Paper 1 - Five Year Plans

5.

(a) According to Source A the first Five Year Plan was a success. The first success was the change of the economic basis from private property to socialist property. Capitalist businesses were taken over to have the communist state get the final word. Heavy industry (steel, machines, etc) and Light Industry, as well as agriculture, were all increased. Annual targets were reached at "respectable rates of growth."

(b) In Stalin's pattern, Heavy Industry took a precedent over Light Industry and agriculture. His plan was to first increase the production of steel and machinery, then focus on on agricultural productions. Mao's five year plan did this as well, making heavy industry the first priority. Howver, unlike Stalin's result, Mao's five year plan did not end up neglecting the production of light industry nor agriculture.

6.

Sources B and C express very contrasting views towards people's communes. The Chinese Newspaper (Source B) expresses a view that supports them. The article suggests that the people's communes are making "bigger strides forward" to meet and do what they're meant to be doing. They have the support of the CCCP and of Mao. The article brings up the positive effects the communes are having in the country, with it's primary one being that "the last remains of individual ownership are being eliminated." This was a major ideological aim of the communist party and the article expresses it. However, Source C does not express the same views, nor does the author support the effects the communes are having. As opposed to the newspaper which had reported good things resulting from the communes, the survivor's account reports on the famine and deaths that occured because of them. She does however agree with the Newspaper's view, but only in the beginning year of the communes. More grain was produced in the first year, but by the second year there was nothing left. The author of Source C describes how village cadres took all the food the communes had, leaving them to starve and eventually die of hunger. Communal Canteens, according to source C, were not serving proper or enough food. Source B expresses that many were set up, but provides no indication of how effectively they were. Source B provides no indication or reports on deaths in the communes, where as source C states that more than half of the villagers died in 1960.

7.

Source D in an extract from a book titled "Mao: the Unknown Story," written by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday. It was published in London in the year 2005. This secondary source in a historical book reporting on the rise and rule of Mao; this excerpt specifically is describing Mao's first Five Year Plan. The purpose of this source appears to be to report on the negative effects of the first five year plans, such as the death count and the bad leadership Mao provided for his people. The value for studying this source is that it provides contrasting views towards Mao and the five year plans that are not often seen. The Unknown Story of Mao provides a unique look into Mao's leadership. It is clear that this source sheds light on to how Mao cared not for his people as he said he did. The source also is valuable because there are significant facts that show the effects of the first five year plan; these facts include the death count of 38,000,000 people dying between the years 1958 and 1961. A limitation of this source is that it provides no personal recollection or knowledge of the events taht took place during the first five year plans. Mao: the Unknown Story is a historical book that chronilogically describes Mao rise and rule. It was written after Mao's rule ended, and while this means that the author's had more time to gather facts and resources, they still lacked the personal primary source knowledge and benefits. There is also a bias against Mao in this source. It is a book published in the Western World (London) which had publicly known negative feelings about Communism.

Source E is a table that has the figures of China's Agricultural record between the years 1954  to 1962. The table was published in a source by Michael Lynch called "The People's Republic of China Since 1949" in 1998. It was published in London by Hodder Murray. This source was produced to provide a table that contains the specific figures for the Grain Production, Meat Production, and the Gross Agricultural Output Value in the years 1954-1962. This source is valuable for studying the first five year plans because it shows the increase of production prior to the plans, and then the decrease when the plans were introduced and set forth. There is no indication in this table of where the figues came from. The table does, however, provide numerical evidence supporting the fact that five year plans were unsuccessful.

8.

TBC.

Great Leap Forward Paper 1

5.
Source A details the amount of grain being grown and produced in 1962. The author, Deng Xioping, talks about the numbers from 1957 and the numbers for the year prior. He predicts that at least 145 tons of grain will be produced (like the prior year's) but does not expect to reach the highest in 1957 of 195 tons. He believes this because of the weather problems that have interfered with the growing of grain. Some places in China were suffering from droughts and others were suffering from severe flooding.

