IGCSE HISTORY: CHINA DEPTH STUDY
Background: China before WW1
● Last Emperor, Puyi (age 6) Qing Dynasty overthrown in Chinese Revolution 1911
● China was broken into mini states ruled by warlords
○ Corrupt, fought with each other for extra land, raised taxes to fund their lavish lifestyles
● 95% of China’s population comprised of peasant farmers
Kuomintang (KMT) Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
Guomindang (GMD), Nationalists Communists Party, Red Army, People’s
Liberation Army (PLA), Communist Party of
es
China (CPC)
Set up by Sun Yat-Sen in 1912 (died in 1925 & replaced by Chiang Set up by Mao Zedong in 1921
ot
Kai-Shek)
Principles: Aims:
N
1) Nationalism: Remove foreign influence/exploitation from China 1) Spread Communist ideas
2) Democracy: Create a more modern system of govt acceptable to 2) Society driven by Chinese peasants rather
the Chinese people than bureaucrats
SE
3) Socialism: Bring about reforms in industry & everyday life; 3) Anti-imperialist
improve lives of Chinese peasants
First United Front (1922-27)
C
● KMT & CCP wanted revolution (worked together to reach a short term goal)
● 1923: Joint statement by Sun Yat-Sen & Soviet representative pledging Soviet assistance for
IG
China’s national unification
● CCP under Comintern instructions to cooperate with KMT whilst maintaining their party identities
● Northern Expedition (1926-28)
ay
○ Military campaign led by Chiang to eliminate warlords & unify China
○ Aided by Soviet arms & advisers
○ KMT focused on industrialists & city dwellers
nj
■ Party of bankers, businessmen & landowners
○ CCP focused on peasants
Sa
■ Organised trade unions; helped dethrone landlords
○ Chiang declared KMT legitimate government of China
■ Nanjing: New capital
● Shanghai Massacre (April 1927)
a
○ Violent suppression of CCP by KMT
ni
○ Chiang ordered arrest of leading CCP members
○ Shanghai workers rebelled against warlords in the area
So
○ ‘White terror’:1,000 arrested, 300 publicly executed, 5,000 ‘disappeared’
○ Expelled communist members of government
○ 1928: 300,000 people killed in anti-communist action
○ Comintern broke ties with KMT
○ KMT secured control of Beijing & established control
■ Chiang was the sole legal governor of China
○ Causes
■ CCP were popular with Chinese public
■ Worker’s Army (Zhou EnLai) was too strong; threat
■ Common enemy was removed
● Five Encirclement Campaigns (1929-34)
, ○ Full scale military (war) campaign launched by KMT against CCP to take over CCP
controlled areas through battle
■ Felt threatened by Soviet republic (occupied 30,000 square km & controlled 3
mil)
■ Had time to tackle CCP after defeating warlords
■ Didn’t like that CCP was more popular (growing threat)
■ CCP used guerrilla tactics for defence & were gradually worn down
○ KMT made no progress; were continuously ambushed
○ CCP resisted first four campaigns with guerrilla warfare
○ Millions of civilians killed
es
○ Start of first half of Chinese Civil War
○ 1931: JiangXi Soviet emerged
■ State established by Mao (head of state)
ot
■ Base of Chinese Soviet Republic
■ Had its own bank, money & collected taxes through its own tax bureau
N
■ Established schools
■ Had its own postal services
SE
■ Population: 3 million
■ Defended by Red Army (140,000 people)
■ Started abolishing arranged marriages, redistributing land etc.
■ Created peasant councils to help run local areas
C
■ 1934: Overrun by KMT during fifth encirclement campaign
○ Fifth Extermination Campaign (1933-34)
IG
■ KMT used ‘blockhouse tactics’ suggested by General Hans Von Seeckt, German
military adviser
● KMT surrounded CCP with 500,000 troops
ay
● Built blockhouses, digging trenches & putting up barbed wire fences as
they advanced
● Prevented food from getting in/out to CCP
nj
● Reduced communist territory
■ Major defeat for Mao (CCP were worn down)
Sa
● Showed CCP that they needed reinforcements & supplies
● Abandoned guerrilla warfare & launched series of pitched battles (under
influence of Otto Braun)
■ October 1934: 60,000 Red Army soldiers killed, lost half of their territory
a
■ CCP was cornered in JiangXi (prompted Long March)
ni
Long March (16th Oct 1934-Oct 1935)
● Strategic retreat to escape KMT’s oppression
So
● Over 100,000 soldiers fled JiangXi & marched over 8,000 miles in 370 days fighting a guerrilla
warfare campaign against KMT
○ Marched across 24 rivers, 18 mountain ranges & 11 provinces before ending in Yenan
● 10% of the troops that left JiangXi arrived in Yenan
● Events
○ Began retreat led by Otto Braun (1 of 28 Bolsheviks & Comintern agent)
■ Lost 45,000 men
■ Liked to fight ‘pitched battles’ & KMT was better at this kind of warfare
■ Saw Mao’s tactics as cowardly
○ Xiang River (Nov 1934)
