China

• China has been a communist nation since 1949
• How China became communist

  1. Starting in 1927, China began fighting a civil war

  2. The war pitted the forces of the Chinese Nationalist Party against the Red Army of the Chinese Communist Party

  3. The eventual leaders were Chiang Kai-Shek (Nationalists) and Mao Tse Tung (Communists)

  4. Mao Tse Tung gained prominence due to the Long March in 1934

  5. The two sides continued fighting for many years

  6. In 1937, the Chinese Civil War was put on hold when Japan invaded China

  7. The war against Japan became the Second Sino-Japanese War

  8. In 1945, at the conclusion of WWII, the Chinese Civil War resumed

  9. The Red Army of Mao Tse Tung eventually defeated Chiang Kai-Shek's Chinese Nationalists

  10. The Nationalists fled and established Taiwan

  11. Mao Tse Tung became the Chairman of the Communist Party

  12. China was renamed The People's Republic of China and officially became a communist nation
• There has never been a peace treaty signed between the two factions, therefore, the war has never officially ended
• The People's Republic of China still claims ownership over the island of Taiwan


  The Republic of China (Taiwan) still claims to be the legitimate government of mainland China
• Communist Revolution


  How: Civil War<|>Who: Chinese Communist Party (CCP) vs The Kuomintang (KMT)<|>Mao Zedong vs Chiang Kai Shek<|>Mao + CCP = Victory
• Mao Zedong


  Leader of the Chinese Communist Party
• The Cultural Revolution

  "Long live the victory of Chairman Mao's Revolution."<|>Politicians and intellectuals targeted and abused in public humiliation rallies, known as "struggle sessions"<|>Tens of thousands persecuted, scores died
• The Cultural Revolution was anything but "cultural". Anything that didn't praise the Communist Party (read Mao Zedong) was considered "uncultured". Hence, one of the oldest civilizations of the world voluntarily tried to destroy its heritage during that ten year period.
• China-USSR Relations

  2 phases: Convergence (1949-1960) and Divergence (1960-1989)
• Convergence (1949-1960)

  • Common belief in communism
  • USSR provided arms, equipment and other technological aid to help China modernise
  • Both countries supported North Korea in the Korean War
  • USSR and China supported North Vietnam (Vietcong) during the Vietnam War
• Divergence (1960-1989)

  Known as the Sino-Soviet Split<|>USSR saw China as the junior partner in the alliance<|>USSR refused to help China acquire or build a nuclear bomb<|>Mao did not like Khrushchev and disagreed with his "peaceful co-existence" stance towards the West<|>USSR and China supported different national liberation movements in Africa and Asia<|>USSR was critical of the Great Leap Forward<|>In 1966, diplomatic relations were broken and frequent border clashes occurred
• Reasons for Sino-Soviet Split

  • Territorial disputes
  • Interpretation of ideology (Peasants vs Proletariat, Peaceful co-existence vs continued world revolution)
  • Contest over leadership of communist world
  • Insufficient aid from USSR
  • Criticism of China's Great Leap Forward
• China accused the USSR of "revisionism"
• China and the USSR embarked on a contest over the leadership of the communist world

  They also competed for influence in Africa and Asia
• China complained that they were receiving insufficient aid from the USSR
• The Great Leap Forward aimed to rapidly transform the country from an agrarian economy into a communist society through rapid industrialization and collectivization, but ended in catastrophe, resulting in tens of millions of deaths
• China was angry because they had not received any nuclear weapons from the USSR
• In the late 1970s the USSR wanted to improve relations with China


  In 1985 Gorbachev became the new leader of the USSR and introduced some economic reforms
• In 1989 Gorbachev visited China and working relations were established, but in 1991 the USSR had collapsed
• China's Relations with the USA


  Initially hostile, but improved in the 1970s
• USA's Perspective

  • Feared the spread of communism, especially due to Chinese involvement in Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaya, Burma, and providing aid to rebel groups in Africa
• China's Perspective

  • Feared encirclement by the USA, who refused to recognise China and instead recognised Taiwan
• Deng Xiaoping

  Replaced Mao as leader of China, embarked on a policy of modernisation and liberalisation of the Chinese economy
• Economic reforms introducing market principles began in 1978 and were carried out in two stages, leading to unprecedented growth and China becoming the world's second largest economy
• Tibet

  Mountainous region bordering China, Nepal and Burma<|>Tibetan society has its own distinctive language and culture<|>Religion: Buddhists
• The Dalai Lama

  Spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhists, believed to be the reincarnation of the first follower of Buddha in 1391
• Tibet

  Mountainous region bordering China, Nepal and Burma
• Prayer flag


  • Colourful rectangular cloth, often found strung along mountain ridges and peaks high in the Himalayas
  • Used to bless the surrounding countryside
• Tibetan society

  They have their own distinctive language and culture
• Tibetan Buddhist symbols

  • Crossed Buddhist vajra or thunderbolt symbols, with Triskelion (three interlocked spirals) in center
• Religion

  Buddhists
• Dalai Lama


  Spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhists<|>Believed to be the reincarnation of the first follower of Buddha in 1391
• Dalai Lamas


  • Gendun Drup (1st Dalai Lama, 1391-1474)
  • Thubten Gyatso (13th Dalai Lama, 1876-1933)
  • Tenzin Gyatso (14th Dalai Lama, born 1935)
• Dalai Lama

  High lama in the Gelug or "yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism<|>Name is a combination of the Mongolic word dalai meaning "ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "guru, teacher, mentor"
• Selection of 14th Dalai Lama

  1. Search party sent to locate new incarnation

  2. Reting Rinpoche had vision at Lhamo La-tso lake indicating Amdo region

  3. Thondup house found with features matching vision

  4. Thondup correctly identified relics of 13th Dalai Lama
• Lhasa


  Capital city where Dalai Lama often led the government
• Tibet was a large independent empire

  Prior to 18th century
• Tibet became a Chinese 'Protectorate', controlled by China but allowed to manage own affairs especially religion

  Mid 18th century
• 1920s - Chinese Civil War

  Tibet took advantage of lack of unity and weakness to declare independence
• 1950-51 PLA invaded Tibet and made it an autonomous region within the PRC


  1949 - CCP won Civil War