6.
Sources D and E express similiar views towards the great leap forward.








7.
Source A is an excerpt from a speech made by Deng Xiaoping in July of the year 1962. Xiaoping was the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist party at the time. His intended audience was to be those who attended the Seventh Plenary Session of the Third Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League. The source is a primary source and it's purpose was to detail Xiaoping's predictions on the total amount of the grain to be expected that year. He wished to seek a way to "restore grain production" to go back to the high point reached in 1957. This source is valuable for studying the great leap forward for two reasons. Xiaoping in his speech details the amount of grain grown prior to 1962 and predicts based on what he has seen that year the amount to be collected. Xiaoping's speech is also valuable because it specifically contrasts the grain collection before the Great Leap forward to what it was like during. It is limited because it doesn't list any good things that resulted from the Great Leap Forward, for instance the steel and iron production.

Source B is an extract from a scholarly work from JAG Roberts' book The Complete History of China. It was published in 2003 in the United Kingdom. The purpose of this secondary source, specifically this excerpt, was to provide an alternate view to the great leap forward and why it failed. The intended audience was most likely historians or students studying China and its history. This is a valuable source because it does provide a different view on the failures of the GLF. Rather than blaming the failure on faulty strategy, this author says that it was because of failures with its implementation. This source was also written years after the events took place, giving the author more access to sources to compile a 'great history'.

8.

Mao Movie Notes

• People thought they had a democracy during the 100 flowers campaign.
• Committee members were being criticized by the people.
• In June 1957 an article was posted calling those who spoke out criminals, taking away the people's freedom of speech. 
• Crimes included supporting Mao's own policy of 100 flowers. 
• People believed that the relationship between the party and the masses was worse ever since they were liberated.
• Families punished because of other member's crimes.
• 10% of the people were rightists. 10 per 100.
• "People's Communes are Good."
• People's communes sprang up almost over night. Each day on a commune was strictly regimented. Men and Women worked around the clock in fields and dining halls.
• Communes made steel to produce a better economy.
• 
  
• China was starting to become a rich and strong country because of the communes.
• People were unhappy, but no one could speak up about it.
• No one had the courage to oppose Mao due to the treatment of those who did.
• Three major party officials opposed him, but said nothing.
• Mao never made comments or gave his own feelings.

Cultural Revolution

• Practices included still killing landlords, and old practice that remained.
• People didn't like the cult of mao.
• Lin Bao head of Red Army - Trotsky.
• 
  

Chapter 6 "Long March" A+B

A.
1) the first army moved from their starting place to Xiang. Then they moved into Zunyi by splitting the army in half.
2)Instead of taking a straight route, the red army began to make their own path and did not begin taking a straight route.
3) the army was trying to go around blockades. a straight path would not have gotten around, therefore they were forced to make their own to secure a possible route of travel.
4) If they had not changed direction they would have been stopped and defeated before reaching their destination.

B.

1)
A. The statement in A I do not believe when it says they were  not defeated. The communists were left with next to nothing when the Long March started. Quote B I do agree with. The Red Army was not defeated by Chiang Kaishek though he tried hard to do so.
2)
I think that the first source is more accurate. The Red Army marched a long way and though suffered many losses, they deafeated the other army. This quote is accurate becaues it provides more of an evidenciary base.

Homework 1 - Causes of the Chinese Civil War

Long Term

1. One long term cause of the Chinese Civil war was the wars that broke out in Chine due to European and Japanese forces. Many Chinese people blamed the Manchus for allowing China to be overrun and controlled by Europeans. The Europeans had started wars in China over opium, a drug, and took ports and parts of China to control. A rebellion broke out in 1850 that the Manchus broke apart with the help of the Europeans. This made the Manchus more unpopular. This is a political and social cause.
   
   
2. Another Long Term cause was take over by Cixi, the Emperor Guangxu's aunt. At this time the Emperor was introducing new reforms to China, such as better schools and a higher government budget, but Cixi had the Emperor imprisoned and forced him to give her rule so she could put a stop to these reforms. The Empress also encouraged a group of people known as the boxers to fight against the Christians, whom the boxers believed were the reason for China's problems. This is a social cause.
   
   
3. A third long term cause of the civil war was the boxer rebellion. When the boxers began their rebellion, Eurpoean forces intervened out of anger. They forced the Manchus to pay a high amount of money and executed boxers on the streets of China. This showed another weakness in the Manchu dynasty. This is a social and economic cause.

Short Term Causes

1. 
   

Homework 2

One of the biggest practices seen in the Chinese Civil war is Guerilla Warfare. Mao had "Four Slogans" in regards to this practice. They were basially, retreat when the Nationalists attack, trouble the nationalists when they would halt or make camp, attack the Nationalists when they tried to avoid battle, and when the Nationalists retreated, attack.

