Download China History

China
Dynastic China
• 13 ruling dynasties from 2100BC until 1912AD
• Early dynasties developed paper, gun powder,
working clocks, porcelain and other
technological advances
• Traded with the Europeans along the Silk
Road
• Some dynasties were highly organized, almost
modern, bureaucracies based on civil service
examinations
• Other dynasties were ruled by warlords or
outside conquering forces
Decline of Dynastic China
• Peasants lost land, floods were common,
and Western/foreign pressures contributed
to its decline
• Members of a Buddhist cult led the White
Lotus Rebellion, a peasant uprising
against taxes and government inefficiency
• After the overthrow of the last Qing
emperor (age 5), China became a republic
(1912-1949)
– A republic means citizens elect
representatives to control government &
policy
The Republic of China
• Put an end to more than 2000 years of
imperial rule
• Government ruled by the Kuomintang
(KMT)
• The largest challenge to their power was
the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
The Long March
• In 1934, the KMT forced the CCP retreat
to northwest China
• This year-long ordeal allowed Mao Zedong
to get total control of the CCP and begin
his Communist propaganda plan
WWII
• Japan invaded Manchuria September 1931
and set up the former Qing Emperor as the
head of a puppet government
• The Japanese military was extremely violent
its rampage of China throughout World War II
• KMT leader Chiang Kai-shek was forced to
partner with the CCP against the Japanese
• With support from the US and USSR, the
Japanese were forced out and surrendered in
1945
Conflict with the Soviets
• Although allies against the Japanese during
WWII, the KMT and the CCP returned to their
struggle for control of China
• Even though KMT forces were much larger,
they were worn out from fighting the
Japanese
• The CCP “People’s Liberation Army” were
rested and fighting a moral, not political, fight
Communist Revolution
• Starting in 1946, the CCP conquered each
region of China
• The CCP captured the capital of Nanjing
April 23, 1949
• October 1, Chaing Kai-shek and the KMT
government fled to Taiwan while Mao
Zedong declared the formation of the
People’s Republic of China (Communist)
The Great Leap Forward
• Mao attempted to get rid of any Western
influences & make a truly communist country
• He collectivized farms, forced all foreign steel
to be melted down to produce “Chinese
steel,” and began civil engineering projects
without the input of experts
• The consequences were wide-spread famine
with18-42 million deaths and a country-wide
economic collapse
Cultural Revolution
• Mao outlawed religion and Western cultural
influences
• When the Great Leap Forward failed, Mao
turned his concentration to “anti-Chinese
treasons” from 1966 to his death in 1976
• Religious artifacts were destroyed; scholars,
artists and religious authorities were
imprisoned or executed
• This was an era of fear and propaganda
Life After Mao
• Hua Guofeng and Deng Xiaoping succeed Mao
as the leaders of the CCP
• Once Deng took control, he immediately put an
end to violence and oppression of the Cultural
Revolution
• China began to strengthen its economy by
using a Western, market model
Life After Mao
• Hua Guofeng and Deng Xiaoping succeed Mao
as the leaders of the CCP
• Once Deng took control, he immediately put an
end to violence and oppression of the Cultural
Revolution
• China began to reinvigorate its economy by
using a Western, market model
• However, he did not westernize any aspects of
government or social life
Tiananmen Square Massacre
• People (mostly students) upset with the Communist Party
began a pro-democracy protest in Tiananmen Square starting
April 1989
– Younger people were influenced by Western media and culture
• Beginning on the evening of June 3rd, the military is sent to
remove the 50-100K protesters
– People attempted to block the tanks
• Under martial law, the military was ordered to clear the square
by 6:00
– Between 4-6K were killed
• The event was publicized by the Western media
• The CCP was highly criticized and even condemned by
governments in Western and Eastern Europe, non-communist
Asia and the United States
Modern China
• 4th largest country by area
• The most populated country
– 1.3 Billion
– 23% of the world’s population
– 1 child policy to slow population growth
• Moving toward a market economy
• Still a communist government
• World’s fastest growing economy
– Over 2% GDP growth every year
– Environmental pollution
Tiananmen Square Doc…
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYI0tq
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