What was China like when the CCP took over in 1949? Flashcards
Administrative chaos
Nationalists had stripped the country of gold, silver and dollar reserves.
Few experienced officials to run cities.
Little preparation for running the country had taken place.
Economic problems
No stable or unified currency. Problems of hyperinflation - in 1940, 100 Chinese yuan was enough to buy a pig. By 1946 100 yuan was only enough for an egg.
State of China’s industry
Industry had been damaged by years of war. Areas lacked electricity as local power or coal stations had been bombed. 1949 output was 44% lower than its level of 1937.
State of China’s agriculture
Agricultural tools and livestock were in short supply. Farmers had been sent off to fight in the war so farms were left unattended and did not produce. by 1949 food production was at subsistence level, with some parts of China in famine.
National Infrastructure
Central government control had largely broken down. China lacked a unified language, although the majority were Han Chinese, there were over 50 ethnic and religious groups each with their own customs and traditions.
Transport
Roughly half of the railway network had been destroyed. Telephone lines had been damaged while rivers and harbours were clogged up from ships sunk during the years of conflict.
Division between urban and rural areas
Rural and urban China were largely isolated from each other. The communist soldiers were mostly peasants so when taking control of large cities like Shanghai and Beijing they encountered development they did not understand. This led to jokes as the communist peasants misused items.
Threats from the nationalists
They sent spies and saboteurs to attack the new regime. The US supplied places to bomb coastal cities. One raid in February 1950 killed over 1000 people and damaged the electrical and food supple.
