Key Questions, Chapter 4

Page 96

“How did the experience of the young people in the countryside affect their attitude towards Mao and the Cultural Revolution?”

1. Their experience in poor living conditions made them begin to question the wisdom of Mao. They saw the connection between language and reality, and saw that Mao was using them through propaganda.

“”

2.

Page 97

“How much blame attaches to Mao for the horrors of the Cultural Revolution?”

3. The blame for the horrors is completely attached to Mao. Although he did not command the atrocities, he allowed them to continue. Furthermore, he started the Cultural Revolution in the first place.

Page 98

“In what sense was the Lin Bao affair a turning point in the Cultural Revolution?”

4. It was a turning point in the sense that after the affair, people lost faith in the governmental system. If a man was a leader and a hero one day and a traitor the next, who could they trust?

“What form did the plot take?”

5. When Lin realized he was going to be removed, he reluctantly agreed to join an assassination attempt lead by his brother. However, his sister let the news slip and Mao was rushed away. Desperate, Lin attempted to fly away to the USSR. The plane crashed on the way. After this event, Mao seemed disheartened because he realized he needed people for protection.

Page 100

“What consequences followed from Lin Bao's disgrace?”

6. People realized that the government couldn't always be right if things like this happened. Everything they knew seemed to come crashing down when an important figure such as this one was discredited.

Page 101

“Why did the intensity of the Cultural Revolution lessen after 1972?”

7. First of all, the party was unsure of Mao's intentions. The Lin Bao affair also affect the party members' thinking. They recognized the points of critics about the horrors of the Cultural Revolution, and wished to impress the president of the US, Richard Nixon, during his visit.

“How did Lin Bao's fall benefit Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping??”

8. Lin's fall opened up higher positions for Zhou. Deng had earlier been dismissed for being a “capitalist roader,” but because of Lin's fall this worked to his advantage.

IRL 9

http://www.pbs.org/redfiles/bios/all_bio_joseph_stalin.htm

This source is a biography of Joseph Stalin. It relates to our work in class on Stalin. It adds to our background knowledge of him so that we can better understand why he did the things he did. It discusses his childhood and his deformed arm, which led to his desire for respect. It then transitions this into the life of Stalin that we have already studied, and is consist with what we have learned. PBS is a reputable source and the extension is .org, which means it is not for profit. However, as a television station funded by the government its views may be more biased than most American views on the subject.

SGQ8

IBSL2 SGQ8

Guiding questions:

Compare and contrast the economic and social policies of one left wing and one right wing single-party ruler.

Examine the status of women in two single-party states, each chosen from a different region.

MWH p.415-420

How successful was Mao Zedong in dealing with China's problems?

a. Problems facing Mao

1. Food shortages

2. Destruction of railways, roads, dykes and dams

3. Bad economy

b. the constitution of 1950

1. who/what had authority for all the main decisions?

The Politburo, a Bureau chosen by the State Council.

2. who was eligible to be elected?

Communist party members.

c. Agricultural changes - what were the two steps taken to collectivize Chinese peasants?

1. Land was taken from large landowners and divided among the peasants.

2. The peasants were encouraged to join collective farms.

d. Industrial changes

1. who helped and was the model?

The Russians helped, and the model was a plan for increase in heavy industry.

2. what evidence of success was there?

i. Communications had been restored.

ii. Inflation was under control.

e. the Hundred Flowers campaign

i. what was a cadre?

A group that organized the masses politically and economically.

ii. why might the cadres be threatened by technicians and engineers?

They would question the cadres' authority.

iii. what was the solution?

An open discussion of the issue between the cadres and the experts/intellectuals.

iv. how did that work out for the government?

The Communist party and its tactics were criticized, and Mao quickly ended the campaign.

f. Summarize the two main features of the Great Leap Forward:

1. Communes, collective farms containing a variety of workers, were introduced.

2. Industry was changed to emphasize the production of farm tools.

3. what was the short term effect of the Great Leap Forward?

i. The withdrawal of Russian aide.

ii. Hardship from 1959-1963.

iii. Mao's resignation as Chairman of People's Congress.

4. what was the long term effect of the Great Leap Forward?

i. Agriculture and industry increased.

ii. Communes worked well as miniature governments, made running of the country possible.

iii. Spread of education and welfare, improvement in women's role in society.

g. the Cultural Revolution

1. briefly summarize the differences between the right wing and left wing views within the Party:

RIGHT- They thought that incentives were necessary for the commune to function effectively, and that an expert class should exist instead of the cadres

LEFT- A privileged class must be avoided because it was vital to keep in touch with the masses.

2. who carried out the Cultural Revolution?

The young people of China and the Red Guard.

3. briefly describe the activities which made up the Cultural Revolution:

All authority figures were denounced and physically attacked, disgracing and ruining millions.

4. what was the impact of the Cultural Revolution?

It ruined millions of lives and held up economic development by ten years.