Founding the People's Republic of China


 * CCP builds up peasant army -> trained in Guerrila Tactics
 * Nationalist sentiment aided by Japanese atrocity
 * CCP also aided by treating peasants preferably to Chiang Kaishek's troops


 * CCP offered practical vision of what China might be like once Japanese were expelled
 * Army was very well trained, disciplined
 * Taught never to take from peasants, never to touch peasant women

Yan'an Way

 * Established two border region governments
 * These governments funneled peasants into resistance
 * Set up special university to train communist leaders
 * And peasants with demonstrated leadership
 * University also sent people to villages to educate the peasants

Land Reform

 * CCP also initiated a land re-distribution system
 * Criteria used to determine how power you were


 * Ding Ling -> CCP Feminist
 * Mutual surveillance units -> Baojia

Defeat of Japan

 * The Defeat of Japan in WWII causes their defeat in China
 * Nationalists insist that the Chinese surrender to them
 * Nationalists have army of about 3 Million
 * Communists have army of 1 million

Communist Popularity & Success

 * Communists were very attractive to the common people
 * Particularly those who had no land
 * Lin Biao & Other Communists general were very talented
 * After a crushing defeat -> Chiang Kaisheck retreat to Taiwan in 1949

Founding of People's Republic of China

 * October 1st
 * Flag -> Large star is the party
 * Small stars represent four social groups
 * Nationalist Bourgeoisie
 * Petty Bourgeoisie
 * Peasants
 * Workers

New Government

 * Standing Committee: 7 people at top
 * With Chairman (Mao)


 * Then there 19-20 member political committee


 * Central Committee of about 200 party members


 * Under Central Committee were eight regional committees


 * Congresses for participation in "democratic centralism"

Zhou Enlai

 * Premier of the CCP
 * Basically the executive branch of Government
 * Served until his death in 1976

People's Liberation Army

 * Third pillar of the government was the PLA
 * Supported/enforced the governmental decisions

Ideological Reform: Propaganda Campaigns

 * CCP had no ideological support from the common people
 * Mass campaign
 * CCP uses propaganda to gain popular support for its policies
 * First Major Campaing "Resist America, Help Korea"
 * Foreigners were expelled from China, assets of foreigners frozen
 * Suppression of the counter-revolutionaries -> Fights/Seeks out the nationalists in hiding