Emergence of Authoritarian States

Conditions in which authoritarian states emerged

• Economic factors

  • Early 1900s majority of land owned by the upper class

  • Mao promised land reform to peasants

  • Qing Dynasty - Heavy taxes imposed to support the building of court; tax collectors would often steal the majority of tax money

• Social Division

  • extreme division between classes- countryside ruled by warlords

  • division between areas- cultural ans language differences caused China to lack a uniform identity and sense of nationalism)

  • gender division- women seen only as beauty standards and to serve men, not even viewed as an actual person.

Impact of War

• Chinese Civil War- long march, opportunity for mao to spread his ideology, gain support of peasants while utilizing Guerilla tactics

• Second Sino-Japanese war, united ccp and gmd against Japan temporarily, Jeishi lack of effective leadership that helped Mao after the war (rape of nanjing, yellow river flood, etc)

(Other things to consider)

• The rise of communism in China amidst social and economic turmoil was exacerbated by the Chinese Civil War.

• Mao Zedong's leadership and the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949 following the victory of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

• Economic instability and social unrest during the early 20th century, exacerbated by foreign imperialism and internal conflict, provided fertile ground for authoritarian rule.

• The impact of the Chinese Civil War, where the CCP emerged victorious over the nationalist Guomindang (GMD), led by Chiang Kai-shek, establishing communist rule.

• Note: Consider the effects of the Chinese Civil War; and the extent to which communism had control of the state (can be studied as a Topic 11 choice)

Methods Used to Establish Authoritarian State

Use of Legal Methods

• "use of legal methods" is not applicable since Mao & the CCP took power through a war and in the aftermath, established their authoritarian state (unlike Hitler and Mussolini who rose through legal means and then needed to work legally within the system to change it from within to make it authoritarian)

Use of Force

• 3 and 5 Antis- Forced business owners and "capitalists' to give power to government; public humiliation if refuse

• Great Leap Forward- Abolished private land ownership; pushed peasants to work in large communes. CCP set quotas that had to be met; otherwise would result in death/torture by the CCP.

• Rectification Campaigns 1942 - Prevented party from becoming self-satisfied and elitist/regular purge of party; idea was to rectify false thoughts; Mao’s ideology regarded as absolute guiding force (Mao has all the answers)

Charismatic Leadership

• 1965 23 Articles- China following Mao instead of party when he critiques 

• "Red August"- Follow Mao's beliefs to point of harming others 

Dissemination of Propaganda

• Little Red Book- "Give to 99% of China"

Nature, extent, and treatment of opposition

• Hundred Flowers Campaign- Encourage critique of party, then target those who spoke out

The impact of the success and/or failure of foreign policy on the maintenance of power

• Resist American, Aid Korea- Established Mao, joined China as one 

• Lushan Conference- Lack of success within party, Mao step down 

Aims and Results of Policies

Domestic Policies

• Economic

  • 5 year plan- boosted industrial production and brought of Chinese economy 

• Political

  • 5 year plan- focused on an industrialist society and brought peasants to industrial workforce 

• Social

  • The Four Olds- Removed old ways of Chinese thinking and life 

• Cultural

  • Marriage Laws- No child betrothal, freedom of marriage choice, etc.

    (Did Mao care about women or did he want more workforce?)

Women and Minorities

• Women

  • must consent to marriage, can’t be sold for prostitution, illegal to abandon baby girls, encouraged to have their own (communist) opinions/voices, strict beauty standards such as foot binding eliminated, can own land

• Minorities

  • all foreigners targeted/driven out in 3 anti campaign  

Authoritarian Control and the extent to which it was achieved

• Socialist Education Movement (1962-1966)- Mao attempting to have complete control over China (it was having peasants educating others)