3.4

• What was the only political party allowed in China?

  The CCP (Chinese Communist Party)
• Who controlled the Politburo in China?

  Mao controlled the Politburo
• Who were the members of the Politburo in 1949 besides Mao?

  • Liu Shaoqi
  • Zhou Enlai
  • Zhu De
  • Chen Yun
• What significant political change occurred in China in 1949?

  China became a one-party state
• What happened to other political parties in China from 1950 to 1952?


  They were suppressed in a series of purges
• What label was given to anyone who showed opposition to communism in China?

  They were labelled as a ‘counter-revolutionary’, 'rightist', or an ‘imperialist’
• How did people in China try to avoid accusations of disloyalty during Mao's regime?


  They increasingly tried to prove their loyalty by accusing others
• What methods did Mao use to maintain control over the population?

  • Censorship and Propaganda
  • Registration and permission for movement
  • Dangan (information files)
  • Re-education meetings or camps
  • Laogai (prison camps) for Reform through Labour
• What was the purpose of the ‘dangan’ in Mao's China?

  It was an information file that affected housing and job opportunities
• What was the estimated number of deaths in Laogai during Mao's reign?

  25 million people
• What was ‘Mao Zedong Thought’?

  It included the need to mobilise the masses, continuing revolution, and self-reliance
• What campaign did Mao introduce in September 1951 due to his paranoia about intellectuals?

  The Thought Reform Campaign
• What was the aim of the 3 Antis Campaign?

  To combat Corruption, Waste, and Inefficiency among Party members
• What was the focus of the 5 Antis Campaign?

  To combat Bribery, Tax dodging, Theft of state property, Fraud, and Industrial sabotage
• What was the consequence for those denounced during the campaigns?

  They were forced to make public confessions and punished by fines or sent to labour camps
• What was the estimated number of suicides due to humiliation during the campaigns?

  1. 3 million people
• What was the outcome of the campaigns for the CCP?

  There was a huge increase in support for the party
• What phrase did Mao use in early 1957 that suggested he was encouraging free speech?


  ‘Let a hundred flowers bloom’
• What was the initial response to Mao's call for criticism during the Hundred Flowers Campaign?

  Criticism was limited and trivial
• What was Mao's reaction to the growing volume of criticism during the Hundred Flowers Campaign?

  Mao was shocked that people even criticised him
• What are the two main interpretations of Mao's motives for the Hundred Flowers Campaign?

  1. He genuinely encouraged free speech but was shocked by the reaction.
  2. It was a deliberate plan to flush out critics of the government and CCP.
• What was the outcome of the Anti-Rightist Campaign?

  Critics were labelled as ‘rightists’ and faced severe consequences
• What happened to leading critics during the Anti-Rightist Campaign?

  They were forced to retract their statements and attend re-education
• What happened to the press during the Anti-Rightist Campaign?

  The press was censored
• Who was Peng Dehuai and what happened to him during the Anti-Rightist Campaign?

  He was a top CCP member who was denounced and replaced as Defence Minister
• What were the long-term effects of the Hundred Flowers Campaign and the Anti-Rightist Campaign?

  • Silenced criticism of the communist regime for a generation
  • Strengthened party unity
  • Made Mao's position unchallengeable
  • Intellectual life in China came to a virtual standstill