Consequences

• 29 Sep 1949 - Creation of Common Programme

  • had policies, aims of party
  • stated that China would be 'People's democratic dictatorship'
  • democracy for most
  • dictatorship for reactionaries
• CCP Problems

  • agricultural output decreased cause Civil War
  • peasants left farms to fight war, areas destroyed
  • bigger population (urban area under CCP control) but little food
  • cities destroyed like key transport, communication
  • inflation
  • officals used to bribery from GMD, slow/inefficient
  • possibility of Jiang/men coming back (Taiwan)
  • US support GMD (powerful)
  • issue unifying china under same idea
  • little experience ruling urban areas (countryside based)
• Declaring CCP order

  • Used the resources and expertise of ‘national capitalists’ – to keep the economy stable
  • Small managerial middle class individuals were compensated for factories & equipment seized
  • May 1949: ‘people’s currency’ introduced (yuan), taxes reformed
  • Government revenue went from 6.5 billion yuan in 1950 to 13.3 billion yuan by 1951
  • Inflation reduced from 85 000% in 1949 to 15% by 1951
• 25 June to 27 July 1950 - Korean War

  • between North Korea (China, USSR), South Korea (US, UN)
  • Kim Il-Sung attack (North), in 3 days Seoul fell
  • 15 Sep: US launched counter offensive (US miitary, Western allies)
  • Kim Il-Sung went to Mao for help
  • Chen Yun: against joining, CPR couldn't afford war
  • Mao, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De: thought necessary
• Fanshen - Land reforms

  • fanshen = turn over or free oneself
  • land reform major CCP focus (Jiangxi, Yenan, areas liberated in Civil war)
  • peasants believe land redistribution big part of revolution
  • Agrarian Reform Law: passed on June 28 1950
  • legalised & formalised this process
• Fanshen 1950 - Land Reform

  • party cadres sent to countryside, make peasant associations
  • teach them classify social classes, redistribute land
  • Landlords: large holdings, performed no manual labour
  • Rich peasants: owned land but worked it themselves, hired other workers / rent out land
  • Middle peasants: owned land, worked it themselves w/o exploiting others
  • Poor peasants: very little land/equipment, had to rent land from others
  • Labourers: occupied no land, lived on limited wages or loans
  • 1950 - 1952: 47 million hectares (40% of land) taken from landlords, distributed 300 million poor peasants
• Fanshen 1950 - Land Reforms

  • party cadres encourage peasant blame landlords, point ourt in 'speak bitterness' meetings
  • 'Speak bitterness': meetings peasants publicly air grievances w/ landlords, followed by punishment decided by People’s Tribunal
  • intially gov encourage 'non-violent' meetings, after Korean war/ fear reactionaries violence increased
  • Punishments included: Humiliation, lowly chores, property seized (shared among peasants), Paying higher taxes, Beating, Execution
  • caused surge in suicide: meetings mentally destroyed landlords
• Fanshen - Land Reforms

  • 'speak bitterness' began fair trial due to emotionally charged audience, became violent (execution common)
  • 1 million executions
  • Jasper Becker: 2-5 million executions
  • peasants lacked equipment, knowledge, resources to farm land
  • led less production, disruption food supply, shortages, increase in price of goods
  • many joined mutual aid teams: around 10 household join together on land, share equipment
• September 1951 - Thought Reform

  • 'movement for the study of Mao's thoughts'
  • teachers, professors, writers, educated individuals forced to change incorrect behaviours
  • forced attend small study groups, study Marxist texts/self criticise
  • Struggle sessions: had to report to cadres on progress
  • unsucessful reform, sent to re-education labor camps
• Thought Reform - people attacked

  • Hu Shi (New Culture Movement) –attacked
  • Liang Shuming (member of Democratic League) – attacked by Mao personally
  • “I suppose you think you are beautiful… but to me you stink.”
  • Hu Feng (CCP literary theorist) – arrested & imprisoned
  • Communists saw campaign as ‘educational’ measure to produce ‘correct thoughts’
  • bring about correct political and social behaviours
• 1951 - Sanfan Campaign

