New State- Mao
- Chinese 1949 v. Russia 1917 (The State when the communists came to power)
- International Movement
- Russsians Beleived in an international movement
- Chinese (Mao) highly nationalistic, focused solely on China
- Authoritarian State-
- -Russia: Betrayal of original revolutionary ideals
- +China: the plan from the beginning in order to tackle China's economic/ political problems
- Mao "One People's Democratic Dictatorship"- Outlined his ideology
- Leaders
- -Russia: Few strong leaders, changing ideology
- +China: Already well established gov't, tested ideology, clear established administrators
- Popular Support
- -Russia: Proletariat support, lots against party, little support in the countryside/ peasantry
- +China: , High popular support- especially with rural peasantry (Proletariat not particularly politically active)
- Isolation
- -Russia, first communist state- isolated from international stage
- +China, Followed Russian Rev.- the existence of another large communist state provided security (even if they had essentially broken ties with Moscow)
- Backwardness
- +Prevalent in Russia, fairly established economy- in a depression
- -China: MUCH worse socially & economically
- Mao inherited an impoverished, backwards economy
- Goals For the New State
- Agrarian Reform
- National Political Unification
- Modern Economic Development (realizing it would be a long hard process)
- Mao, very pragmatic about what was possible & the hardships to come after his victory
- Opposition
- Few counterrevolutions, Mao had already fought & won civil war when he came to power
- Mao's: "New Democracy" -principles which Mao promised to govern the Chinese People's Republic
- "Peoples Republic" or "People's Democratic Dictatorship"- not "Bourgeois Democracy"
- Based on alliance of workers and peasantry
- "United Front" included Workers, Peasantry, the petty & nationalistic Bourgeiose
- Capitalism- Control it, not eliminate it.
- Allowed indigenous capitalism (not rooted in imperial powers) to hasten modern economic development
- "Democratic Dictatorship" (Which did he want?)
- Mao's explanation:
- Democracy to "the people" (United front)
- Dictatorship over those not included in "The People" (i.e. landlords/imperialists)
- What was meant by the promise of Democracy?
- Promised the freedom of speech, assembly, association, & the right to vote for gov't
- Post-feudal, pre-socialist period of relative democracy
- Poltical Representation of "the people"
- Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
- Sept. 21-30, 1949- Made good on CCP's post-war promise to form a coalition with the GDP
- GDP crushed, coalition gov't made no sense- GDP gave formal approval of Mao's new gov't
- Conference for political appearances- CCP appeared cooperative with long-time enemy, GDP
- Non-Communists given many positions in administration of the New state
- Positions primarily ceremonious, but increased popular support on national issues
- Song Quingling (widow of Sun Yatsen) given an administrative position
- State Council (originally called Government Administrative Council)
- Under Premiership of Zhou Enlai
- 1949-1954 Country under military control
- Obstacles for new state:
- Backwardness
- Extremely traditional values
- history of little national unification
- Impoverished economy
- Primitive communication & Transportation
- Regional loyalties
- Nearly 5,000,000 Party members provided leadership & mass organization (allowing the country to be virtually unified from 1949-1952
- Many organizations established/ reorganized the party
- Education System
- Trade Unions
- Peasant associations
- the "people's court"
- popular militia
- Power lay within the Politburo or more precisely, the Politburo's Standing Committee
- 1949 Standing Committee: Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai, Zhu de, & Chen Yun
- 1949- People's Republic formally proclaimed
- GDP's military power fell months before- Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan
- Red Army quickly conquered remaining areas of Southern China still controlled by the Nationalist Army & GDP-allied warlords
- Retreating Nationalist troops fled to the Shan region of Burma & supported themselves for almost 20 years with illicit opium trading & supplies air-dropped in by Americans
- West/ Northwest regions took longer to conquer
- March 1950- CCP control of Xinjiang = last of GDP resistance on mainland
- October 1950- CCP tries to control Tibet
- Tibet declared as an independent state
- Chinese Nationalists still consider it part of China
- Nationalist Army still maintained control in Taiwan- Red Arm not able to attack
- U.S. (President Truman) sent a fleet to "neutralize" the Taiwan straight
- Therefore, Nationalist army lingered- GDP could still represent itself as the Chinese gov't
- Russia claimed control of areas in the north & in Manchuria
- ADD NOTES FROM P.67-73
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