Ari Gilder, 2-406!

 

Homework #14

 

1. What happened to the alliance between the Nationalist and Communist Chinese following WWII? What was the final result?

Although during WWII the Nationalists and Communists of China had agreed to put away they differences temporarily and form an alliance, it quickly crumbled after the end of the war. The Communists began to gain military strength in the civil war in China, and eventually had seized power from the Nationalists in 1949. After this, the Nationalist leader, Chiang Kai-Shek had fled to Taiwan and established his own government there. During this time however, the Communist leader Mao Zedong, had established the People’s Republic of China.

 

2. What was the goal of the Communists in China? How did they achieve their goal?

The Communists in China wished to industrialize and modernize China. In order to do this, they had to appoint an official in charge of government and the military – Mao Zedong. In 1953, the Communists had began a Five-Year Plan for rebuilding China, focusing on increasing heavy industry, as well as collectivization of farms.

 

3.What was the goal of the “Great Leap Forward”? How did the government achieve this goal?

The second Five-Year Plan of China, announced in 1958 and also known as the Great Leap Forward, had aimed to quicken economic growth while maintaing a socialist society. The government had achieved this by herding people into large communities, called communes, whose purpose was for agriculture and some industry. The government had purchased modern machinery as well as steel mills from the Soviet Union and Western European countries.

 

4. Why was the “Great Leap Forward” a failure?

The Great Leap Forward was a failure because it was not planned properly, and that eventually led to a halt in industry. Also, three crop failures had left the Chinese people facing severe food shortages. The Chinese people did not support the ideas of the Great Leap Forward anyhow, and in the early 1960s, the Chinese government had abandoned the plan.

 

5. What was the goal of the “Four Modernizations”? Was it a success? Explain.

The Four Modernizations was designed to encourage economic growth of agriculture, industry, science and technology, and military defense. This plan provided incentives for production, such as profit motive for products above the quota. It also weakened the government’s grip on factories and farms, and allowed import from the West. This plan was a success, because it had established China as a major industrial power in the world, leading the world in coal production, and holding a significant position in cement, steel and petroleum production.

 

6. What economic problems plagued China in the 1980s? How did the government respond to these problems?

During the 1980s, China’s economy was filled with inflation. Many Chinese families were spending more than 60% of their income on food. Any movements against the poor management of the government were swiftly crushed, and the government simply regressed to the old Communist economic policies, centralizing control of the economy and restricting free enterprise.

 

7. What was the goal of Mao’s “Cultural Revolution”? How did Mao attempt to achieve this goal? What impact did the Cultural Revolution have on China?

Mao’s Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution was launched in 1966 in order to rid China of the “Four Olds” – old customs, habits, thoughts and culture. Mao had recruited high school and college students to his “Red Guard” who went around destroying any remnants of historic items and ancient culture, as well as publicly humiliating those who opposed Mao. This eventually affected China’s economy, which took a steep drop in agricultural and industrial production. Finally, in 1969, Mao ended the revolution.

 

The next morning, Tiananmen Square is occupied by Chinese soldiers and the demonstrators are shot.

 

On June 3, thousands of Chinese troops move towards Tiananmen Square.

 

Next day (May 20), govt. imposes martial law.

 

Premier Li Peng threatens to use “resolute measures.”

 

Government orders for the demonstrators to leave are ignored.

 

Reformers demonstrate  their views daily at Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

 

Reformers follow Hu Yaobang and mourn deeply for his death in April 1989.

 

Hu Yaobang expresses his opinion of the failure of Communism.

 
8.