The Cold War in China and North Korea

I. Triumphs and warning signals: the early years of the PRC

A. the PRC and the United States

the Dixie Mission

Taiwan and the threat of invasion

the Korean War, July 1950

America in Vietnam, 1954-

B. Sino-Soviet relations

WWII and the looting of Manchuria

Soviet support for Chiang

Sino-Soviet Pact, Feb. 14, 1950

Sino-Soviet split, 1960s

U. N. recognition, 1971

Vietnamization, 1968

Nixon Visit, Feb. 1972

C. Maoism: the Chinese style of communism

culture, nationalism and socialism

emphasis on the peasants

history and national specificity

skipping a stage in history

capitalism and self-reliance

D. Early reforms in the PRC

land reforms

land to the tillers

burning the title deeds [and the landlord?]

villages as collectives

nationalization of industries

capitalists as managers

the iron ricebowl

marriage reform

the last of footbinding

ban on forced marriages

divorce

problems with enforcement

propaganda and theater

success: nowhere to go but up?

E. The thousand flowers fiasco, 1956-1957

omen of things to come?

deliberate entrapment?

sign of party disconnect?

"from the masses, to the masses"

II. Descent into chaos

A. The Great Leap Forward, 1958-1961

ideology

red v. expert

control from below

self-reliance

the problem with experts

class origins of experts

Russian experts

reforms

large communes

village industries

what went wrong

predictions, production and promotion

production and distribution

quality controls

perpetuating the lies

results of the disaster

famine and death

Mao steps down

Deng Xiao-ping

B. The Cultural Revolution, 1966-1976

why did it happen?

power struggle within the CCP?

ideology?

senility?

real problem with counter-revolution?

the Red Guards

Mao, the Red Army and the media

school closures

the little red books

the gathering at Tiananmen

free travel and lodging

the attacks on Confucius

cultural losses

red and green lights

street signs and other insanities

"spontaneous" persecutions

red, grey or black?

self-criticism, humiliation and death

families and neighborhoods

relocation to the countryside

ending the chaos?

learning from the peasants?

breaking the new elite?

how did it end?

death [and funeral] of Zhou Enlai, 1976

death of Mao, Sept. 9, 1976

Jiang Qing and the Gang of Four

II. North Korea: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea [DPRK]

A. Kim Il Sung [1912-1994] and juche

Korean Maoism

individualism and self reliance

individualism and capitalism

history and will...and fascism

individual self-reliance to national autonomy to isolation

personality cult

schools and universities

the anti-personality movement [purges]

the first people's dynasty: Kim Jong Il

B. early reforms and postwar recovery

the first 3-year plan, 1954-1956

rehabilitation of agriculture

reconstruction of industries

the first 5-year plan, 1957-1960

socialization of agriculture

development of heavy industry

C. Why did it succeed?

comparisons with South Korea

Japanese industrial base?

natural resources

PRC/USSR aid?

did it really succeed that well?