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Paper 2: Authoritarian states (Mao) - Coggle Diagram
Paper 2: Authoritarian states (Mao)
Emergence
Methods
Jiangxi Soviet (1927-34) and the Red Army
In 1929-34, Mao established the Jiangxi Soviet and the Red Army developed a strong guerilla force to resist the extermination campaigns of the GMD.
Mao was criticised for being anti-revolutionary so in the "
Futian Incident
", Mao put down the rebels and his loyalists executed and tortured many: 4,000 Red Army troops were tortured and executed
Mao was dediced to achieving a
peasant revolution
. This
contradicted
the COMINTERN and pro-Moscow factions in the CCP.
Perspective
: they believed that the urban workforce should lead the revolution.
The Long March
1934, the GMD forces encircled the Jiangxi Soviet. Chiang hoped to starve the CCP into defeat. This resulted in heavy defeats for the communists and
led to
COMINTERN persuading the
Revolutionary Military Council
to abandon guerilla methods. CCP was forced to retreat and the march provided the CCP with an
inspiring legend
to draw on and use for
propaganda
.
Jan 1935, the Red Army captured the city of Zunyi. Mao outmanoeuvered his rivals and was elected Chairman of the Politburo --> the
de facto
leader of both the party and the Red Army.
Nov 1935, mao was declared
Chairman of the Military Commission
Yanan (1935-45)
Rectification Campaigns
: Mao consolidated his hold on the Party further and used these campaigns in 1942 to purge and torture opponents.
The campaign operated as a series of groups study sessions in which participants would study
Marxist
documents to understand "
key principles
" and then relate the principles to their own lives.
Other members would put individuals under pressure and use questioning to
publicly examine
their most deeply held views. They would then be isolated until their wrote a full confession.
Effect
: CCP members were forced to undergo thought reform until they accepted Mao's teachings as a new
orthodoxy
.
From 1943, the campaign escalated and began to target CCP hierarchy and Mao's rivals.
October 1943, Kang Sheng claimed the party was riddled with
spies and collaborators
. He arrested CCP members who were forced to submit
self-criticisms
. Many were tortured and 60 CCP members committed suicide.
Effect
: By 1944, 20% of the Politburo had been removed, 1000 cadres were tortured and over 40,000 dismissed from the CCP
Mao's ideology
Sinified version of Marxism. Peasant masses in China were capable of overthrowing feudalism and creating a socialist society. Mao's belief of a 2 stage revolution also contradicted Marxism which advocated a 1 stage revolution of the
proletariat
class.
1940, Mao published
On New Democracy
where he defined the Chinese communist revolution as a national movement.
Effect
: This united the urban and rural masses against Japanese incursions. The brutality of the Rectification Campaigns became broadly acceptable, partly through fear and through Mao's potent ideological arguments.
Conditions
Conditions in China before 1911
The emperor ruled at the top of a strict hierarchy. This right to rule derived from the "
mandate of heaven
" and this permitted him to put down any opposition or threats to his power.
Effect
: The weakness of the Qing dynasty and its ability to improving its weaknesses caused citizens to start looking towards revolutionary ideals to make China strong again
Confucian
values were at the heart of the Chinese society and made people accept the social order without complaint
Feudalism
: Most of the population were peasants at the bottom of the hierarchy. Landlords, ruling clans and aristocracy had power and wealth
Famine became more frequent and hunger was exacerbated by the custom of dividing land among all the sons. Peasants were also in debt from having to pay
50-80%
of the crops as rent for their land.
Effect
: Peasants favoured Mao's interpretation of the Marxist-leninist ideology and the large number of proletariats meant that the ideals of the CCP benefits the majority of the population.
Foreign influence
: Presence of foreign imperialists in China provoked people's resentment against the ruling Qing imperial rulers.
Effect
: Led to the Taiping Rebellion and Boxer Rebellion 1898-1900. During the Boxer Rebellion, they murdered missionaries and Christian converts. A fine of
$330 million
was imposed on China and this fuelled
national sense of bitterness
and against
foreign subjugation
1911 Revolution - Political conditions
Army units of the south, revolutionary conspiracy spread --> culimated in the Qing rulers becoming more powerful
Yuan Shikai
promised to support the revolution on the condition that he would be president.
