Transcript China and Mao Tse Tung

Mao Tse Tung and
Revolution
Mao built a "cult of the personality"
surrounding himself:
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“Mao is sometimes referred to as the "Four Greats": "Great
Teacher, Great Leader, Great Supreme Commander, Great
Helmsman", since he was, and largely still is, worshipped as a
god-like figure by some common Chinese much like other
founders of the Chinese dynasties in the past. In the West, the
name familiar to most is Chairman Mao:”http://www.dailypast.com
became the embodiment of all that was good
http://www.morningsun.org/red/index.html
the worship of Mao replaced religion
was assigned god-like characteristics
Promoted excessive nationalism:
portrayed China locked in a war against various enemies
 “Classes struggle, some classes triumph, others are eliminated. Such is history, such is
the history of civilization for thousands of years. To interpret history from this
viewpoint is historical materialism; standing in opposition to this viewpoint is historical
idealism.”
"Cast Away Illusions, Prepare for Struggle" (August 14, 1949), Selected Works, Vol. IV, p.
428.
-externally: capitalism and the West
-internally: rightists and other enemies of the state
“It is up to us to organize the people. As for the reactionaries in China, it is up to us to
organize the people to overthrow them. Everything reactionary is the same; if you
don't hit it, it won't fall. This is also like sweeping the floor; as a rule, where the broom
does not reach, the dust will not vanish of itself.”
http://www.morningsun.org/images/image.swf
 used fear and suspicion to reject all that was different
 citizens were constantly reminded of their duty to work for the country
 sought to focus attention away from the true problems and onto fictional enemies
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Interest of the nation was praised,
while individualism was rejected:
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individual rights and freedoms were secondary to the
needs of the state
any criticism of the state was considered a serious crime
“It is not hard for one to do a bit of good. What is hard
is to do good all one's life and never do anything bad,
to act consistently in the interests of the broad masses,
the young people and the revolution, and to engage in
arduous struggle for decades on end. That is the hardest
thing of all!”
Mao had little understanding of
economic development:
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used resources inefficiently-Great Leap Forward
in the collective movement, he removed the
profit motive and individual incentive
crushed creativity and technological
advancement-Cultural Revolution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkt6O4Q
W45s&feature=related
LEGACY
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Key idea: mixed results he created a country out
of chaos. He was a pragmatist on security and
foreign policy. The people of China were in a
better than position when he died.
“Even monsters can create good they may never
have self-consciously aimed for or wanted.”
Will Hutton
Lasting Impact of Mao
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Communist development under Mao put China centuries behind
the West
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_gdp_percapeconomy-gdp-per-capita&date=1976
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28
nominal%29_per_capita
Remains the “unselfish peasant” hero
Generation of Chinese who lived through the Maoist period
appreciate and understand the gains made since his death
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NO COUNTRY HAD SUFFERED SO MANY DEFEATS AT THE
HAND OF SO MANY COUNTRIES AS CHINA HAD IN THE 19TH
CENTURY
Legacy of authoritarian rule and communist power
Established strong element of nationalism