China in Revolution

AP World History

Post World War II China Nationalists under

Chiang Kai-shek fight a civil war with communists led by Mao Zedong

By 1949 Communists win & proclaim People’s Republic of China (Beijing as capital)

Nationalists retreat to Taiwan and proclaim Republic of China (Taipei as capital)

The Mao Era Had promised land

reform; won over peasants

Confiscated land & property; distributed to peasants

Wanted to improve living conditions & transform China into a modern industrial and agricultural nation

The Five Year Plan Launched in 1953 Private industries

brought under government control

Peasants merged individual landholdings into large cooperatives

With Soviet help built roads, factories, & canals

The Great Leap Forward Launched in 1958 Cooperatives merged

into larger government controlled units called communes

Stressed human labor over technology

Was a disaster – food shortages, mismanagement, & peasant resistance

Was halted – 20-40 million died of starvation

The Cultural Revolution Launched in 1966 Was supposed to end

the influence of pragmatists (who wanted practical reforms)

Time of great disorder and confusion; schools closed, factory production dropped, violence erupted, tens of thousands died

1968 – order restored by the army

Chinese Foreign Policy Opposed the United

States and other capitalist countries

U.S. recognized the Taiwanese government since 1949

Supported North Korea in Korean War

Late 1950s – Chinese-Soviet relations soured (ideological & border dispute)

Explode 1st atom bomb in 1964

1972 – U.S President Richard Nixon visits China

Mao Zedong dies in 1976

Four Modernizations Stressed

improvements in agriculture, industry, science, and defense

Government still controlled major industries – efficiency stressed

Welcomed foreign businesses and technology

Special Economic Zones created

Sparked economic growth and raised standards of living

Tiananmen Square Massacre 1989 – May-June 100,000 rallied for

democracy Government sent in

troops and tanks Thousands were killed

or wounded Supporters were shot,

imprisoned tortured or silenced

Damaged China’s prestige abroad

China After Deng 1997 - Deng Xiaping

dies 1997 – Hong Kong

acquired from the British

1999 – Macao reacquired from the Portuguese

Taiwan’s status is still up in the air

Post World War II South Asia

AP World History

Dividing the Subcontinent India granted

independence in 1947 West & East Pakistan

created from Muslim majority areas

Violence erupted from mass movements – millions killed

Gandhi assassinated in 1948

India 1st Prime Minister –

Jawaharlal Nehru 1964 – Nehru’s

daughter, Indira becomes Prime Minister

1984 – Indira Gandhi assassinated

India & Pakistan 1971 – Civil war

between East & West Pakistan

1971 – East Pakistan becomes Bangladesh

Since 1947 – India & Pakistan have fought over Kashmir

Both India & Pakistan now have nuclear weapons