Feb 1912
, the abdication of Puyi led to the Republic of China to formally come into being
President Yuan
: 1913, Yuan called for parliamentary elections and when GMD won, they were banned. 1914, he shut down the parliament and ruled China like an emperor and was unable to stand up to foreign aggression --> 1915, he submitted to the 21 Demands imposed by Japan which infringed on China's sovereignty. Japan was allowed to exploit mineral resources in Manchuria. When he died in 1916, China was left weak and divided.
Effect
: After Yuan's death, China was in a weak position and this allowed the CCP to gain power and support. CCP was also able to learn from Yuan's mistakes
Warlord period - Social condition
The fall of the Qing dynasty left a power vacuum and allowed regional military leaders to assert control over their territories and control resources. Conditions for peasants were very tough -->
high tades, land looted and pillaged, exploited
. A lack of a unified legal system exacerbated these issues.
Effect
: The warlord period was very violent (eg. disembowelment, decapitation). Fragmentation of power weakened the government's authority --> lack of effective governance and widespread corruption. CCP promised land reform, redistribution of wealth and social justice --> gained support from peasants.
First United Front - Social political conditions
COMINTERN encouraged the CCP and GMD to form an alliance. Despite ideological differences, they were united to defeat the warlords.
Effect
: The United Front led to CCP numbers rising from 57 members in 1921 to 58,000 by 1927.
Strengthening CCP
: Provided CCP with a platform to gain legitimacy and recognition. Expand membership and support from rural and urban areas. CCP gained support from
peasants
by introducing
land reforms
and
peasant rights
Ideological influence
: Allowed CCP to spread its communist ideology. Spread ideas across the GMD
Precondition for CCP's rise to power in the Chinese Civil War
White Terror - Political conditions
Started in 1927 by GMD. A period of political repression. CCP leaders organised three insurrections in Shanghai and removed the Zhili warlord from power. The Nationalists then entered and took power.
Jiang Jieshi's faction condemned the CCP's uprising in Shanghai as "presumptive" and "anti-revolutionary" and mobilised to purge the CCP.
Military force used to suppress communist organisations in Shanghai.
This led to
violent confrontations and thousands of deaths (5,000 GMD figures and 50,000 CCP figures)
Japanese occupation 1931-45 - Social conditions
Jiang Jieshi was slow to repsond to further Japanese incursions.
Therefore
, the CCP were credited with forging the Second United Front in 1937 to fight Japan.
Xi'an Incident 1936
: Jiang Jieshi's second in command refused to attack the communists and placed him under house arrest. The CCP established stornger nationalist credentials than the GMD.
1941, the GMD army turned on the communist armies and this lost Jiang Jieshi support at home and internationally.
Jiang Jieshi's leadership became increasingly dictatorial
: Used secret police to arrest, torture and execute civilians. Expressions of discontent were repressed and many intellectuals turned to
communists
Economy was in decline
: Damaged main base of GMD support. Inflation spiralled out of control. Government increased taxes which were levied mostly on peasants.
This gave Mao and his ideas moral credibility over Jiang Jieshi
Mao and CCP could exploit the Japanese advance as GMD forces were spread too thinly to prevent CCP from controlling the countryside and northern China
Chinese Civil War 1945-49 - Social political economic conditions
Military
: CCP troops used guerilla training to capitalise on their hold on rural areas and northern China. Received weapons from former Russian occupation and Japanese armies. Troop numbers almost equal to GMD by 1948
Social and political
: CCP won popular support due to the use of party propaganda --> CCP had broad appeal among peasants and atrocities committed against them.
GMD
: Reputation of GMD damaged due to corruption, inflation and repression. Lack of foreign support.
Historiography
Intentionalists
: Mao shaped CCP rise to power --> Mao was a founding member of the CCP in 1921. Mao's ideology and strategy were crucial to the survival of the CCP in 1934 due to the
Long March
Structuralists
: China had a long history of political upheavel and this affected many different groups of people. 1911 Revolution did not achieve the desired effect. Peasant associations were crucial to CCP success
Revisionists
: Mao's rise wasn't orchestrated by Moscow. Mao's guerilla tactics and military leadership were crucial the sucess of the CCP
Consolidation
Terror tactics
Policies