Unit Outline
In the chaos that was China in the early 1920s, communism began to emerge as a political force amongst students, intellectuals and revolutionaries across China. Yet with the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1921, the Party only totalled about 50 members. By 1927, this number had skyrocketed to 58,000. Clearly, the Party had done something to appeal to the masses in those years. Yet what it did, and the extent to which it can claim credit, is something that is hotly debated to this day.
Without a doubt, revolutionary ideas like communism were hugely appealing to a population suffering from warlord oppression, foreign imperialism, and grinding poverty. Social, economic and political inequality all conspired to inflict endless suffering on China's peasants and working classes. It was thus in these conditions that the CPC gained popularity. Firstly helped by the USSR whilst in alliance with the Guomindang, then on its own and led by Mao Zedong after the infamous Long March, the CPC slowly grew to become a legitimate and genuine rival for national government. But was this growth inevitable?
Without a doubt, revolutionary ideas like communism were hugely appealing to a population suffering from warlord oppression, foreign imperialism, and grinding poverty. Social, economic and political inequality all conspired to inflict endless suffering on China's peasants and working classes. It was thus in these conditions that the CPC gained popularity. Firstly helped by the USSR whilst in alliance with the Guomindang, then on its own and led by Mao Zedong after the infamous Long March, the CPC slowly grew to become a legitimate and genuine rival for national government. But was this growth inevitable?
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statement of inquiry
Revolutionary ideas thrive in crisis conditions as excluded sections of society are attracted to new ideologies that promise fairer development
global context
Fairness and Development (Inequality, difference and inclusion) - Students will explore rights and responsibilities; the relationship between communities; sharing finite resources with other people and with other living things; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
key history concept
Causation - Effective historical thinkers recognize that many claims made about the past seek to more thoroughly explain and understand how a certain set of circumstances originated. Deep historical understanding is demonstrated where students recognize that most historical events are caused by an interplay of diverse and multiple causes that require students to make evidence-based judgments about which causes were more important or significant, or which causes were within the scope of individuals to direct and which were not.
related history concept(s)
Ideology - An ideology is a system of ideas and ideals, which can form the basis of political or economic theories, policies and actions. Ideologies usually encompass systematic arrangements of premises and assertions that are used to interpret the world and make normative assertions about how it should be organized. Ideologies can evolve and change over time in order to meet the needs of a group of people or a society. Ideologies can be derived from the place and space in which a group of people or a society is located. Ideologies can evolve into political, economic or social systems and these systems can impact humans in a variety of ways. For example, through the definition of certain rights and responsibilities.
Innovation and Revolution - Innovation incorporates the understanding of processes that drive change and invention. In history, this concept looks at the process of generating new ideas, events, movements, products or solutions through the alteration, transformation, reorganization, restructuring, rearrangement, or renovation of existing ideas, events, movements, products or solutions. Innovation involves individuals and societies because they use their capacity to create, contrive and initiate a capacity that can lead to both positive and negative consequences in the short term and the long term. |
1. What were conditions like for peasants in China?
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In the 1920s and 1930s, it is estimated that peasants formed over 90% of the population of China. To explain the rise of communism, it is therefore essential that we understand peasant life, their sufferings, and what motivated them to greater participation in the revolution.
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2. How did the CPC benefit from the First United Front?
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The CPC grew from a small party of around 1,000 intellectuals and revolutionaries in 1925 to a mass party with over 58,000 members by 1927. How it managed to do this is disputed, but what is clear is that the United Front alliance with the GMD played a key role.
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3. Why did the First United Front fail?
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The First United Front was a highly successful alliance which enabled both the GMD and CPC to gain support and unite China. Yet within four years the alliance ended in bloodshed. Was this the fault of the CPC themselves? Was Chiang Kai-shek too cunning? Or was Stalin naive?
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4. How did Mao become leader of the Jiangxi Soviet?
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The White Terror of 1927 almost led to the complete destruction of the CPC. Yet the disaster forced the party to reflect on its ideology and direction, enabling new leaders like Mao Zedong to rise to power. The events of 1927-34 therefore require further investigation.
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5. Was the Long March a turning point?
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The brave actions of the Long Marchers has been eulogised for years by the CPC as a founding event. As such, it is considered a key turning point in both the rise of Mao and the CPC. But to what extent can and should we distinguish between the myth and reality of the event?
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6. How did Mao consolidate his position at Yan'an?
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It could be argued that the ten years of the Yan'an Soviet between 1935-1945 were perhaps the most significant in the CPC's history. Mao finally consolidated his power over the party, and the CPC was able to perfect its land reform policies in the face of Japanese invasion and GMD blockade.
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7. Assessment: Was Communism inevitable?
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This final lesson of the unit reflects back on the statement of inquiry by examining how and why the revolutionary ideas of Maoism appealed to China's peasant masses. In doing so, it will raise the question of whether communism, or some form of it, was inevitable.
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