The Long March
Long March Map
- In 1934, the Nationalists surrounded the Communist base in Jiangxi
- Communists broke Nationalist lines and began the Long March
- Mao's PLA(People's Liberation Army) walked 6000 miles to reach the last Communist base
- They had to fight the whole way
- Only 9,000 soldiers out of original 90,000 survived
- Many died due to starvation or freezing
- Mao Zedong was the only leader after this_
New Life Movement
women in New Life Movement
- Kai-Shek led reforms now that Communists were out
- Promoted four virtues: ritual, duty, integrity and honesty
- Promoted tradition with republicanism of Western culture
- Modernized industry
- All reforms failed because of bad timing
- The reforms that succeeded were: building railroads, good educational systems and a national bank
- New Life Movement alienated citizens due to failures
- MAIN FAILURE: did not redistribute wealth
Conflict with Japan
Land taken by Japanese in Second Sino-Japanese War
- The Nationalists were dealing with Japanese threat as well as Communists
- Japanese were the number one rival of China
- Fights between Japan and Nationalists are especially heated in World War II
- Kai-Shek gives North China to Japan if they stop attacking
- Japan does not stop with North China
- This gives Communists time to rebuild _
Rape of Nanking
Japanese soldier standing near bodies
- In 1937, the Japanese soldiers destroyed the then-capital city of Nanking
- 300,000 Chinese killed in six week period
- Widespread rape and looting occurred as well as murders
- These were war crimes of the Second Sino-Japanese War _
Chinese Civil War
Peoples Liberation Army of China
- In 1945, the weak Nationalists fight the Communist forces
- The Communists led by Mao Zedong win
- War ends in 1949 and the Nationalists retreat to Taiwan
- Mao Zedong takes power in China _