  • anti-corruption, anti-waste, anti-bureaucratism
  • aim: uncover politically unreliable public servants, gov officials, cadres
  • kept close eye on ex-GMD members
  • 4 million accused, 1.2 million guilty
• 1952 - Wufan campaign

  • anti-tax evasion, anti-fraud, anti-cheating, anti-bribery, anti-theft of government property
  • focused businessman, industrialists (remove capitalists)
  • 450,000 businesses were investigated: fined or imprisoned
  • 1952-1953: most business became private-state owned (mostly due to heavy fines)
  • 63% industry unger gov control
• Early social changes to control people

  • People suspected of breaching any of antis brought to mass meetings for trial/punishment
  • trial more of a ‘struggle’ forced to confess, express remorse for their ‘crimes’
  • Punishments included: removal from high positions, hard labour sentences, shamed through public denunciations, fined, executed
• Culture of Spying

  • citizens encouraged keep eye on bosses, friends, family
  • report anti-revoltionary
  • children even kept eye on parents
  • citizens required to register a household, workplace, attend compulsory meetings and campaigns
  • people categorised into a class, reflected occupation and family background
  • China did not need CHEKA, people monitored/exposed those around them instead
• 1 May 1950 - Marriage Law passed

  • Women could freely choose their partners
  • Polygamy and concubinage was banned
  • Equal rights and ownership
  • Child betrothal was banned – woman had to be 18 before she could marry
  • Payment for brides was prohibited
  • Women had free choice of employment
  • Widows were free to remarry
  • Divorce was easier to access
  • Prostitution was prohibited
  • Foot binding was banned
  • Infanticide was prohibited
  • Maternity benefits
  • Work-based childcare
• Women Reform

  • Article 48 of the Constitution: Women... enjoy equal rights with men in all spheres of life,
  • Women could join the workforce/positions in gov organisations
  • 1949: All-China Women’s Federation
  • 76 million members
  • President: Soong Qingling (Sun Yixian’s widow)
  • Advocated for policies to improve women’s lives, celebratedwomen’s contributions
  • society patriarchal in countryside
• Cleanliness Reform

  • Street committees: neighbourhood quarrels, fire prevention, rubbish collection, welfare distribution, organisation of recreation activities
  • campaign clean up country in the streets/home
  • Mass vaccinations reduction in diseases cholera, smallpox, typhus
  • Campaigns discouraged tradition of spitting, reduction spread of tuberculosis
  • Urinating in public frowned upon, improved sanitation
  • Life expectancy rose from 36 (1950) to 57 (1957)
  • Opium addicts rehabilitated, traffickers of Opium punished (prison OR execution)
• China & USSR relationship

  • Mao want significant changes, needed money/help
  • December 1949: Mao travelled Moscow, meet with Stalin liked Stalin’s 5 yr plan
  • Stalin not interested in Mao, Mao interested in Stalin
  • Mao saw Stalin/USSR ‘Big Brother’ of China
  • During Mao’s visit: Stalin cancelled meetings, refused to see/speak to Mao (show superiority)
  • 14 Feb 1950: came to an agreement for assistance, Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance signed
  • $300 million over 5 years
  • 10,000 engineers and planning experts
• Initial Success - First 5YP

  • first 2 years, PRC able control inflation caused GMD
  • inflation reduced 15% 1951
  • reduced public expenditure
  • raise taxes urban people
  • make new currency renminbi / yuan
• 1953 to 1957 - First 5 Year Plan

  • 89% budget toward heavy industry
  • 700 new production plants (steel, coal, metal)
  • people move cities for work
  • 57 million (1949) - 100 million (1957)
  • transport infrastructure focus
  • bridges, railways, roads
• Positive Production figures of 5YP