In response to the Communist use of Guerilla Warfare, Chiang Kai-Shek set up his own practice. His was the Blockhouse Strategy. The response to the communist practice was to surround the Jiangxi Soviet with about 500,000 troups, slowly advance and set up concrete shelters, trenhes, and barbed fences. They starved the communists slowly, depleted them of food, fuel, and weapons. The communists lost 60,000 troops and over half their territory because of this practice.

In the Air, the nationalist had support from the US. The US provided the Chinese with air lifts, C-54 planes to fly their troops to Nanjing, Shanghai and Beijing.

The Communists also attacked major railways and destroyed communications throughout Northern China. This guerilla practice was seen in the Hundred Regiments battle and also in others throughout the war.

Homework 3

The communists had a huge support from the peasants. This is a major reason why the Communists defeated the Nationalists in the Civil War. There were rules of conduct set up that ensured that the peasants were treated fairly. Land was redistributed from the rich to the poor, further increasing the support given to the communists. Nationalists had many problems feeding their civilians, and made more efforts to helping the army then they did the peasants, thus many began to support the communists. The peasants were convined that communism would be beneficial for them, and this allowed Mao to secure his power and establish a strong government.

Though the Communists had weaknesses in it's army (they weren't able to defeat the Nationalists when fighting head on until the end of the war), they employed the use of Guerilla Warfare.

In Manchuria the Communists had secured a large amount of land. More land led to more power, and the more people to infet with their messages, thus more supporters. The extra land also allowed them to increase their army (so did the extra peasants) and build it up to make it strong.

Homework 5

Political Effect

Two new governments were set up as a result of the Chinese Civil war. Mao established the People's Republic of China which was communist. There was also the Republic of China, better known as Nationalist China, set up in Taiwan under the rule of Chaing Kai-Shek. The set up of the People's Republic of China did many things. First, it made China offiicially a single party state. Mao became China's ruler. And China became politically isolated in the west. However, an alliance was made with the USSR because both countries were communist.

Social Effects

A major effect of the CCW was the Land Reform and the Marriage Reform laws that followed the war. The Land Reform law set up a class system; social status was determined by Party Officials. This in turn led to class warfare because of the speak bittnerness campaign. Land was also redistibuted from rich to the poor, which in theory was a good idea, but ended poorly. Many families couldnt afford to tend to their own farms so they had to work together. The marriage law of 1950 made life better for women. It ended arranged marriages, created a minimum marriage age (20boys, 18girls), and made property a joint thing between couples.

Economic Effect

After the Chinese Civil war inflation became seriously out of control. Those who were previously employed by the communists to fight and work for the war lost their jobs and had none to go back to. The Land Reform Law in theory was supposed to help the economy, but didn't help it enough. Beause there were so little supplies after the war, families were not able to farm their land. Mutual Aid Teams were set up and houses worked together, sharing their equipment and their animals. This didn't allow families to make enough money to live.

Foreign Policy

When China became communist it lost it's standing in the west, except with the USSR, with whom they set up the Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistence.
The US, during the war, stopped support the Nationalists, but after the war an alliance was made between Taiwan and the US. It was a long-term alliance that was never officially signed. It was set up because of the threat of the communists invading Taiwan. The US also set up an economic relationship with the PRC.

Homework 6

Three Tactics/Methods used by Mao to conquer China and secure power.

1. The Chang Chung model
   One of Mao's methods was to starve cities. This method was used in the city of Changchung, Manchuria in May 1948. It was a result of a failed direct assault led by Mao's communist armies. The idea was to starve the city into surrender and to "strictly ban civilians from leaving the city," said Lin Bao. Civilians were not allowed out of the city; those who had managed to leave were "persuaded" by Communists to return, and those who evaded the communist entered No Man's land where they died of the starvation they would have died from anyway in their homes. The city of Changchung was starving. The civilians were living off of tree leaves and grass. Aside from starving in their homes and on the streets, civilians were abused physically by soldiers. The civilian population had dropped from 500,000 people to 170,000 by the end of the five month starvation period. This model and method was used in other cities, says this source, but the other cities are not listed.
2. Communists exploited the citizens that lived in their own territories. Men of working age were drafted into the Red Army or were forced to work at the front, performing various bits of dangerous labor. The communists had conscripted over 1.5 milion laborers in Manchuria alone. Another 1.5 million were conscripted in the Peking-Tianjin campaign and 5.43 million in teh Huai-Hai campaign. 
3. The method of psychological warfare was another method used by the communists to conquer china. A main factor used in this method was the lack of food the Nationalists faced. Soldiers in the nationalist army would kill each other to acquire food and relied heavily on supplies that were never enough. The communists employed the use of loudspeakers to convey a bribe message to the nationalists. "Hey, Chiang Kaishek, we've got pancakes here, come on over and eat." This method caused many nationalist soldiers to convert to communism, thus further weakening the Nationalist army and furthering the Communists along to victory over China.

