Notes on Communism in China under Mao Zedong

Historical Context & Overview

Post World War II, China was recovering from civil war and Japanese imperialism.
Led by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under Mao Zedong.
The revolution represented a break from a century of imperialist rule and a move towards prominence on the global stage.

Communism Chinese Style

China’s rise to communism occurred in a different context than the Soviet Union’s.
Soviet Union (1917) faced a hostile capitalist world; China (1949) had a friendly Soviet neighbor.
Chinese communists governed regions for decades, gaining experience unlike their Russian counterparts.
Support base: Chinese communists were rooted in rural areas and peasants; Soviet communists had urban support.
Challenges included more daunting economic prospects: larger population; smaller industrial base; limited agricultural land; lower literacy and education; poor transportation.

Building a Modern Society

Initially, China adopted the Soviet model of socialist modernization with variances.
Collective agriculture was largely peaceful due to strong ties between the CCP and the peasantry.
Great Leap Forward (1958-1960):

  • Emphasized large-scale communes for rapid population mobilization and collectivism.

  • Intended to foster social equality; modeled after Soviet heavy industries.

  • Resulted in impressive economic growth but also substantial migration to urban areas.

  • Conceived of small-scale industrialization in rural regions, immediate transition to full communism, and education beyond elite experts.

  • Outcome: Catastrophic famine (1959-1962), killing 30 million due to administrative chaos and bad weather.

Eliminating Enemies

Mid-1960s: Mao launched the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution to combat capitalist tendencies.
Sought to provide education and health care to rural areas.
Local control over rural industrialization; aimed to overcome inequalities of modernization.
Search for Enemies:

  • Similar to Stalin’s purges, but became more public during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1969).

  • Mao encouraged rebellion against the capitalist influences within the CCP.

  • Red Guards formed, targeting officials, intellectuals, and perceived enemies.

  • Resulted in violence, civil unrest, and a need for military intervention to restore order.
    Legacy: Both the Soviet and Chinese experiences discredited socialism, contributing to the collapse of communist states by the century's end