establishing communist rule 1949-1957

• The KMT was founded by Sun Yat Sen to overthrow the Qing dynasty and establish a republican government.
• Mao was born into an impoverished peasant family, but received education from his father.
• civil war (1927-1949)

  • early conflict-(1927-1937):
  • after the KMTs victory against the warlords, the CCP went into he rural areas of China and began organising peasant support. emphasising a small revolution.
  • the CCP emphasised a soviet-style bases most notably in Jiangxi Province.
• Chinese civil war (1927-1949)

  • the long march(1934-35):
  • The KMT launched a campaign to get rid off the CCP in Jiangxi. Facing overwhelming odds, the CCP undertook the Long March, a strategic retreat to the northwest.
  • This march helped solidify Mao Zedong’s leadership within the CCP and gained support from peasants along the route.
• Chinese civil war (1927-1949)

  • second Sino-Japanese war (1937-1945):
  • the Japanese invasion of China forced the KMT and CCP to form a temporary alliance known as the Second United Front to resist Japanese aggression.
  • Despite this collaboration, tensions between the KMT and CCP remained, with both sides craving for influence and territory.
• Chinese civil war(1927-1949)

  • resumption of the civil war(1945-49):
  • After Japan’s defeat in World War II, the civil war resumed. The KMT, weakened by the war and corruption, faced a renewed CCP, which had gained significant support from the rural population.
  • The CCP launched a series of successful military campaigns, capturing key cities and territories.
• how Mao established power:

  • consolidation of power:(1949-50)
  • elimination= The CCP worked to consolidate its power by suppressing remnants of the GMT(KMT) and any opposition. The KMT retreated to Taiwan, where it continued to claim legitimacy over all of China.
  • Land reforms= The government implemented extensive land reforms, redistributing land from warlords to peasants.
  • This aimed to dismantle the feudal structure and improve agricultural productivity.
• how Mao established power:

  • suppression of opposition:
  • took the KMT to Taiwan and kept them there suppressed.
  • Three Anti's Campaign (1951): This campaign targeted corruption, waste, and bureaucratic inefficiency within the Communist Party and government, leading to purges of officials.
  • Five Anti's Campaign (1952): This campaign aimed at capitalists and targeted bribery, tax evasion, theft of state property, cheating on government contracts, and economic espionage, further consolidating Communist control over the economy.
• how Mao established power:

  • reunification camps:
  • Tibet (1950-51):
  • In 1950, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) entered Tibet, leading to the Seventeen Point Agreement in 1951, which formalized China's control over the region.
  • Xinjiang (1950s):
  • The CCP implemented policies to end the diverse ethnic groups in Xinjiang, including Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and others. This involved establishing agricultural communes and encouraging Han Chinese migration to the region.
  • did this to consolidate power and spread culture
  • 2800 people died in the camps
• Mao believed in Marxism–Leninism
• Mao Zedong is the leader the CPC and the founder of the Peoples Republic of China.
• CPC


  Communist party of China
• PRC


  peoples republic of China
• NPC

  Nationalist party of China
• PLA


  peoples liberational army
• CPPCC


  Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
• Mao quote 


  All political power grows out of the barrel of a gun
• Korean war (1950-53)

  • motives:
  • Mao saw America as a threat as they were with s. Korea
  • wanted to support his fellow communist state and north Korea, felt it was inevitable
  • Ussr provided material support, and Mao felt pressure to support North Korea to maintain the alliance with Stalin
  • didn't want to be the 'sick man of Asia'
  • Sino- soviet pact 1950
• Korean war (1950-53)

  • positives for China
  • boosted the CCP reputation, allowed Mao to regain authority
  • promoted anti-us propaganda which allowed China to unify
  • international relations improved
  • no longer the sick man of Asia
  • Sino-soviet pact was created(lent $300m)
• Korean war (1950-53)

  • negative for China
  • economy strain as they were trying to rebuild themselves from the civil war
  • had to pay the $300m debt to the Ussr plus the damages led up to $10b
  • around 400,000 Chinese soldiers died
  • weren't able to deal with other issues nationally like the KMT in Taiwan
  • was just a proxy war
• quote for propaganda

  ' resist America aid Korea '