China Flashcards
(27 cards)
1
Q
100 Days reforms
A
- June to September 1898
- Guangxu develop interest of Western ideas and believed that imperial institutions and conservative officials were to blame for China lack of progress.
- Because: Prevent future disasters and to repair damage from foreign encroachment.
- Dercrees involved education, bureauecracy, economy and military.
- Upon Cixi’s coup, she continued reform half-heartedly.
2
Q
The Boxer Rebellion
A
- September 1899
- By 1890s Boxers escalated activities and popularity.
- Late 1899, Cixi supported boxers to rid China of foriegners
- Also known as Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists, from Shandong.
3
Q
Sun Yat-sen and Tongmenghui
A
- Known as the Father of Modern China
- Created Revive China Society and Tongmenhui.
- Believed in Three principles: Democracy, Nationalism and People’s Livelihood.
- In 1912, Tongmenhui combined with smaller groups to make Guomindang.
- Died in March 1925.
4
Q
The 1911 Revolution (Wuhan Revolution)
A
- October 1911
- Bomb set up by New Army officers accidentally went off n Wuhan.
- Though reluctant, the revolution was soon pushed ahead and they soon had control of Hubei province.
- Quickly spread to other provinces, with twenty four declaring independence within 5 weeks.
- Yuan Shikai in charge of dropping revolution, however stopped for in exchange of presidency.
5
Q
Yuan Shikai and Republican China
A
- January 1912
- Sun stepped down as President placing Yuan Shikai in charge.
- Yuan knew how to run old system, not a new.
- Dissolved parliaments and banned Guomindang
- He agreed to 21 demands for loans from Japan.
- January 1916 titled himself Emperor
- Died of “bitterness”
6
Q
New Culture Movement and May 4th Movement
A
- May 1919
- In response to warlords and treatment in the Treaty of Versailles.
- Three-thousand students at Tiananmen Square.
- After many arrested, protests spread to other cities with workers striking and boycot of Japanese goods.
- Many begun to turn radical, towards Marxism.
7
Q
The Boxer Rebellion details
A
- They murdered christian converts, and destroyed everything western, railways etc.
- German diplomat Baron Von Ketteler beat Cwqhinese man, he was sniped in June.
- Qing declared war on 21st June against powers.
- However due to primitive equipment, Boxers quickly eliminated by 9 european Nation force including America and Japan.
8
Q
The United Front (Sun-Joffe Declaration)
A
- January 1923
- Rebuffed from West and Japan, Sun met Commintern agents Maring and Joffe to arrange Soviet aid.
- Soviet saw as route too foster CCP and GMD and bring upon communism.
- CCP allowed individual membership within GMD.
With CCP tiny, seen as a good opportunity to strengthen.
9
Q
The Northern Expedition
A
- July 1926
- Chiang Kai shek commander in chief, nationalist army marched with a total of 85000 soldiers.
- CCP travelled ahead of main force, mobilising support among peasants and workers.
- Despite successes, tensions grew between the two parties with Sun dead.
10
Q
Shanghai Massacre
A
- 12th April 1927
- After crippling Shanghai, Communists had great power upon Nationalists easy taking of city.
- With assistance from Green Gang, a 2000-man militia began to massacre communists.
- B/w 5000 and 10000 communists killed.
- Purge spread with death toll in hundred thousands.
- Communist leadership shaken up yet not destroyed.
11
Q
The Jiangxi Soviet
A
- Created 1927-1930
- A base organised by Mao, was arguably the most significant.
- Southern Jiangxi mountains provided defence.
- Exploitative rents abolished and fixed grain tax was set in place.
- Reading classes put in place for peasants and soldiers, women’s rights reforms.
12
Q
Nationalist Rule
A
- October 1928
- Railways expanded significantly, first airline was founded.
- Many western claims over China were dissolved.
- China began to gain respect in other nations.
- However constantly short of funds.
- Corruption in bureaucracy rampant.
13
Q
Mao’s Red Army
A
- Red army was a volunteer force.
- Officers wore no badges and shared same hardships with common soldiers.
- Red soldiers carried out chores such as cutting firewood and farming in communities.
- Under Mao, used guerrilla warfare efficiently, hitting swiftly.
14
Q
The Long March beginning
A
- Started October 1934
- 80,000 soldiers and 20,000 CCP support staff left.
- The fifth encirclement campaign finally broke communists, forced to run.
- Marching columns up to 85 kms long.
- Carried heavy equipment including printing press and type writers.
- Battle of Xiang River almost crushed CCP, leaving only 30,000.
- Mao ascended at the Zunyi conference to chief advisor to Zhou.
15
Q
The Long March continued
A
- Ended October 1935
- Mao’s guerrilla tactics saw great wins, Battle of Loushan pass, soundly defeated.
- As they passed through towns, the people’s army was explained at meetings.
- The Luding Bridge battle saw vanguard force arrive at bridge to defeat GMD. Torn bridge, rushing water below.
- Mao took army through Snow Mountains, ill prepared for cold.
- Mao chose to go to Shaanxi, through grasslands, mud swallowing men and horses.
