Homework 5; term 3

Identify at least one political, social, and economic effect of the Chinese Civil War

Social: The 1950 Marriage Law. This ended some of the worst features of the women's life. For instance, arranged marriages were ended, and it was no longer legal to kill unwanted babies. Both husbands and wives owned the property, and divorce had to be a mutual agreement. The marriage age for women was 20, and the age for men was 18. Overall, this resulted in much better treatment of women.

Political: The 1950 Agrarian Reform Law. This is when peasants began to learn how to work in the same social class as other people of their society. Also, poor people were encouraged to meet and talk about life as a poor person, and basically to denounce their previous landlords who had treated them badly.

Economic: Formation of the People's Bank. This enabled the government to have control over all transactions, and the issue of money. A result of this was the elimination of inflation.

Source-Based Questions

1. What is the message being conveyed by the woodcut on page 22?

-This is showing how the tax collectors basically took everything from the peasants, and left them to starve. It also conveys how the Guomindang people did nothing to help the peasants, but instead only made their lives worse.

2. What is the message being conveyed by the Chinese Communist Party Poster on page 23?

-This poster is showing how the Peasants were helping the Red Army in the war against Japan. This shows that the Red Army had gained the support of the peasants also, which is something that the Guomindang could not do.

3. With reference to origin and purpose, assess the value and limitations of Sourc-0e A on page 25 and the excerpt from Mao: The Unknown Story for historians studying why the Communists won the Chinese Civil War.

Source A:

The origin of this source is a journal entry from Chiang Kaishek written in 1947, with the purpose of revealing his true feelings regarding how upset he was that nobody cared for anyone else anymore. The origin of this provides us with a value, because it is personal from a journal entry. Therefore, it actually gives us the true feelings of Chiang Kaishek, because he has nobody to please in his journal. However, a limitation may be with the purpose. Because he is annoyed with the situation, he is writing for himself, and not for anyone else to read. Therefore, the things written may have been blown out of proportion to an extent, because he wasn't expecting anybody to read it.

Excerpt From Mao:

The origin of this source is written by Jung Chang, who was born in China in 1952. The purpose of this excerpt is to inform people of another viewpoint regarding the Chinese Civil War, which hasn't been seen in other sources. The origin of this source can be a strength and a limitation as well. It is a strength because it is written by a Chinese person, rather than a person of another nationality. This is a strength because it is not someone of a different culture trying to understand what was going on. However. the origin is a weakness because she wasn't born until 20 years after what was being written about happened. Therefore, it is not a firsthand account, and she may have based this off of other information that she had heard, rather than what was witnessed. The purpose of this also provides a strength and a weakness. It is a strength because it is trying to find new ideas about the practices of the Chinese Civil War, however this is also a limitation because the practices which are talked about may be exaggerated from the truth a bit , because it is trying to be a "new outlook on the practices."

Homework 4; term 3

1. According to this book, what were three reasons why the Communists were able to effectively resist nationalist attempts to destroy them?

-The Nationalists were not familiar with the terrain.

-Nationalist troops had to rely on local supplies... The Reds controlled the population, so they could deprive the enemy of food and water.

-Spies.

2. According to this source, what was the most important strategy that "tipped the scale" in helping the Reds defeat the Nationalists?

-Russian assistance.

3. Compare/ contrast the views from this source with other views we've read on why the Communists were able to effectively resist Nationalist attempts to destroy them. Give at least one compare and one contrast.

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4.Identify the following terms for comprehension: GRU, CCP, HQ.

-GRU: Soviet military intelligence.

-HQ: tried stealing Nationalist codes

-CCP: had agents working in the heart of Nationalist intelligence.

5. Mao's leadership was not decisive in the Reds victory over the Nationalists in the Chinese Civil War. What evidence from this passage could be used to support this view?

-"Yet it was not Mao's brutal strategy that clinched the Reds' victory..."

6. According to this interpretation, which side was more patriotic in fighting the Japanese, the CCP or the Nationalists?

-This source says the world has come to believe that the CCP were more patriotic in their fighting against Japan than the Nationalists were. However the source says that this claim is untrue, meaning that he believes the Nationalists were.

7. Based on other sources you've read, how far do you agree with this claim?

-Well, I guess I am part of the world who thought the Nationalists were more patriotic in their fighting than the CCP. However, I have mixed emotions with it. There are points so that both viewpoints can be justified.

8. According to this source, how did the Japanese invasion help in Mao's rise to power?

-Moscow appointed Mao the head of the state and the title of chairman of the Central Executive Committee. Therefore, the Japanese invasion helped a significant amount in Mao's rise to power.

Homework 3; term 3

Based on all that you've studied, please explain three main reasons why you think the Communists, and not the Nationalists, won the Chinese Civil War.

In my opinion, I think one of the reasons that the Communists won the Chinese Civil War was due to the fact that the treatment of women had improved. For instance, a lot of unpleasant practices were abolished. Foot binding, a thing to make the feet of women remain small, was made illegal. Also, the killing of "unwanted" babies was also banished. Child slavery and prostitution was made illegal as well. As a result of these improved treatments to women, it is possible that the Communists won the support of many women, which is a reason that they could have won the Chinese Civil War.

Another reason that the Communists won the Chinese Civil War may be a result of them gaining the support of peasants. Big areas of land which were owned by rich landlords were taken and spread out among the poorer peasants. New farming tools were created by the Red Army, and an agricultural school was also developed. "Saturday Brigades" were created for children, soldiers, and party officials to help the peasants with their farming. Thus, the Communists were able to gain the support of peasants, enabling them to win the Chinese Civil War.

Propaganda also played a role in the Communists winning the Chinese Civil War. Pictures of the cruel treatment that the Nationalists provided were shown, so that people would think better of the Communists. I don't know how significant propaganda was however, because propaganda can be present with almost any situation. I think that the better treatment aof women and peasants were more significant reasons, simply because they are unique to the Communists. In every war, with every situation there is propaganda, so I don't know how noteworthy it is.

Classwork; term 3

A. Study the map above, then answer these questions:

1. Describe in your own words the Red Army's movements in between Jiangxi and Zunyi.

-The First Front Army were sent from the Communist base areas to Xiang, and then from there they split into two groups, both of which went to Zunyi. The second Front Army was sent from another communist base in Hunan, and went right past Zunyi.

2. Describe how the Red Army's movements changed after leaving Zunyi.

-After leaving Zunyi it looks like the First Front Army just traveled in circles for a while before they began to go in a straight line. Also, after Zunyi the second and fourth front army became present.

3. Judging by what you have read in this chapter, why do you think the Army changed its movements in this way?

-Because Mao took leadership.

4. What might have been the result if the Red Army had not changed direction at Zunyi.

-Maybe more of them would have survived because maybe their other route may have had less obstacles.

B. Read these comments on the Long March, then answer the questions which follow.

1. Using the information in this chapter, provide evidence to agree and disagree with each of the views expressed in sources A and B.

-Source A:

Agreement: "The arrival of the Second and Fourth Front armies which had undertaken their own long marched had restored the Army's strength to 80,000 men, making it once again a viable fighting force."

Disagreement: " Fewer than 10,000 of those who had set out marched into Yanan."

-Source B:

Agreement: "The Long March of the Red Army took it over the Snowy Mountains, amoung the highest in the world, and through the treacherous Grasslands."

Disagreement: "... hundreds of men drowned in deep marshes..."

2. In the light of the evidence you have found, which of the two views do you think is more accurate? Explain your answer.

-I think that the first quote is more accurate, because the only thing that really appears to be off about their quote is the number who had died, which isn't as significant as the other things mentioned in the book.