Activity 1 - How was control established?

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Activity Tasks

1. Examine - How was the CPC able to consolidate power across China in the first few years after the Civil War? In groups, complete this worksheet by researching the policies the CPC used between 1949-1953. 
2. Research - Research information about the problems & issues the PRC needed to solve, details of the policies themselves, and their impact on China. Groups should choose and use the following resources:
   1. Social - How was society reorganised in the first years?
      1. Fenby, pp. 353-354, 356-358, 360-363
      2. Spence, pp. 514-519
         
   2. Political - How was political control established?
      1. Fenby, pp. 353-354, 370-372
      2. Spence, pp. 533-540
         
   3. Economic - How did the CPC restore and control the economy?
      1. Fenby, pp. 359-360, 372-374, 374-375
      2. Spence, pp. 514-519, 
         
   4. Foreign Relations - How did foreign policy help to consolidate power?
      1. Fenby, pp. 355-356, 363-365
      2. Spence, pp. 551-557
         
   5. Military - How was the military used to consolidate control?
      1. Fenby, pp. 354-356, 365-370
         
      2. Spence, pp. 524-533, 557-563
3. Present - Once you have finished your research, take turns to present your findings to the class. Which policies were more successful? Which were less successful?

Activity 2 - What was the impact of policies?

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Activity Tasks

1. Rank - Examine your completed worksheet exploring the policies used to establish control. Rank the policies in a list, from most significant impact to the least significant impact. Share and discuss your ranking order with the class.
2. Evaluate - To help you evaluate the consequences and impact of each of the policies, consider these questions:
   1. Depth of impact - How deeply felt or profound was the consequence? 
   2. Breadth of impact - How widespread were its impacts? 
   3. Duration of impact - How long-lasting was the consequence?
      
3. ​​Discuss - Which policies had the biggest impact on China? Examine again your ranking order and readjust using the criteria above to evaluate each of your policies. Does your ranking still stay the same? Has it changed?

Activity 3 - How was policy communicated?

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Activity Tasks

1. Watch - Examine this video about how the CPC established power in the immediate years after the Civil War.
2. Write - Using the video, now answer these questions as fully as you can:
   1. How were communist ideas initially spread?
   2. Why did peasants support the revolution?
   3. Why was this revolution 'from below'?
   4. What was the attitude of the business people in the cities?
   5. How were women treated?
   6. What can you learn from this video about how the CCP tried to make the people conform to their ideas?
3. Read - Examine pages 25-30 of Weatherly, R. (2006). Politics in China since 1949: Legitimising Authoritarian Rule. Make notes on all the ways the CPC used propaganda and other forms of control to communicate their policies.
4. Discuss - To what extent did the CPC have to rely on propaganda, rather than policies, to get their message across? 

Further Reading

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OBLIGATORY READING

1. Lynch, M. (2016). Access to History: China 1839-1997, pp. 154-157
2. Roberts, J.A.G. (1999). A History of China, pp. 256-261  ​

RECOMMENDED READING

1. Fenby, J. (2008). Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power, 1850 to the Present, pp. 353-375

SUPPLEMENTARY READING

1. Weatherly, R. (2006). Politics in China since 1949: Legitimising Authoritarian Rule, pp. 25-30
2. Dikotter, F. (2013). The Tragedy of Liberation: A History of the Chinese Revolution, 1945-1957, Chapters 3-7

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