The Chinese Revolution

The Chinese Civil War

žBesides Europe, events in other parts of the globe also seemed to signal the spread of Communism.

žIn China, the ongoing civil war between the Nationalists, led by Chiang Kai-Shek, and the Communists, led by Mao Tse-tung (also spelled "Zedong"), came to a close in 1949 when Chiang Kai-shek and his supporters took refuge on the island of Formosa (Taiwan).

žThe Nationalists on Taiwan established the Republic of China. Meanwhile, Mao proclaimed the People's Republic of China on the mainland. The United States recognized Chiang's Nationalist government as the rightful and official China, a policy maintained until 1979, when the United States normalized diplomatic relations with the People's Republic.

Answer the following questions on your answer document.

1. Most of China was never formally colonized. So why has twentieth-century China seen itself as so engaged in a struggle against imperialism and colonialism?

2. How did relations between the nationalist Guomindang (GMD) and the Communist Party of China (CPC) change between 1921 and 1949?

3. What were the main policies of the communists under Chairman Mao, once they came to power?

4. What was the goal of the Great Leap Forward, and did it succeed, according to the author?

5. What was the goal of the Cultural Revolution, and did it succeed, according to the author?

6. China is a communist power. Was it a Soviet ally during the Cold War?