S7 -Btest 4 Flashcards
(16 cards)
How did Mao Zedong come to power?
Mao gained support through his leadership of the CCP during the Long March and the Sino-Japanese War. His land reform policies attracted peasants, and he capitalized on Kuomintang (KMT) corruption and loss of support. Victory in the Chinese Civil War (1945–49) solidified his control.
What problems did Mao face when first coming to power in 1949?
Mao inherited a war-torn country, economic devastation, inflation, and a mostly agrarian, illiterate population. He also had to unify various factions under Communist rule and eliminate opposition.
How were Mao’s policies similar to the USSR’s?
Like Stalin, Mao initiated purges to remove opposition, launched Five-Year Plans to industrialize, promoted a cult of personality, and enforced collectivization of agriculture. Both regimes emphasized central planning and used propaganda and repression.
What was the Agrarian Reform Law of 1950?
It redistributed land from landlords to peasants. Landlords were publicly denounced, tried, and often executed. This eliminated feudal structures and increased Mao’s rural support.
What changes were introduced by the Marriage Reform Law?
It banned arranged marriages, allowed women to divorce, and promoted gender equality. It aimed to modernize family life and align it with socialist ideals.
What were the Five-Antis (1952)?
A campaign targeting bribery, tax evasion, theft of state property, cheating on government contracts, and stealing economic information. It was used to control business owners and instill fear of dissent.
What were the Great Purges in Mao’s China?
Borrowed from Stalin’s methods, Mao used purges during political campaigns (e.g., Anti-Rightist Movement) to eliminate opposition, with mass imprisonments, forced confessions, and executions.
What was the Hundred Flowers Campaign?
Initially encouraged intellectuals to voice opinions about the government, but when criticism grew, Mao launched the Anti-Rightist Campaign to punish critics. Debate remains over whether this was a deliberate trap.
What is Maoism and how is it different from Soviet communism?
Maoism emphasizes peasant-led revolution, continuous class struggle, and mass mobilization. Unlike Soviet-style communism, it distrusts bureaucracy and promotes permanent revolution to avoid complacency.
What caused the Sino-Soviet split?
Ideological differences, Mao’s criticism of Soviet “revisionism,” Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization, and competing leadership claims in the Communist world led to a breakdown in relations by the early 1960s.
What was the Great Leap Forward?
Mao’s attempt to rapidly industrialize and collectivize China using “people’s communes.” It led to widespread famine, with an estimated 20–45 million deaths due to mismanagement and crop failure.
Why was Mao dissatisfied with Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping?
They implemented pragmatic economic reforms after the Great Leap Forward’s failure, which Mao saw as abandoning socialist principles. Mao reasserted control in 1966 (e.g., “swimming in the Yangtze”) to relaunch revolutionary zeal.
What was the Cultural Revolution?
A mass movement launched by Mao to purge capitalist elements and reassert his authority. The youth (Red Guards) were mobilized to attack intellectuals, destroy old culture, and enforce Maoist ideology. It led to widespread chaos and repression.
Why did Mao empower youth during the Cultural Revolution?
Mao saw students and young people as purer revolutionaries. They were used to attack the party elite, teachers, and intellectuals, helping Mao regain control and purge rivals.
What economic and social reforms did Deng Xiaoping introduce?
Deng opened China’s economy to the world with the “Four Modernizations” (agriculture, industry, defense, and science/technology). He also introduced the One-Child Policy to curb population growth.
Why did China not experience political reform under Deng?
Deng prioritized economic modernization but maintained strict Communist Party control. Political dissent was not tolerated (e.g., Tiananmen Square, 1989), preserving authoritarian rule despite economic liberalization.