- Arrived in Shaanxi ending march, only 8000 surviving of original 100,000, with Mao now at forefront of Leadership
16
Q
War with Japan
A
- 1931, Japan begun to encroach again.
- By end of year, Japan had Manchuria, with Chinese furious.
- Chiang refused to face Japanese, ill equiped and wanted to eliminate CCP.
- Beiping and Tianjin also became under Japanese influence.
17
Q
The Second United Front
A
- September 1937
- After kidnap of Chiang in The Xi’an incident, Stalin ordered CCP to solve incident peacefully.
- Chiang agreed to end anti-communist campaigns on release and open second united front.
- GMD was in control of overall strategy, Communist commanders remain in command.
18
Q
The Yan’an Way
A
- December 1936
- Yan’an was a poor area with no industry, lived inside caves.
- Mao consolidated his grip on Party leadership here.
- From 1935 to 1937 surplus land was taken and handed out amongst peasants.
- The literacy rate was raised from 1% to 55% by 1943.
19
Q
Rectification Campaign and “Mass line”
A
- February 1942
- The campaign aimed to teach CCP Mao’s revolutionary ideas and remove political opponents.
- The Maoist ideal of continuous revolution underpinned movement, members must continue to renew their ‘revolutionary spirit’
- “Mass line” saw high ranking CCP members learning from the peasantry through agriculture.
- Becoming students before teachers, helped the CCP gain support and acceptance throughout peasantry.
20
Q
The Chinese Civil War
A
- October 1945
- Communists constantly on the move, Nationalists were stagnant.
- Mao used himself as bait, trapped large force within Yanan through guerrilla warfare.
- Peasants continued to join army, and provided PLA food.
- January: Chiang fled to Taiwan and April: PLA took Nanjing.
21
Q
The People’s Republic of China
A
- October 1949
- National Peoples Congress elected Mao president.
- The new government, the State Council was made of ministries with Zhou Enlai as premier.
- The CCP with Mao as Chairman was real seat of power, though technically not the government.
- Ideological underpinnings of the 4 revolutionary classes: Peasantry, proletariat, Petit-bourgeoisie, National capitalists.
22
Q
New social campaigns
A
- Women’s rights increased: arranged marrage, foot binding and child marriages banned.
- Women received equal pay, maternity benefits and work-based childcare.
- Outbreaks of cholera, smallpox, STD’s and typhus dropped dramatically.
- Agrarian Reform Law of 1950 and Fanshen= turning over of land, brought peasantry into revolution.
23
Q
Hundred Flowers Campaign
A
- 1956
- After Mao saw Hungarian Rebellion unfold.
- Mao believed: individuals could help make party more responsive to pop sentiment, also social grievances could be expressed safely through discourse.
- Intellectuals hesitant along with Comms.
- Within 5 weeks it turned bad, Deng Xiaoping appointed as director of Anti-Rightist campaign.
- Tens of thousands denounced throuch self-criticism meetings.
- Between 300,000 to 400,000 Intellectuals sent to “prison camps” for re-education through labour.
24
Q
The First Five-Year Plan
A
- January 1953
- Based the structure from Stalin’s 5 year plan.
- Priority given to heavy industry, 88%, Manafacturing got 11% investment.
- Agriculture got bare minimum.
- 10 - 16% in overall annual production achieved.
- China for first time able to produce own trucks, aircrafts, cars and ships.
- Repayments to Russia were so steep by 1955 China was repaying more than it received in aid.
- Collectivisation was introduced, Food production barely keeping pace with population growth of 2.2%.
25
The Great Leap Forward
- January 1958
- Launched at 8th Party Congress.
- The 740 000 Cooperatives reorganised into 26000 People's communes.
- The Communes averages 5000 households, with populations up to 100,000.
- Wages replaced with 'work points'
- Backyard steel furnaces were introduced to boost steel outputs, however failed to work.
- Four pests campaign saw great damage w/ sparrow's dead.
- Faulty statistics saw "surplus grain" released grain to fund heavy industry.
- In 1959, harvest was 170 million tons, reported as 500 million.
26
Famine: "Three Bad Years"
- 1959, 1960 and 1961.
- 30 million Chinese dead.
- Conditions already poor with flood, drought, and locust plagues/
- Officials continued to report everything was fine, noone admit anything til Mao said so.
- Cannabalism became widespread.
- Difficult to have exact details of number of deaths.
- Devastation not recognised til the death of Mao.
27
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution
- 1968 to 1976
- Students encouraged to denounce authority figures.
- Around 10 million travelled to Beijing for Mao.
- Destroy four olds: ideas, culture, customs and habits.
- Police told not to interfere w/ Red Guard activity.
- Young people given free transport to revolution sites, allowed to see country and witness poverty.
- Brutality: headmistrse boiling water poured over her head, beaten with belts.
- Little red book gave rise to Mao cult.
- Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping denounced during, Liu died in prison cell, refused medication.
- 1968 to 1972, around 17 million youngs sent to to countryside to learn from peasants in "Up to the mountains down to the countryside" campaign.
- Predicted 20 million killed.