  • idustrial output doubled, annual growth 16%
  • Steel production: 1.3 million tonnes (1952) – 5.2 million tonnes (1957)
  • Coal production increased 98% between 1952 – 1957
  • Life expectancy rose from 36 to 57
  • Urban incomes increased 40%
  • Targets/quotas set on production easily hit/exceeded
  • officials sometimes lied about figures, afraid failing hit targets
• Problems with First 5 year plan

  • neglected agriculture, cause low grain output, famine
  • had to repay Russia (grain), more food shortage (pay back 5 yrs)
  • 1955: repaying more than receiving aid
  • 'the revolutionary faith in... the masses faded as industrialisation demanded authortarian discipline' Meisner
  • 'industrialisation... further increased the division between the town and countryside' Meisner
• Collectivisation of Agriculture - 1950 Agrarian Reform Law

  • Fanshen: turn over current order
  • 3-6 million landlords killed
  • 47 million hectares (40% of land) given 300 million peasants
  • Peasants given land titles
  • “moved from ragged edge of poverty into security” - Hinton
• Collectivisation of Agriculture - Communes (1955 to 1957)

  • 30-80 million people
  • No private property
  • Cadres told people what to do eg. ‘work teams’
  • Woks & kitchen utensils taken for melting
  • Food rations based on work “he who does not work, does not eat”
  • Backyard steel production
  • House of happiness & childcare
  • Family unit broken up – parents lived in dorms
  • Poor farming methods – led to excessive death
  • Propaganda to work
  • Grain tax
• Collectivisation of Agriculture

  • 1956: 97% peasants joined collectivisation
  • workers in cooperatives allowed small scale govs projects (assigned labour)
  • teams build dams, ditches, clear land (minimal equipment)
  • little resources/money agricultural sectors
  • grain output decreased 2-3% anually
  • most grain taken repay Russia
  • peasants left to starve
• Reason for 100 Flowers campaign

  • 1950s: Mao travelled around China meet people/cadres, see progress social reform/policies
  • recieved great welcome, thought was in touch with people, policies good for people
  • due to issues USSR/Hungary, thought now good time allow more freedoms of expression
  • everyone invited make criticisms/comments
  • hopes reducing public discontent, form protests/violence
• May 1956 - 100 Flowers Campaign

  • allowed people 'let off steam,' say anthing about leaders, policy, communist party
  • hoped public discontent 'vaccinate' masses against suppressed discontent
  • campaign focused toward intellectuals, Mao believed help make party more responsive to popular opinion
  • also grievances could be expressed safely (controlled)
• 100 Flowers Campaign

  • "Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend” – Mao
  • Mao believed that public needed to see that opinion and freedoms of speech were encouraged by Communists
  • originally opposition (Liu Shaoqui/ Deng Xiaoping): some suppressed reports in newspaper
  • introduced 1956: Lu Dingyi at meeting w/ scientists, writers, artists
  • end 1956: few criticisms, intellectuals suspiscious feared arrest
• 100 Flowers Campaign

  • Feb 1957: campaign pushed again, Mao made speech ‘On the Correct Handling of Contradictions among the People’
  • believed contradictions inevitable , harmful if ignored
  • April: party members began support campaign
  • 13 Apr 1957: People's daily published article promoting campaign
  • May 1957: criticisms flowed appeared meetings, publications, Uni posters
  • strongest criticisms from students/academics Beijing Uni
  • Riots, strikes, protests began popping up
• 100 Flowers campaign (May 1956) - what people criticising

  • dissatisfaction w/ CCp's monopoly on political power
  • Cadres interferance w/ intellectual matters
  • research time wasted, replaced w/ political meetings
  • corrupt work style of officials
  • betrayal of socialist ideas
  • attack Mao's leadership
• May 1956 - 100 Flowers campaign

  • Mao shocked at no. criticisms
  • 8 Jun 1957: People's Daily issued article criticisms gone too far, needed to end
  • •Original document was revised to include:
  • ‘Non-antagonistic’ contradictions – beneficial/easy to solve peacefully
  • ‘Antagonistic’ contradictions – bourgeoisie, anti-revolutionary, needed to be stopped
  • “Distinguishing between fragrant flowers and poisonous weeds” – Mao
  • “Any word or deed at variance with socialism... is completely wrong” – Mao
• Jun 1957 - Anti-Rightist campaign

