Tianasquare

Tiananmen Square

By missymorrow

  • May 4th Movement

    Chinese college students stage a series of demonstrations against China's weak response to the Treaty of Versaille's which ceded German territories in China to Japan rather than returning them to China after World War I. This demonstation began to create the feeling of patriotism among the youths and enstilled a feeling of the need of democract in China.
  • Period: to

    Tiananmen Square

  • Chinese Communist Party into Power

  • Beginning of Cultural Revolution 1966 - 1976

    This was a 10 year period in which Mao reffered to as 'The Cultural Revolution" the goal was to enforce socialism in the country by removing capitalist, traditional and cultural elements from Chinese society, and impose Maoist orthodoxy within the Party. During this period there were many power struggles between Chinese leadership. With the rise of "Red Guards" , "revolutionary rebels" and mant high ranking leaders falling from power, there were many changes going on inside the China

  • Premier Zhou Enlai's Death

    In April thouses of people gather to Tinanmen Square to commemorate him and critise Mao's close associates. Clases between the mourners and the police result in the "Tiananmen Square Incident" which the government brands as a counter-revolutionary event.

  • The Gang of Four Arrested

    Because of this Deng gradually rises to power once more and the official vedict of the 'Tiananmen Square Incidnet' is overturned.

  • The Four Modernisations

    Deng Xiaoping launches economic reforms and proclaims the "Four Modernizations," in industry, agriculture, science and defense.

  • Creation of the Democracy Wall

    A stretch of construction wall near a busy commercial district in Beijing attracts nation-wide attention as the "Democracy Wall," a place where people put up posters to voice their criticism of the political system. This instills the idea of democracy in the Chinese community.

  • Government Supress the Democracy Wall

    The government suppresses the 'Democracy Wall' and arrests several activists, the most famous one being Wei Jingsheng. Wei is sentenced to fifteen years in prison.

  • Demand for Political Reform

    In late fall, college students in several cities stage demonstrations to demand political reform. This was the beggining of student protests for the political reform and triggers some new feelings about democrazy within the community.

  • Death of Hu Yaobang

    Former Party General Secretary Hu Yaobang dies of a massive heart attack. A official memorial is held the next day, three students carry a petition and kneel on the Great Hall steps in front of 100,000 students who have gathered at the square the night before.

  • The Editorial and Protest

    The Communist Party newspaper People's Daily publishes an editorial accusing a "small handful of plotters" of stirring up student unrest and creating turmoil in order to overthrow the Communist Party and the socialist system. Ignoring warnings of violent suppression, students from more than 40 universities march to Tiananmen in protest of the April 26th editorial.

  • Hunger Strikes while demanding for democracy

    Several hundred students begin a hunger strike at Tiananmen Square in the afternoon. Elected students charges with the responsibility for dialogue with the government begin formal talks with the government. Twelve of China's most famous writers and scholars present their emergency appeals at the Square, calling on the government to acknowledge the movement as a patriotic democracy movement and calling on the students to end their hunger strike. Their efforts fail.

  • Hunger strikes

    Hunger strikes continue until May 19th until the students call it off and instead declare a massive sit-in and the IWU (Independant Workers Union) is founded in Tiananmen Square.

  • Government declares Martial Law

    The government formally declares martial law in Beijing, but the army's advance towards the city is blocked by large numbers of students and citizens.

  • Goddess of Democracy

    The ten-meter-high Goddess of Democracy is unveiled, it symbolises the movement and attracts much attention from the community.

  • More hunger strikes

    At 5:00 pm, Liu Xiaobo, Hou Dejian, Zhou Duo and Gao Xin start a hunger strike in Tiananmen Square.

  • Violence at Tiananmen Square Begin

    Troops receive orders to reclaim Tiananmen Square at all cost. Around 10:00 pm, soldiers open fire on people who try to block the army's advance, as well as on those who are simply shouting at the troops. Tanks and armored personnel carriers move toward the center of the city. Many people in the streets are killed or wounded, including bystanders.

  • Massacre Begins

    Around 1:00 am, troops surround Tiananmen Square and await further orders. Around 4:00 am, the four men who began a hunger strike on June 2 negotiate with the troops to allow the students to leave the Square. Around 5:00 am, several thousand students, and their teachers and supporters leave the Square at gunpoint.

  • Tank Man

    An anonymous man stands in front of a column of Chinese Type 59 tanks the morning after the Chinese military forcibly removed protestors from in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square.