8.4

Question 1

Explain the spread of communism in China.

Answer 1

• 1927: Civil War between nationalists and communists
• 1931: Japan invaded Northern China, and the civil war temporarily ceases. The communists and nationalists unite to fight off the Japanese
• End of WWII in 1945: civil War resumes, as Japan was defeated
• communists won, Chinese Communist Revolution happens
  *Mao Zedong is their leader, and announced the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 in Tiananmen Square
• industries are nationalized, land redistributed to peasants, reform program called the Great Leap Forward, which collectivized peasant lands and established reeducation camps for people who rebelled against these policies
• Great Leap forward was disastrous
  *Harvests kept failing, and Mao wanted to maintain a good image in the eyes of other countries, so he kept exporting grain. This led to mass famine and the death of about 20 million Chinese.

Question 2

Why was the Great Leap Forward a failure?

Answer 2

One of the policies included was the collectivization of agriculture, and many of the harvests were failing. This led to mass famines, but Mao Zedong desired to maintain a good image in the eyes of other countries, so he continued exporting grain anyway, leading to the deaths of about 20 millions Chinese civilians.

Question 3

Describe reeducation camps under Mao Zedong in the Great Leap Forward.

Answer 3

Reeducation camps were designed for people who resisted the authority or communist policies of Mao Zedong, and were designed to make people believe in the morality of Mao’s policies and leadership.
They were internment camps; very physically and mentally demanding.

If you still didn’t believe in the morality of the policies by the end of your cycle in the reeducation camp, they’d kill you.

Question 4

Explain the land reforms that occured in Iran as a result of the Cold War’s proxy wars.

Answer 4

• WWII: shah voiced support for Hitler, so Britain and Russia invaded Iran and replaced the shah with someone who would support their interests
• 1951: Iranian nationalists over throw that shah, establish a new prime minister in 1953
• Britain and Russia overthrow the shah AGAIN and replaced him with Muhammad Reza Pahlavi
  *harsh policies, authoritarian, but with some good policies that expanded social welfare and women’s suffrage
  *under Pahlavi, the White Revolution occurred

Question 5

What is the White Revolution?

Answer 5

The White Revolution was a movement in Iran under the leadership of Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, in which the government bought landowner’s land forcibly and sold it at lower prices to peasants. It was called the White Revolution because it was peaceful, and therefore bloodless. Thus, it was not “red”, but “white”.

Question 6

Explain land redistribution in Vietnam as a result of the Cold War.

Answer 6

• After WWII, they Vietnam declared independence from Japan and France
  *France colonized Vietnam prior to WWII
  *Japan occupied Vietnam during WWII
• communists were in power in North Vietnam, seized land from landowners and gave it to the poor

Question 7

Explain land relocation in India as a result of decolonization.

Answer 7

• India gained independence from Britain in 1947, attempted land reform with varying success
• one successful example is in the state of Kerala
  *1963: tenants gained the right to buy land
  *1969: tenants legally allowed to hold full ownership of land

Question 8

Explain land reform in Ethiopia due to the Cold War.

Answer 8

-1947: overthrow of current government led by Mengistu Haile Mariam, because he saw it as a puppet for western powers
- socialist government established and received support from the USSR
- land redistribution attempted, but led to famine and the decline of Ethiopia’s economy, as well as violence from Mariam