The Chinese Revolution
A series of political
upheavals between 1911-1949 that ended the dynasties and led to communist rule.
Standard: 3.1.b
Internet Resources
http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0005603.html:
Story of Chinese Revolution (Quick 1 Page Summary)
http://www.aasianst.org/EAA/10-3-supplemental.htm:
Handouts with primary Resources from Cultural Revolution
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/china/modern/long_stu.htm:
Focus on Mao Zedong
People
1. Mao Zedong
2. Sun Yet-sen
3. Quing Emperors
4. Red Guard
5. Nationalist Party
Causes
1. Control of China by other countries
2. Unfair treatment of peasants
3. Young people’s desire to modernize China
Immediate Effects
1. End of Dynasties in China
2. Culture of Fear in China caused by Red Guard
3. Failing Economy because the Red Guard put so many workers
out of work.
4. Destruction of Schools in pursuit of stamping out any
reminder of the past.
Long Lasting Effects
on the Modern World
1. Large amount of uneducated workers due to the destruction
of education- they play into many
countries’ economies today.
2. Destroyed their art and anything that symbolized the old
world- we don’t have it today
3. Current tensions between China and Tibet
Maps
http://unimaps.com/china1911/index.html
http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/chin-rev.htm
Summary
China had been under a Qing (Ching) Emperor
since the mid-1600’s when in the 1900’s little parts of China were being taken
over by outside countries. The young people of China at the time were very
upset with this and the emperor for not stopping it. This unrest led to the
development of the People’s Nationalist Party, led by Sun Yat-sen. In 1911 the
People’s Nationalist Party forced the emperor out and created a republican
government. The People’s Nationalist party was unable to unite China or force
out the various countries that were claiming land there.
When Sun
Yat-sen died Chiang Kai-shek took his place and built up the nationalist army.
With his army he reclaimed Chinese land from other countries. Then the
Nationalist Party split forming a Communist party who believed that the
peasants should have a say in the government. Chiang Kai-shek disagreed with
this and sided with the wealthy farmers. He then forced all the communists into
a small area in southern China. The exiled Communist started an exodus to
Yan’an in Northwestern China. This 6,000-mile trek is known as the Long March,
and only 8,000 of the 100,00 communists survived. During the Long March
Nationalists attacked and the Communists found a leader, Mao Zedong.
Mao and the
Communists claimed the Northwest lowering taxes and giving the peasants more
power. As more and more Chinese heard of Mao’s changes they joined the
communists. Eventually a communist army put together by Mao drove Chiang
Kai-shek and the Nationalists out of China and into Taiwan. Mao now started
making changes all over China. Economically he set up 5-year plans that focused
on making farming communes and growing industry. He also appointed fellow
communist believers to important government positions.
Around 1966
Mao decided that not enough people were supporting his government, so he
decided that the country needed a Cultural Revolution. He got college students
and young people involved in destroying the past. The tore down architecture
that was representative of the past. The destroyed art and books from the days
of the emperors. Mao also put together the red guard which questioned people
about the allegiance to the communists and even jailed or executed individuals
who they thought were not good communists. However in 1968 Mao put a stop to
the Cultural Revolution feeling it had gone too far.
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