Chinese+Political+History-+Emma+&+Sophie

= Political History of China = = 1. WHAT IS COMMUNISM? = Communism is a system of government by which the state plans and controls the economy. Individuals do not earn their own money; the whole countries earnings are pooled in and divided equally amongst the citizens. According to this theory everyone will be equal with doctors and farmers earning the same amount and no one living in poverty.

** 2. WHO IS CHAIRMAN MAO? **

Chairman Mao was the founder of the People's Republic of China in 1949 and one of the founder's of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921. He was born in 1893 and died in 1976. He started the Cultural Revolution (1966-73) from which he challenged and destroyed traditional Chinese culture, and the people were left in poverty and desperation. China was also completely isolated from the rest of the world, and anything from Western culture was prohibited. However, he was so successful in his early years the population loved and worshipped him as a leader **4. WHAT IS THE LONG MARCH?** The "Long March" was a colossal retreat by the three Red Armies of China between 1934 and 1936, during the Chinese Civil War. 80 000 soldiers fled their base in Jiangxi Province when they became surrounded by the Nationalist Party Army. They then began a 6000 mile journey towards the North, with only 8000-9000 surviving the trek, eventually ending with the establishment of a new communist base in Yan'an. Modern communist mythology sees the Long March as a massive victory, even though in reality it was a great disaster with great human losses.