Differences in the Portrayal of Communists and their treatment to common People.

1. A major difference in this source from other sources, primarily the China Since 1900 source, is how the communists were badly treating peasants. The Brooman book clearly puts the communists in a better light, for it focuses primarily on the poor treatment the Nationalists gave to civilians. Brooman focuses on thing the Communists did for the peasants, whereas this source cites specific poor treatment towards peasants as a result of communist actions. 
2. The land reform was not previously seen as bad treatment. Brooman describes the land reform the communist started as taking away land from the rich and giving it to the poor. This land reform had negative effects, but Brooman makes the idea seem beneficial for the people. Chapter 30 of Mao the Untold Story describes how land reform was not primarily to give land to the people, but to "struggle against landlord" and promote violence. 
3. ?

Practices of the Chinese Civil War

1. A major and effective practice of the Chinese Civil war was starving cities and civilians to force surrender. This practice was used in Chanchung and other Nationalist controlled territories with beneficial effects for the Communist army. The idea was to blockade cities to force people to stay inside. Those who left were killed or forced back into the city where they would eventually die from hunger anyway. The Communists allowed people to leave who were beneficial to their cause, such as doctors. Those who were not useful were forced to die of hunger unless the Nationalists surrendered. 
2. Another practice of the civil war explained in this source was the use of mass campaigns. These mass campaigns were rallies that promoted class warfare. This practice called upon civilians to speak out against those who oppressed them, mainly landlord. It was a practice that employed the use of scapegoats. It was effective to an extent. It promoted communist ideologies and turned peasants more against the rich.

Examples of Total War

1. A total war is when every available resource is used to fight in battle. The communist went beyond direct assaults and used food as a weapon, for example starving cities and bribing Nationalists with food to surrender or convert to communism. Civilians were used as weapons as well. The civilians were used to speak out against rich and kill them. 
2. Another example of total war is targeting civilians and attacking them. Many peasants lost their houses; they were destroyed to prove fuel for cooking and materials to build bridges. This chapter specifically states that "the whole of Communist-held territory was turned into a giant war machine encompassing every aspect of a person's life." People were forced to work day and night for the war.

Land Reform

1. Land reform was supposed to be, and appeared to be, the Communist policy of redistributing land from the rich to the poor. This was employed in the fight against the Nationalists. This reform was not as it was said to be. Mao's main policy was not in fact to provide more land for the poor and less for the rich. Instead Mao only cared about a policy called dou-di-zhu, or "Struggle against the landlords." This meant that violence against the relatively better off was to be used and followed through. This caused class warfare through the "speak bitterness campaigns. Landlords and other oppressors were abused, stoned to death, hung from legs and wrists, and beat to death with farming tools by peasants. Land reform was not about giving land to the poor. It was about using the rich as scapegoats.

Mao's Main Aim

1. "Mao's main aim was to secure power, not to improve the lives of the peasants. To what extent to you agree with this statement?"
   Based on this source alone, I do agree with this statement. Mao claims that he was for the people, and wanted to make their lives better, but his actions say something different. Mao starved cities to hurt the army of the nationalist soldiers. But he did more than hurt the army. His war practice killed over 300,000 people in one city alone. And not only was Mao killing civilians that supported the nationalists, but he was exploiting his own supporters. He set up a draft that forced them to fight or work day and night. Over 7million people were forced to work and fight, many against their will. Mao's armies, upon his orders, attacked citizens who spoke against them. And even when Mao's power was almost completely secure, he started class warfare. Civilians were allowed to speak out against other civilians. Doing so caused grave consequences for those spoken against, and not doing so had just as a bad a consequence.