The ideology and policies of the CCP

• What is Mao Zedong Thought primarily based on?


  Marxism
• How did Mao Zedong adapt Marxism?


  He adapted it to Chinese conditions and added his own ideas
• What are the key ideas of Mao Zedong Thought?


  • Importance of the peasants as a revolutionary class
  • National self-reliance
  • Continuing revolution
  • Class struggle learning from the people
  • Mass mobilisation
  • A national revolution
• What did Mao Zedong believe about the role of peasants in the revolution?


  He believed they were a crucial revolutionary class
• In what year did Mao write about the role of peasants in the Chinese revolution?


  1927
• How did Mao describe the peasant movement in his reflections?


  As a colossal event that would rise like a mighty storm
• What did Mao believe would happen to imperialists and corrupt officials due to the peasant movement?


  They would be swept into their graves
• What choices did Mao present to revolutionary parties regarding the peasant movement?


  To lead, criticize, or oppose the peasants
• What percentage of the population were industrial workers in China in the early 1920s?


  1 percent
• Why did Mao believe industrial workers could not form a mass revolutionary party?


  Because they were a small minority in Chinese society
• What happened to the Communist Party after 1927?

  It was driven out of the cities by Jiang Jieshi's GMD forces
• What did Mao believe was necessary for the Communist Party to work with the peasants?


  Providing them with revolutionary leadership
• What was Mao's strategy regarding rural areas in the 1930s and 1940s?


  To concentrate on them as the only realistic course of action
• What was the outcome of Mao's strategy for the Communist Party?


  It ensured the survival of the Communist Party and its eventual victory
• What was Mao's political ideology?


  He was a revolutionary Communist and a Chinese nationalist.
• Why did Mao desire for China to be restored as a powerful nation?


  He was deeply affected by China's humiliation by Western powers and Japan during his youth.
• What were the two main goals of the revolution according to Mao?


  To liberate China from foreign control and to free the people from feudal landlords.
• What was Mao's stance on foreign reliance after taking power?


  Mao was determined that China should not be reliant on foreign powers.
• How did Mao feel about the relationship with the Soviet Union?


  Mao was never comfortable with the unequal relationship with the Soviet Union.
• What was Mao's view on the continuation of the revolution after the Communist Party took power?


  Mao believed the revolution was only just beginning after the Communist Party took power.
• Why did Mao think it was important for each new generation to be involved in revolutionary struggle?


  To prevent the threat of counter-revolution and ensure support for the regime.
• What did Mao prioritize over political stability?


  Mao prioritized maintaining the revolutionary zeal of the masses.
• How did Mao view the Communist Party's role in society?


  Mao saw the revolution as a class struggle and believed in continuing this struggle.
• What danger did Mao perceive regarding the Communist Party once it was in power?


  Mao believed the Communist Party could become a new ruling class that exploits the people.
• What did Mao believe was necessary for the Communist Party to avoid becoming detached from the people?


  Mao believed the Communist Party needed to be periodically rectified or purged.
• What was Mao's belief regarding the relationship between the Communist Party and the people?


  Mao believed the Communist Party should listen to the concerns of the people and learn from them.
• How did Mao want the masses to participate in governance?


  Mao argued that the masses should participate in discussions on policy.
• What was Mao's stance on the Soviet Union's approach to governance?


  Mao was determined that the Chinese Communist Party should not follow the Soviet example of commandism.
• What was Mao's main task for the Communist party in government?


  Mass mobilisation
• What did Mao believe about the Chinese people when mobilised?


  They could achieve significant objectives with revolutionary zeal
• What types of projects did Mao envision for mass mobilisation?


  Building dams and industrial cultivation
• How did Mao view the role of managers and experts in economic advancement?


  Mao did not believe they were essential for economic advance
• What was Mao's belief regarding people's motivation to work harder?


  People would work harder for the greater common good once convinced of socialism's superiority
• What basic Marxist premise did Mao accept regarding societal development?


  Societies develop through class struggle
• How did Mao adapt Marxist theory to the Chinese context?


  He viewed the coming revolution as a national revolution
• What did Mao believe was necessary for the national revolution in China?


  To overthrow landlords and free China from foreign imperialists
• What lesson did Mao learn from the struggles of the 1920s and 1930s?


  The need for tactical flexibility
• How did Mao's ideology evolve over time?


  It became refined and hardened into the official dogma of the Party
• What was Mao's overriding priority during the years 1937 to 1945?


  To defeat the Japanese invasion of China
• How did the CCP's strength in different areas affect its policies?


  It could adopt more radical policies in areas where it was firmly entrenched