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Communist Russian Advisors in the Guomindang
LONG TERM: In order to unite China, Sun Yay-sen looked to allied countries for financial support as well as military equipement. Communists and the Guomindang would eventually form the first and second united fronts in order to unify China and defeat the Japanese. RELATED ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
-Imperialism
-Nationalism -
The Northern Expedition
SHORT TERM: During he First United Front, the Guomindang army marched out of Guangzhou on a new campain called the Northern Expedition. The goal of the campaign was to defeat the warlords of southeastern China in order to unify the country. Mao Zedong claimed that [the peasents] "will, in the end, send all the imperialists, warlords, corrupt officials, local bullies, and ba gentry to their graves" (Mao Zedong) ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
-Imperialism, Politics and Economics, Nationalism -
Shanghai Purge Part 1
LONG TERM: The success of the Northern Expedition revealed rifts between the CCP and the Guomindang leadership. Chiang Kai-shek, saw communists as a threat to China's tradition and economy. His quest to rid China of Communists began in Shanghai, and continued throughout the country. (See long march) -
Shanghai Purge Part 2
In the Essentials of the New Life Movement, Chinag Kai-shek declares that "it is hoped that social disorder and individual weakness will be remedied and that people will become more military-minded" Clearly repreasrnting the Guomindang's quest to rid China of all "weaker"peoples such as the CCP. RELATED ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
-Politics and Economics, Nationalism -
The Jiangxi Soviet
LONG TERM: After the Shanghai purge, some members of the CCP escaped to refuges around China. The largest being the Jiangxi Soviet. Mao's use of guerilla tactics defeated Chiang's first four attempts to distroy the base. Although Chiang retaliated, 80,000 CCP members were able to break out of his stronghold and started on their long march to escape the pursuing Guomindang army. RELATED ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
-Nationalism, Politics and Economics -
The Long March Part 1
LONG TERM: 80,000 CCP members started the Long March to escape the Guomindang Army. Without the support of the Soviet Union, Mao had no hopes of fighting the Guomindang. The last members of the CCP made it to Ya'an where a small Communist base had survived, but at a great cost.
Chiang's decision to defeat the CCP and not become their allies to fight against Japan would prove to be a mistake with lasting consequences for the Chinese. -
The Long March Part 2
In Sun Shuyun's "Drain the Pound to Catch the Fish" she portrays in a song the importance of the CCP to it's members.
"Light from lamps is no light, Compared witht he brightness of the sun; Fathers and mothers are dear, But the Communist Party is dearer" RELATED ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
-Women, Nationalism -
Suno-Japanese War (Nianjing Massacre), 1937 Part 1
LONG TERM: Chiang's campaigns to eliminate the CCP and not unite against invading Japan lead to devestating consequences for the Chinese. The Japanese invaded Manchuria, then moved south to capture Tianjin, Shanghai, and finally Nanjing. Japanese troops initially killed about 90,000 Chinese soldiers who had surrendered. During hte next seven weeks they raped an estimated 20,000 women and girls, and massacered between 150,000 and 300,000 civilians. -
Suno-Japanese War, 1937 Part 2
"The lure of land ownership and resistance against the Japanese fueled the growing Communist forces" (China, Since 1644) CCP success in addressing major issues plaguing China, increased the party's membership from 40,000 in 1937 to 1.2 million by 1945. The CCP's growing membership had drastic events in the shaping of the future Chinese political climate.
RELATED ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
-Politics and Economics, Nationalism, Imperialism, Women
