8.4

Mao Zedong Quote: "The road after the revolution will be longer, the work greater and more arduous." (1949)
Essential Question: How did communism and land reform affect China and other countries?

Cold War Background: Created a setting where many countries dealt with the legacies of feudalism, capitalism, and colonialism.
Societal Structure: Characterized by a small class of powerful landowners and a large class of peasants with little to no land.
Socialist and Communist Actions: Aimed to convert more people into landowners; faced U.S.-Soviet ideological conflicts.

Countries Affected: Important in China, Iran, Vietnam, Ethiopia, India, and Latin American countries such as Mexico, Bolivia, and Venezuela.

Conflict Between Communists and Nationalists: Began fighting for control in 1927.
- Japanese Invasion: Temporarily halted infighting to unite against Japan.
- Resumption of Civil War: After Japan's defeat in 1945, the Civil War resumed.

Leadership: Mao Zedong led the Communists, gaining popular support by:
  - Redistributing land to peasants.
  - Opening schools and hospitals.
  - Punishing soldiers who mistreated civilians.
Public Perception: Seen as more nationalist and less corrupt compared to Nationalists.
Establishment of the People's Republic of China: In 1949, the Communists defeated the Nationalists.
Nationalization of Industries: Mao ordered all Chinese industries to be nationalized.
Five-Year Plans: Adopted based on the Soviet model, prioritizing heavy industry over consumer goods.

Launch Year: 1958, included more land reform.
Reorganization of Peasant Land: Peasant lands merged into communes (large agricultural communities) where the state owned the land.
Intolerance of Dissent: Protesters could face reeducation camps or death.
Consequences: Poor harvests caused severe food shortages; despite this, China continued to export grain, resulting in approximately 20 million deaths from starvation.
End of Initiative: By 1960, the Great Leap Forward was abandoned due to failure.
Backyard Steel Furnaces: Set up during this time produced low-quality steel, leading to initiative drop.

Start Year: 1966, aimed to reinforce commitment to communism.
Purpose: Silenced critics and solidified Mao's power.
Red Guards: Revolutionary students instructed to capture government officials, teachers, and others for reeducation.
Reeducation: Consisted of hard labor and group meetings to compel admissions of insufficient revolutionary zeal.

Hostility Between China and USSR: Despite both being communist, relations soured from 1961 onward.
Border Skirmishes: Tensions included skirmishes along the border and competition for global influence.
Albania’s Position: Aligned with China against the Soviet Union post-split, gaining autonomy and financial aid from China.

Historical Background: Late 19th century saw foreign domination (Britain and Russia) competing for control.
Oil Discovery: Spurred foreign interest and control over Iran.

Invasion by Britain and USSR: Prevented Iran's leader from aligning with Nazi Germany.
Leadership Change: Forced abdication of the Iranian leader; his young son, Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, was placed in power.
Nationalist Backlash: Viewed as a puppet of Western powers.
1951 Events: Iranian nationalists forced the shah to flee; Mohammad Mosaddegh became prime minister, vowing to nationalize oil companies.
U.S. and British Intervention: Overthrew Mosaddegh in 1953, reinstating the shah.
Authoritarian Regime: Characterized by a brutal secret police force.

Progressive Reforms: Shah initiated land reform in the White Revolution—recognized women’s rights to vote, created a social welfare system, funded literacy programs.
Significance of Land Reform: Aimed to diminish landowner power and gain peasant support.
Implementation Issues: The program allowed some peasants to become landowners, but it did not reach a majority; opposition arose from landowners and conservatives critical of social changes.

Event: 1979 revolution toppled the shah.
Public Sentiment: Support stemmed from the memory of Mosaddegh's overthrow.
New Government Structure: Established a theocracy with Islamic law as supreme authority; led by clerics and a Guardian Council.
Opposition to the West: Iran's new government opposed Western policies and the state of Israel.

General Overview: Recognized concentration of land ownership as a barrier to progress; land reform perceived essential as nations emerged from colonialism.

Mexico: Began efforts in the 1930s; land reform expanded in the 1960s.
Venezuela: Government redistributed about 5 million acres of land through a 2001 law.
- Land Sources: Included state-owned land and seizures from large landowners; unpopularity among landowners due to state seizures.
- Political Repercussions: Those benefiting supported the government; those losing land opposed it.
Guatemala: Jacob Arbenz’s government initiated land reform; pressure from the United Fruit Company led to his overthrow in 1954 by U.S. intervention
- U.S. Justification: Described as a "glorious victory for democracy." Diego Rivera ironically criticized this in his mural.

Historical Context: Occupied by Japan during WWII; declared independence in 1945 from Japanese and French control.
Society Structure: Agricultural, with land concentrated in few hands; Communists promised to redistribute land, gaining peasant support.
Implementation Issues: Vowed to seize land from large landowners; carried out policies sometimes violently.
South Vietnam: Slower to implement land reforms; contributed to unpopularity of the government.

Historical Context: Remained independent except during Italian occupation (1936-1941).
Reforms Under Haile Selassie: Post-WWII return of Selassie; aligned with Western powers but struggled with land reform.
1974 Military Coup: Led by Mengistu Haile Mariam, who declared a socialist government; faced famine and failed economic policies, leading to his resignation in 1991.

Historical Context: Gained independence from British rule in 1947 after a long independence movement.
Economic Reforms: Focused on land reforms to redistribute land and protect the rights of renters.
Key Developments in Kerala: Successes included tenant rights and laws allowing land ownership, but faced opposition from the central government seeking to reverse reform initiatives.

Society: Global land reform, commune, theocracy.
Government (Asia): Mao Zedong, Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution, Red Guards.
Government (Middle East): Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, Mohammad Mosaddegh, Haile Selassie, Mengistu Haile Mariam.