We explain how the Chinese revolution was and what were the main events. In addition, how was the expansion of communism.
What was the Chinese Revolution of 1949?
It is known as the Chinese revolution to the revolutionary process that Chinese crossed from the civil war initiated in 1947 to 1949. During the process the communists faced, organized in the Chinese Communist Party drigido by Mao Zedong, and the nationalists, linked to the Chinese Nationalist Party (known as Kuonmitang) led by Chiang Kai-Sheck. The communists obtained greater support between the civilian population and the nationalists ended up giving the main Chinese cities to the communist forces.
In October 1949, Mao Zedong founded the People's Republic of China and established a communist state. Consequently, the nationalists and the civilian population that supported them took refuge in the island of Taiwan, which was proclaimed as an autonomous and capitalist republic .
History of the Chinese Revolution of 1949
The decline of the ancient Imperial China had led to European colonial intervention in the nineteenth century. China governed by the last emperors of the Qing dynasty suffered repeated humiliations by the European powers, USA and Japan.
The proclamation of the Republic in 1912 did not bring the stability that an impoverished country needed. Two important forces emerged from this crisis period:
- The Kuomintang. He was a nationalist group supported by the urban bourgeoisie and led by Chiang Kai-Chek, who exercised the government in most of the country.
- The Chinese Communist Party (PCCH). It was a group with an essentially peasant social base and directed by Mao Zedong.
The civil war between the two features broke out in 1927 and lasted until 1937, when both armies joined forces to fight the Japanese invasion. The Chinese-Japanese war lasted in World War II. At the end of the world conflict with Japanese defeat in 1945, China came out as one of the great beneficiaries.
However, Japanese occupation and war had left a shattered country. In this context, the Civil War between the Kuomintang and the Communist Popular Liberation Army (ELP) was revived.
The economic crisis, the great inflation and generalized state corruption made, despite receiving American help, the Chiang Kai-Chek government was losing popular support.
The communist army, meanwhile, applied an agrarian reform in the areas that dominated and saw how millions of peasants joined him. Finally, Chiang Kai-Chek and the remains of the Kuomintang army fled to Taiwan island.
On October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed in Beijing (Beijing) the People's Republic of China . The war concluded in May 1950, when the ELP ended up controlling western China and Tibet.
Communism in China
Traditionally, The ideas of communism were based on the Marxist thesis that the working class was the main revolutionary agent.
Mao introduced his own vision of Marxist theory, in which he analyzed the way to make the revolution and implement communism in China, a country where the working class was essentially non -existent.
Before the 1949 revolution, the majority of the population was peasant and the country's production was essentially agrarian. In his version of communism, Mao argued that the peasantry should be the main revolutionary class.
Mao Zedong Government
During your government, Mao carried out different reforms to establish economic and political communism in the country . He established a unique party government, controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, and organized the planned, centralized and intervened economy by the State.
In order to carry out a real control over the state administration, between 1951 and 1952 he carried out the “three anti” and “five anti” campaigns. Under the pretext of cleaning the administrative system of bureaucratic corruption, it managed to expel the enemies of the new State and ideological opponents from the government system.
His government was also characterized by the explicit repression of dissidents, censorship and press control, and by programs for the “reeducation” of the population. After the economic crisis generated by its economic policies, its leadership was compromised and was harshly criticized.
In response, he carried out a program known as the “Cultural Revolution”, with the aim of restoring his political status within the party. The program was basically a purge of the opposition at different levels of government and party.
Economy during the Government of Mao
In the first years of government, Mao sought stabilize the national economy ruined by Japanese occupation and civil war . In turn, it introduced a series of reforms aimed at consolidating communism in China. In principle, it established moderate reforms in the agrarian field and the nationalization of certain industrial activities.
However, at the end of his government, he sought to accentuate the reforms to consolidate communism in China. In 1958, he launched his “Great Leap forward” program, in which he established a program of collectivations and relocation of workers. Millions of peasants were sent to work in steel factories.
The result of the program was very negative for Chinese economy, politics and society . The crops were lost, which generated a serious problem of food shortage and, consequently, famine in a large part of the population. This situation generated strikes and demonstrations against the Government that, in response, repressed hard. It is estimated that more than 50 million people died due to famine and political violence.
International Policy during the Mao Government
In the context of the Cold War, the communist revolution of Mao in China was well received by the Soviet Union that, by then, was beginning to form the eastern block. However, over time, China showed that it was not going to be under the control of the Soviet Union.
During the Korean War (1950-1953), the PPCH feared that the United States Army would be imposed in Korea and continue its advance on China to reestablish the Kuomintang government and end the communist revolution. Consequently, He sent troops to support communist forces in Korea and stop the American advance .
In the 1960s, Mao promoted its nuclear development program, a key element to empower itself in the Armed career of the Cold War. Mao argued that China should maintain a strong leadership against the war against the western block. Accused the imperialism of being a “paper tiger” and He considered that if necessary, the nuclear war against the West should be made .
This belligerent attitude generated some problems to the Soviet Union in its relations with the western block. In addition, discussions on territorial claims and doctrinal divergences were added to this discord. Consequently, in 1961, China and the Soviet Union broke their formal relations.
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References
- Tato, Mi, Bubello, JP, Castello, AM and Campos, E. (2011). History of the second half of the twentieth century. Estrada
- Bianco, L. (1967). The origins of the Chinese Revolution. Bellaterra Edic.
- Moreno, J. (1991). Contemporary China: 1916-1990. Isthmus editions.