  • Jun 1957: start campaign Anti-rightist, ideas removed from public
  • Arrested, sent 'thought reform' camps 10-20 years (300,000 – 400,000 people)
  • Sacked from jobs/demoted
  • Partners of Anti-Rightists urged divorce spouse
  • No free speech
  • Press censored
  • 40% of GMD Revolutionary Committee/Democratic League guilty
  • place intellectuals employed, required expose 5% of their staff as rightists – handed over innocent people to ‘hit targets’
  • Intellectuals put through denunciations, self-criticism sessions
  • intellectuals suicide to avoid humiliation, suffering from punishments
• New economic plan- Great Leap

  • results 5YP pleasing, push to continue
  • 1957: Russia beat US, sent 1st satellite to space
  • Khrushchev: 15yrs USSR will overtake US industrial production
  • Mao motivated, said Conference of World Communist Parties
  • China also overtake Britain in steel production (15 yrs)
• Planning New Policy- Great Leap

  • over 4 months Mao went rural China, met cadres, people see results of communes/gov projects
  • cadres staged visits to impress Mao, thought everything fantastic/ meeting people's needs
  • 1958: meetings help declare next 5yr plan
  • Mao believed peasants 'poor and blank', socialist revolution easy in countryside
• Great Leap Forward

  • introduced 8th Party Congress (5 to 23 May 1958)
  • 2 aims:
  • create industrialised economy to beat west
  • transform China collectivised society w/ strict socialism (communism)
  • production targets increased from 1st 5YP
  • Party used propaganda ‘whip the people into a frenzy of enthusiasm for their work’ – Brooman
  • encourage long hrs, despite conditions reach targets
  • speakers played jingles/speeches motivate workers
  • work became competition w/ other communes
  • 6hrs of sleep every 2 days (Philip Short)
• Collectivisation & Communes- Great Leap

  • collectivised farms better organise peasant labour, eliminate waste, inefficiency, increase production
  • Communes
  • peasants Henan Province joined together form commune, overcome labour shortages
  • Mao liked idea, put in place (1958)
  • land divided 26,000 communes (30-80 million people moved commune)
  • Average 5000 households
  • Approx. 100,000 people in each
  • 12 families made up work team, 12 work teams made brigade
  • Cadres run the communes
• Communes features - Great Leap

  • Private property abolished, state ownership of all land
  • Tools/machinery, livestock became state owned
  • No longer paid a wage, given work points traded for food/other items
  • Communes organised military fashion, marched in military formation to work to ‘battle nature’
  • Introduction of communal kitchen, saved time on cooking
  • Nurseries set up, saved time caring for children
  • Happiness homes set up for elderly, saved time caring for elderly
• Communes - Great Leap

  • Public welfare, schooling, local defence, farming, small industry complete responsibility of commune
  • initially Genuine enthusiasm, people believed were building future for themselves/China with own hands
  • “I felt the thrill of being one of the people who didn’t just talk about changing the world, but actually did something about it” – Rittenberg
• Backyard Steel Production - Great Leap

  • steel industry struggling meet targets (10.7 million tonnes 1958)
  • backyard steel furnaces used, all communes expected contribute targets
  • aim use population to catch up West, save money
  • furnaces cost less than factories, didn't make good steel
  • furnaces made mud bricks, washed away by rain, not hot enough make quality steel
  • Mao visited, saw furnaces but unknowledgable about steel production
• Backyard Steel Production - Great Leap

  • peasants required hand over metal things, melt down
  • woks, door handles, nails, bikes, wagon wheels, tools
  • 1 tonne of iron from backyard furnace cost 2x amount produced in modern furnace
  • most steel unusable, taken to large secret dumps.
  • cadres replaced unusable steel w/ commercial steel, impress officials
  • worked day/night
  • woodlands destroyed for fuel