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Mao's consolidation of power - Coggle Diagram
Mao's consolidation of power
State of China in 1949
Society
80%
of the population was peasantry - relied on farming land to survive
Exploited by corrupt landlords and bandits
The majority of peasants were illiterate -> poor standard of education
Poor healthcare outside the cities
Revolved around Confucian values
Women viewed as inferior to men -> not allowed to own property, foot binding
Economy
The economy had been devastated by the Civil War
GMD relied on printing money as they did not efficiently use taxation -> led to hyperinflation
Fewer consumer goods available -> many were hoarded
Famine
Nationalists stole treasures from the Forbidden city
Industry
Industrial output 44% below 1937 level
Nationalists destroyed factories
Equipment dismantled by USSR forces -> shipped back to USSR
Infrastructure
Bridges + train tracks destroyed by Communists during the civil war as a tactic -> backfired
Agriculture
Tools used for farming in shortage + primitive
Human waste used as fertiliser -> spread disease
Many crops left to die during Civil War -> some peasants conscripted into Nat forces, leaving their crops
The role of the PLA
Helped to rebuild national infrastructure such as bridges to get the country moving again
Gained support of people as a result
Took action against bandits -> gained more support as a result
During the Korean War -> played huge propaganda role -> demonstrated the values of loyalty to Mao
Sent into Xinjiang, Guangdong and Tibet during the reunification campaigns to deal with Muslims, Nationalists and Buddhists.
The early regime
Reunification campaigns carried out in 1949 -> combat opposition to the new regime
Tibet - Buddhist -> attacked in 1949 by the PLA -> Dalai Lama had to flee
Xinjiang - Muslim -> attacked in 1949 -> mosque schools converted to govt. schools -> taught Marxism
Guandong -> Nationalists attacked -> sent to Laogai or countryside
CPPCC met in 1949 -> Temporary consitution - 'Common programme' identified CCP as leading party and Mao as head of state -> promised freedom of religion, right to education and better rights for women
Mao needed beuracracy to help build the economy. 720K in 1949 and 7.9M in 1959
The Korean War
October 1950 when China joined - UN forced pushed North Korea back too far close to the border with China -> China got involved
Cost the PRC $10B in loans
Education, healthcare, consumer goods did not get the financial investment they needed as a result
3M PLA soldiers - 400 thousand killed in the conflict, including Mao's son
Held the UN forces to a stalemate at the 38th Parallel
Brought China onto the International stage -> presented Mao as a strong leader and the PLA as a force to be reckoned with
Many caught up in the patriotic parade
Acted as a smokescreen for the Three + Five Antis campaigns
Dealing with opposition
The Hundred Flowers Campaign
1956
"Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend"
Invited constructive criticism
Revoked when taken too far -> Mao criticised
Anti-rightist campaign launched
Many sent to Laogai
400-700K intellectuals purged
Difficult to understand what Mao wanted with the campaign
May have wanted to deal with opposition
May have felt optimistic -> first years of the PRC were successful
The Three Antis campaign
Launched in 1951
Aimed to combat corruption, waste and obstructionist beuracracy
In reality targeted opponents of CCP
Sent to struggle meetings where they were forced to admit guilt + were tortured
The Five Antis campaign
1952
Theft of state property, tax evasion, cheating on govt. contracts, bribery, stealing state economic information
Bourgeoise + private business owners targeted
Party cadres chose employees to gather incriminating evidence of them -> then dragged them to struggle meetings
Business owners forced to pay heavy fines which they could not afford creating join public-private enterprises as they had to sell stock to the state