■ Strongly defended by KMT
Background: China before WW1
● Last Emperor, Puyi (age 6) Qing Dynasty overthrown in Chinese Revolution 1911
● China was broken into mini states ruled by warlords
○ Corrupt, fought with each other for extra land, raised taxes to fund their lavish lifestyles
● 95% of China’s population comprised of peasant farmers
Kuomintang (KMT) Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
Guomindang (GMD), Nationalists Communists Party, Red Army, People’s
Liberation Army (PLA), Communist Party of
es
China (CPC)
Set up by Sun Yat-Sen in 1912 (died in 1925 & replaced by Chiang Set up by Mao Zedong in 1921
ot
Kai-Shek)
Principles: Aims:
N
1) Nationalism: Remove foreign influence/exploitation from China 1) Spread Communist ideas
2) Democracy: Create a more modern system of govt acceptable to 2) Society driven by Chinese peasants rather
the Chinese people than bureaucrats
SE
3) Socialism: Bring about reforms in industry & everyday life; 3) Anti-imperialist
improve lives of Chinese peasants
First United Front (1922-27)
C
● KMT & CCP wanted revolution (worked together to reach a short term goal)
● 1923: Joint statement by Sun Yat-Sen & Soviet representative pledging Soviet assistance for
IG
China’s national unification
● CCP under Comintern instructions to cooperate with KMT whilst maintaining their party identities
● Northern Expedition (1926-28)
ay
○ Military campaign led by Chiang to eliminate warlords & unify China
○ Aided by Soviet arms & advisers
○ KMT focused on industrialists & city dwellers
nj
■ Party of bankers, businessmen & landowners
○ CCP focused on peasants
Sa
■ Organised trade unions; helped dethrone landlords
○ Chiang declared KMT legitimate government of China
■ Nanjing: New capital
● Shanghai Massacre (April 1927)
a
○ Violent suppression of CCP by KMT
ni
○ Chiang ordered arrest of leading CCP members
○ Shanghai workers rebelled against warlords in the area
So
○ ‘White terror’:1,000 arrested, 300 publicly executed, 5,000 ‘disappeared’
○ Expelled communist members of government
○ 1928: 300,000 people killed in anti-communist action
○ Comintern broke ties with KMT
○ KMT secured control of Beijing & established control
■ Chiang was the sole legal governor of China
○ Causes
■ CCP were popular with Chinese public
■ Worker’s Army (Zhou EnLai) was too strong; threat
■ Common enemy was removed
● Five Encirclement Campaigns (1929-34)
, ○ Full scale military (war) campaign launched by KMT against CCP to take over CCP
controlled areas through battle
■ Felt threatened by Soviet republic (occupied 30,000 square km & controlled 3
mil)
■ Had time to tackle CCP after defeating warlords
■ Didn’t like that CCP was more popular (growing threat)
■ CCP used guerrilla tactics for defence & were gradually worn down
○ KMT made no progress; were continuously ambushed
○ CCP resisted first four campaigns with guerrilla warfare
○ Millions of civilians killed
es
○ Start of first half of Chinese Civil War
○ 1931: JiangXi Soviet emerged
■ State established by Mao (head of state)
ot
■ Base of Chinese Soviet Republic
■ Had its own bank, money & collected taxes through its own tax bureau
N
■ Established schools
■ Had its own postal services
SE
■ Population: 3 million
■ Defended by Red Army (140,000 people)
■ Started abolishing arranged marriages, redistributing land etc.
■ Created peasant councils to help run local areas
C
■ 1934: Overrun by KMT during fifth encirclement campaign
○ Fifth Extermination Campaign (1933-34)
IG
■ KMT used ‘blockhouse tactics’ suggested by General Hans Von Seeckt, German
military adviser
● KMT surrounded CCP with 500,000 troops
ay
● Built blockhouses, digging trenches & putting up barbed wire fences as
they advanced
● Prevented food from getting in/out to CCP
nj
● Reduced communist territory
■ Major defeat for Mao (CCP were worn down)
Sa
● Showed CCP that they needed reinforcements & supplies
● Abandoned guerrilla warfare & launched series of pitched battles (under
influence of Otto Braun)
■ October 1934: 60,000 Red Army soldiers killed, lost half of their territory
a
■ CCP was cornered in JiangXi (prompted Long March)
ni
Long March (16th Oct 1934-Oct 1935)
● Strategic retreat to escape KMT’s oppression
So
● Over 100,000 soldiers fled JiangXi & marched over 8,000 miles in 370 days fighting a guerrilla
warfare campaign against KMT
○ Marched across 24 rivers, 18 mountain ranges & 11 provinces before ending in Yenan
● 10% of the troops that left JiangXi arrived in Yenan
● Events
○ Began retreat led by Otto Braun (1 of 28 Bolsheviks & Comintern agent)
■ Lost 45,000 men
■ Liked to fight ‘pitched battles’ & KMT was better at this kind of warfare
■ Saw Mao’s tactics as cowardly
○ Xiang River (Nov 1934)
■ Strongly defended by KMT
