Chinese Revolution Flashcards
(32 cards)
What is a Dynasty?
-succession of rulers from same family
What is the Qing Dynasty?
- 1644~1912
- last imperial dynasty of China
- overthrown by young military officers+students, led by Sun Yatsen
What was the Mandate from Heaven?
- emperors believed to be chosen by God
- Confucian system allow overthrowing of government if leader is bad (John Locke)
- similar to Divine Right
What was life like in China before the revolution?
- chaotic
- government did not help citizens
- starvation + miserable living conditions
- no modernization (still use hoe, use manure as fertilizer)
What was the Boxer Rebellion?
- 1899
- rebels were unhappy with foreign intervention and droughts
- rebels oppose foreign imperialism and Christianity
- western powers + Japan crush boxers
What foreign influences did China have?
- China resisted foreign trade even though they had healthy economy
- England tried to trade with China, but kept failing, so started opium business
- opium is addicting so Chinese continue to buy
What is Opium?
- grown in India and traded with China
- very addicting
- banned by Chinese government, England called to stop trading
What is the Opium War?
- 1839
- Chinese warships clash with British merchants
- China loses because of no modern technology
What tension was there between China and Japan?
- 1868, Japan modernizes quickly
- 1894, war for control over Korea
- Japan’s military gets stronger, results in Japan taking over Taiwan
What is the Taiping Rebellion?
- 1850~1864
- rebels attempt to spread communism and Christianity
- rebels defeated
What is the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace?
-army of rebels during the Taiping rebellion
Who is Sun Yatsen?
- 1912, becomes president of China, becomes Republic of China
- sought modern democratic government
- followed three principles of people
- died in 1925
What are the Three Principles of People?
-nationalist, democracy, people’s livelihood
What is the Warlord Period?
- 1912~1927, fall of Dynastic China results in chaos
- warlords fight with one another for control over provinces
What is the Chinese Civil War?
-1926~1949, conflict between Nationalists and Communists
What is the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang)?
- strive for nationalism, democracy, people’s livelihood
- famous leaders: Sun Yatsen, Yuan Shikai, Jiang Jieshi
Who was Jiang Jieshi?
- AKA Chiang Kaishek
- leader of Kuo Min Tang (KMT)
- nationalist
- promise democracy and political rights
- 1928, become president of China, very bad leader
What is the Chinese Communist Party?
- strive for communism, bring power to peasants, redistribute land + wealth
- led by Mao Zedong
- disagree with Lenin’s ideas
- want classless society, common ownership in everything
Who is Mao Zedong?
- leader of CCP
- come into national power in 1949, declare People’s Republic of China, Jiang and nationalists flee to Taiwan
- have many failures
- reasons for success: gain support from peasants, superior army
What foreign support did the two groups get?
- KMT: receive help from U.S
- CCP: receive help from Soviet Union (Russia)
What is the Long March?
- 1934
- Mao and followers trek 6,000 mile journey seeking shelter
- symbolize communist heroism
- spread communism throughout countryside
What is the Great Leap Forward?
- 1958
- Mao tries to catch up with Britain in 15 years
- results in massive failure (famines and deaths)
- “Great Leap Backward”
What is a Commune?
- a rural community in which people work together and share ownership (share fields, homes, food, schools, etc.)
- cause peasants to have motivation in working because of no personal profit
What is the Cultural Revolution?
- goal: establish society in which everyone is equal
- intellect considered useless + dangerous
