Each action has consequences and every decision Mao and his
communist party made shaped the way China is today. During Mao's reign, his authoritarian government made several reforms which insured stability unseen since the Opium war, equalized the wealth gap, and managed to effectively keep the nationalists out of the country.
Mao Zedong’s rule was one of absolute tyranny as his country maintained close relationship with the Soviet Union throughout the Sino-Soviet conflict and the Korean War. One year after the People’s Republic of China was established; he signed the Sino-Soviet Treaty. However, In October 15 of that same year, he sent the People’s volunteer army into Korea to fight against the UN forces led by USA. Some people say China was involved because they wanted to stop US aggression, help its neighbor, and appease the Soviet Union while others say it was because Mao believed military conflict with the US is inevitable after they crossed the 38th parallel and he wanted to improve his own prestige inside the communist international community. What we do know is that Russia sent a telegram asking China to send its troops and that Mao was strongly supportive of this and alongside the Soviet Union, provided the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with military assistance and resources. China emerged from the Korean War with pride as this success contrasted China’s humiliation by Japan and western powers. As China and the Soviet Union were both communist countries, they maintained a close relationship which saw China trying to duplicate the Soviet Union’s models of development. Mao calls for a “Hundred Flowers Movement” to improve and strengthen the government’s relation with the people after political explosions in Europe and the denouncement of Stalin. Mao is also known to eliminate his oppositions when his position of being in charge of China comes under threat. Mao’s government also had to deal with constant threats from nationalists in Taiwan but his strong army were always successful in stopping the nationalists from returning.He managed to keep the nationalists out and didn't allow them to cause chaos or interfere with political matters inside the country.
Social changes in China improve the status of women, increased public institutions, and equalized wealth gap. The status of women improved in the 1950’s where there was a legal protection of women’s rights which were increasing. Marriage laws were made which provided freedom of marriage and divorce. Public institutions such as hospitals and schools providing basic education were becoming available towards the end of Mao’s reign. Hospitals lowered death rate and increased life expectancy meanwhile basic education everyone was receiving improved the country’s literacy rate and doubled school population. There was land reform where the government used violence to overthrow landlords before seizing their estates and dividing the land into people’s communities. 90% of China’s population used to be poor farmers and this land reform led to an equalized wealth gap and wiped out the landlord class. Industrialization was occurring as well as the Cultural Revolution. The Cultural Revolution occurred during Mao’s reign which forced millions into manual labor. This also lead to the imprisonment of a large number of Chinese citizens who went against the government, the destruction of China’s traditional heritage, and social chaos in the country as millions were being killed.
The economical changes in China
during Mao’s reign saw minimal growth but became the base for China’s economy
and their huge success today. The communist party initiated the program “The Great Leap forward” to stimulate economic growth. Small agricultural collectives merged into
larger people’s communes, peasants were forced to work on infrastructure projects
and steel production projects, private food production was banned as livestock
were put under collective ownership, and new agricultural techniques were
introduced. As natural disasters occurred, grain production dropped over 15%
which led to mass starvation in an event known as the Great Chinese Famine
which soon ended the Great Leap forward as Mao was losing esteem. Although
agricultural production decreased, steel production was a success as the quotas
they planned to reach were reached but however it was not of high quality. Mao's government also tried to advance towards a free market economy. After
the 1949 revolution, China’s economy was made into a communist system. Their
presence in the world economy was minimal until the late 1980’s which saw the
country becoming the world’s fastest growing economy and the largest exporter
of goods.
Mao’s
communist government was very effective in maintaining order, stability, and
changing the social structure of China but were selfish and ineffective in
stimulating economic growth. Mao’s government dealt with internal political
problems from constant challenges by oppositions and the nationalists. He did
not endure criticism and whoever went against his campaigns were purged. This
insured order in China but also the mass murder of millions. Mao was effective
in equalizing the wealth gap by eliminating the landlord class and redistributingland which changed the social structure of China in which we still see today.
Mao’s government was effective in improve the social aspect of life by building
public institutions and through industrialization and modernization. However,
Mao’s campaigns such as the Great Leap Forward were ineffective in stimulating
economic growth as farmers could did not know how to use the new technology and
natural disasters came. Mao is also very selfish and his involvement in the
Korean War shows this as it was for his personal benefit and interests and not
the country. However, one cannot deny that most of Mao’s campaigns were successful
and effective which laid the foundation for China’s immense progress today into
a world superpower which was made possible because of its programs which managed
to changed social structures and insured stability, and growth.
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