Essay 2.

• Essay Question - Compare and contrast causes of CCW and SCW
• Chinese Civil war 1946-49 was fought between chinese communist party CCP, incumbent Nationalist gov GMD
• Spanish Civil war 1936-39 fought between left republicans and right nationalists led by General Franco
• Similarity - Political instability = long term trend of decentralised control birthing militarised politics (setting scene of violence as political tool)
• Similarity - Right wing encouraged militarised politics

  • China, Shikhai’s dictatorship 1912-15 set trend for undemocratic governance sustained by Jieshi
  • Spain, Rivera de Primo - right (coup 1923 - two year long dictatorship characterised by strong censorship)
• Difference (Spain) - Spain, military interventions were frequent in politics with 43 interventions 1814-1923 (rise of caciquismo)

  • Political instability of militarised rule resulted in undemocratic traditions set for future leadership, paving way for war
• Similarity - Right wing unsuccessful in unifying country resulting in decentralised authority in local leaders

  • Allowed for abuses of power - chinese warlords, spanish caciques 
• Similarity - Long term dissatisfaction built up within peasant populations

  • Fostering rise of left leaning CCP and republicans (widen chasm)
  • Political weakness fuelled ideological polarisation 
• Difference (Spain) - Spain’s weak decentralised govt was exacerbated by turnismo politics, political pendulum of alternating power between left and right

  • Unproductive system left Azana 1931-33

  Right Beino negro 1934-36

  (failed to instate concrete reforms)
• Similarity - Trend of decentralised/militarised politics (rise of progressive elements - challenge institutional power)
• Difference - China, GMD only legitimate political power, rivals like CCP not given national elections 

  • Lack of democratic political system, crucial in CCP resorting to violence 
  • Spain, short term political instability of turnismo years exacerbated polarisation (catalysis)
• Similarity - Economic issues (exploitation of lower social bracket) - worsening class divisions 
• Difference -

  • China, neglect countryside peasants - GMD failed to lower 90% rent rate to 37.5% 
  • Spain, semi-feudal system similar to ^ 2.5 mil landless braceros mercy of rich latifundias 
• Similarity - Wealth polarisation fuelled rise of anarcho-syndicalism (peasant classes) - 80, 69% of population in China and Spain
• Similarity - Long term rural poverty intensified dissatisfaction at political system - disenfranchised poor supported CCP and republicans against elite interests (GMD, Nationalists)

  • Sustained political unrest stemming from economic, substantiated by 1927 Nanchang peasant uprising, 1909 spanish peasant general strike
• Similarity - Divisions triggered by short term economic crises 
• Similarity - Economic crises precipitating civil wars ignited undercurrents of economic dissent 
• Difference - Short term, spain’s problems were internally caused, China’s major economic problems stemmed from culture of foreign encroachment

  Chinese economy faced foreign interference seen in exploitation by western powers through unequal treaties 

  • Faced ongoing economic exploitation, Japan leading to civil war, sustained humiliation on chinese nationalism

  Nationalist weak resistance to encroachment on economic sovereignty fuelled political rise of CCP, gaining support through anti-imperialist rhetoric
• Difference - Spain’s loss of empire to America relinquishing colonies Cuba, Puerto rico, Philippines took place 1898, limited foreign intervention in domestic economics leading up to war
• Similarity - Ideological polarisation created conditions for conflict between political factions representing different ideals 
• Difference - Mao developed peasant based policies under left mass line approach with CCP’s Jiangxi and Yan’an soviets implementing land reforms that cut taxes 

  • Posed ideological rift with GMD, increasingly conservative under Jiang’s leadership 1925, choosing urban industrialists, elite as power base
• Difference - Spain, left anarcho-syndicalism urban workers and peasants saw union membership increase, 1 mil boasted by CNT

  • Disillusionment with powerful institutions of bureaucracy, army, church - opposed progressive reforms manifested into violence 

  (1934 Asturian Miners uprising and May 1931 anti-clerical attacks)
• Similarity - Experienced fundamental ideological rifts based upon economic/social classes (rising hostility amongst proletariat and rural populations to overthrow institutional power)
• Difference - China, GMD/CCP loggerheads for power, ideological aims were united 

  • Aimed for nationalistic restoration/centralisation 
  • Establishing temporary alliance 1923 United front to combat warlordism
• Difference - Spain, degree of ideological polarisation - more extreme with CEDA and left popular Front blocs championing entirely distinct ideological aims (separatism versus centralisation, progression versus status quo)
• Similarity - Ideological aims of both parties were grounded nationalism - each own route of achieving those aims 
• Difference - Spain, ideological polarisation, left and right wing umbrella movements were reactionary/radical 

  • Fundamental discrepancies leading to outbreak of bloody civil war, triggered Franco's military coup 1936 against republican govt.