao Zedong was a dialectician who applied dialectical materialism to Chinese revolution.

Qing (Manchu) Dynasty: The last imperial dynasty of China (1644–1912) that was ruled by the Manchu ethnic group; Example: The Qing Dynasty collapsed after the 1911 Revolution, leading to the establishment of the Republic of China.

Nationalists/GMD: The Guomindang (GMD) was a Chinese political party founded by Sun Yat-sen, later led by Chiang Kai-shek, opposing the Communists in the Chinese Civil War; Example: The GMD ruled China until 1949, when they retreated to Taiwan after their defeat.

Three Principles of the People: Sun Yat-sen’s ideology emphasizing nationalism, democracy, and people’s livelihood as the foundation for modern China; Example: The Nationalists aimed to unify China under the Three Principles but struggled with warlords and Communists.

First United Front: A temporary alliance (1924-1927) between the Nationalists and Communists to fight warlords and unify China; Example: The First United Front ended with the White Terror, when the GMD purged Communists from their ranks.

Second United Front: A temporary alliance (1937-1945) between the Nationalists and Communists to resist the Japanese invasion during the Second Sino-Japanese War; Example: Despite their cooperation, the GMD and CCP continued to distrust each other, leading to renewed civil war.

White Terror: A violent suppression of Communists by the Nationalists in 1927, leading to mass executions and arrests; Example: The Shanghai Massacre was a key event of the White Terror, where thousands of Communists were killed.

Twenty-eight Bolsheviks: A group of Chinese Communist leaders trained in the Soviet Union who initially dominated the CCP but were later sidelined by Mao Zedong; Example: Wang Ming, a key member of the Twenty-eight Bolsheviks, advocated Soviet-style policies in China.

Second Sino-Japanese War: A conflict between China and Japan (1937–1945) that became part of World War II, resulting in millions of Chinese casualties; Example: The Nanjing Massacre occurred during the Second Sino-Japanese War, as Japanese forces committed atrocities against civilians.

Xi’an Incident: The 1936 event where Chiang Kai-shek was kidnapped by his own generals and forced to ally with the Communists against Japan; Example: The Xi’an Incident led to the formation of the Second United Front against Japanese invasion.

Long March: The strategic retreat of the Red Army (1934-1935) to escape Nationalist forces, covering thousands of miles and solidifying Mao Zedong’s leadership; Example: The Long March allowed the CCP to regroup and gain support from rural populations.

Trial of Wang Shiwei: A political trial in the 1940s where the CCP persecuted intellectual Wang Shiwei for criticizing Mao’s leadership; Example: Wang Shiwei was executed after being accused of promoting anti-Party views.

Guerrilla warfare: A form of irregular warfare using hit-and-run tactics and small, mobile units; Example: The Communist forces used guerrilla warfare against the Japanese and later the Nationalists.

Comintern: The Communist International, an organization established by the Soviet Union to promote global communist revolution; Example: The Comintern provided guidance and support to the CCP during its early years.

Rectification of Conduct Campaign: A 1942 CCP campaign to enforce ideological conformity and purge opposition within the party; Example: The campaign involved self-criticism sessions and re-education to strengthen Mao’s control.

Speak Bitterness Campaign: A movement where peasants were encouraged to publicly denounce landlords and express grievances as part of land reform; Example: Many landlords were publicly humiliated or executed during the Speak Bitterness Campaign.

Agrarian Reform/Land Reform: The CCP’s policy of redistributing land from landlords to peasants to gain rural support; Example: During the Agrarian Reform, landlords were often executed, and their land was given to poor farmers.

Pearl Harbor: The 1941 Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii, leading to America’s entry into World War II; Example: After Pearl Harbor, the U.S. declared war on Japan and provided support to China.

Sun Yat-sen/Sun Yixian: The founder of the Republic of China and the Nationalist Party, advocating democratic reforms; Example: Sun Yat-sen’s Three Principles of the People influenced China’s political development.

Reunification Campaigns: Military campaigns by the CCP to consolidate control over regions like Tibet and Xinjiang after 1949; Example: The PLA invaded Tibet in 1950 as part of the Reunification Campaigns.

Registration: A system used by the CCP to monitor citizens and control social organization; Example: The household registration system (hukou) restricted rural-to-urban migration.

Chinese Civil War: The conflict between the CCP and GMD (1927–1949) over control of China, ending in a Communist victory; Example: The CCP’s victory in the Chinese Civil War led to the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.

Korean War: A war (1950–1953) between North and South Korea, with China supporting North Korea against U.S.-led UN forces; Example: The Chinese army entered the Korean War to prevent a U.S. victory on the Korean Peninsula.

Marriage Reform: The CCP’s policies to promote gender equality by banning arranged marriages and granting women divorce rights; Example: The 1950 Marriage Law outlawed concubinage and child marriage.

Central People’s Government Council: The governing body of the People’s Republic of China established in 1949; Example: Mao Zedong led the Central People’s Government Council as its first chairman.

Politburo: The highest decision-making body of the Chinese Communist Party; Example: The CCP Politburo directed key policies such as the Great Leap Forward.

Tibet: A region in China with a distinct cultural and political identity, forcibly integrated into the PRC in 1950; Example: The PLA occupied Tibet during the Reunification Campaigns.

Three Antis Campaign/Five Antis Campaign: Political campaigns targeting corruption and capitalist influences in China; Example: The Three Antis Campaign attacked waste and bureaucracy, while the Five Antis Campaign targeted business owners.

Democratic Centralism: A Leninist principle where political decisions are made centrally and enforced without opposition; Example: The CCP used Democratic Centralism to suppress dissent within the party.

Labeling: The classification of individuals based on their political and social backgrounds, often leading to persecution; Example: People labeled as "rightists" were targeted during Mao’s campaigns.

Yanan Soviet: The CCP’s base during the 1930s and 1940s, where Mao developed his leadership; Example: The Yanan Soviet was a center for Communist training and propaganda.

Sino-Soviet Treaty of 1950: A treaty between China and the Soviet Union establishing economic and military cooperation; Example: The USSR provided aid and advisors to China under the treaty.

Taiwan: The island where the Nationalists fled in 1949 and established a separate government; Example: Taiwan remains a contentious issue in China’s politics.

Sinification of Marxism: The adaptation of Marxist theory to Chinese conditions; Example: Mao’s peasant-based revolution was part of the Sinification of Marxism.

Trading Space to Buy Time: A military strategy of retreating to preserve forces for a later counterattack; Example: The CCP used this strategy during the Long March to avoid total defeat.