36. Communism in China • During WWII, Japan partially occupied China, thus temporarily quelling the battle between Chiang’s republican government & Mao’s communists • After the war, however, Mao’s army defeated Chiang’s troops • Chiang’s republic driven to the island of Taiwan • Mao established the People’s Republic of China

37. China Under Mao • Early on, Mao worked with & imitated many communist models of the Soviet Union • Mao’s focus on the peasants, however, caused him to eventually break away from Soviet-style communism

38. China Under Mao • Late 1950s, Mao instituted the Great Leap Forward • Emphasized agricultural & industrial development • Collectivized farms, make private farming illegal, set quotas on industrial production • Focused too strongly on industry, resulting in mass famine & failure of the program • Severely damaged Chinese economy

39. China Under Mao • 1966, Mao instituted the Cultural Revolution • Another program focused on economic development, but also strongly tied to social & political change • Called for a removal of all “old China” vestiges • Removal of hierarchal bureaucracies, Confucianism & Buddhist ideology, institutes of higher education, etc. • Focus was on strict equality & Mao’s personal ideologies • Ex. The Little Red Book • Like the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution severely damaged China