Why did Mao win the Civil War?
o
1927 - 1950
o
Victory of
Chinese Communist Party over Chiang Kai-shek
o
Establishment
of People’s Republic of China
1.
Peasants
- Fled to countryside and created links
with 3 million peasants
- Treated peasants with respect (8
rules)
- Soldiers educated to use persuasion,
not force
- Respected women, paid for crops,
and ran literary classes
- Nationalists supported landlords in
land/rent disputes
- Oppressed and exploited peasants
(conscription, high taxes)
- Displeased with mass unemployment
and high inflation (in August 1948 currency had inflated 67 times since
January)
2.
Military
- Gained valuable experience in guerilla
warfare
- After Long March established perfect
base for guerrilla warfare (Yanan – isolated and mountainous)
- Employed innovative tactics –
‘segmented worm’ and tunnel
- PLA more motivated for an
ideological cause
- US gave Chiang $2bn in military
aid, but was unwilling and unprepared to send troops to prevent PLA
crossing the Yangzi
3.
Japan
- Invaded Manchuria (1931-1937)
- Attacked Nationalist’s population
centers like Nanjing and Shanghai
- CCP in Yanan was left alone
- By the time Japanese attacked CCP they
were well established and still controlled an area of 50 million people
- Nationalists, unused to operating
in rural areas, struggled to mount an effective resistance
- CCP had greater resistance to Japan,
gaining popular support
4.
Soviets
- Gave CCP captured Japanese arms in
Manchuria
- Stalin broke treaty requiring
Soviet withdrawal from Manchuria three months after Japan’s surrender and gave Manchuria
to Mao
What pre-conditions existed in China before
1949 to cause the revolution?
- 1927 - 1950
- Victory of Chinese Communist Party
over Chiang Kai-shek
- Establishment of People’s Republic of
China
1.
Social
o
Women were
oppressed (foot binding, arranged marriages, inferior position)
o
Class
conflict – peasants terrorized by landlords, tax collectors (who demanded tax
years in advance), and warlords
o
Political
control of country was incomplete, thus making social reforms impossible
2.
Political
o
Nationalists
unable to unite China – in 1933 less than 20% of China had Nationalist local
branches. Gained control of most of China only 1 year before Japanese invasion.
o
Nationalist
rule was corrupt, breaking with Confucian tradition
o
Divided KMT
over the White Terror in which Chiang abandoned the First United Front with CCP
and purged them in Shanghi Massacre of 1927
o
In 1927, the
establishment of the nationalist government in Nanking received recognition
from foreign powers so China could speak for the first time since 1911 as a
unified country in international meetings
o
By 1933,
after negotiations with foreign powers, tariff autonomy was restored to China
(could decide on her level of tariffs)
3.
Economic
o
Factory
workers resented treatment and were attracted to Communism
o
Peasants
joined Communist movement due to rural poverty
o
Nationalists
supported land owners and factory owners
o
Chiang didn’t
carry out expected land reforms, which was against Chinese tradition
o
Didn’t
enforce passed law that limited farm rents to 37.5% if crop yield (instead high
as 70% of farm rents)
o
After
landholdings, cancelled land reforms in formerly Communist held areas, and
punished those peasants who had helped
o
Rampant
inflation
o
China bullied
by Western powers and Japan into unequal economic relationships
o
Valuable
parts of empire lost; Hong Kong, Vietnam, Manchuria, Korea
o
KMT success –
banking systems improved, efforts made to reform China’s confusing currency,
and four national banks set up to control and regulate country’s financial
conditions
o
Some
industrial progress made, especially in production of flour, matches, and
chemical materials (most development in cities)
o
More railways
built (from 1938-37 increase 60%) > made it easier for Japan to invade
o
Air service
established, postal and telegraph services further improved and expanded
(helped KMT expand political control)
How did foreign influence affect the
Chinese civil war?
1.
Treaty
of Versailles
- Fought with Allies during WWI
- Gave Germany’s base in China (Taiwan)
to Japan
2.
Japanese
o
Japan invaded
Manchura (1931-37)
o
Nationalist’s
population centers (Nanjing and Shaghai) attacked, whereas CCP, in isolated
strongholds like Yanan left
o
Nationalists
unused to operating in rural areas struggled with resistance
o
CCP put up
greater resistance to Japan – helped with popular support
o
Chinag
unwilling to commit fully to fighting Japan as Mao was real danger:
o
“The Japanese
are a disease of the skin; the communists are a disease of the heart”
3.
Americans
- Help from George Marshall (equipment)
- Chiang preferred to horde supplies to
use against CCP
- Stockpiles destroyed by Japanese or
captured by CCP guerilla raids
- CCP also gained US arms when Nationalist
soldiers captured
- US gave Chiang $2bn in military aid,
but was unwilling and unprepared to send troops to prevent PLA crossing
the Yangzi
4.
Soviets
o
Gave captured
arms in Manchuria
o
Stalin broke
treaty requiring Soviet withdrawal from Manchuria three months after Japan’s
surrender and gave Manchuria to Mao
5.
Other
Factors
o
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