The Consolidation of Power 1949-53

The Consolidation of Power

Mao and Marxism

• Mao argued the proletariat were such a small minority in China (1% in 1920s) that it would not be enough for a mass revolutionary party
• Also, Chiang Kai-Shek drove communists out of cities in 1927
• Mao wanted the peasants to be the 'mass'
• In 1930s and 40s it made sure the party survived
• it also meant mao was the main ideologist so he had to be the chairman
• Mao Zedong Thought - set of ideas that changed over time, main concepts were self reliance, continuing revolution, class struggle, learning from the people and mass mobilisation

Self-Reliance

• Mao wanted china to be free from western powers
• although he sought out help from the USSR in the 1950s he never liked the unequal relationship
• disliked how USSR wanted to china to follow their economic example

Continuing Revolution

• Mao thought it was essential for every generation to be involved in the revolutionary struggle
• it would continue support for his regime and stop a counter-revolution

Class Struggle

• He wanted to avoid the party becoming a ruling 'elite' class 
• he said the party should be periofically rectified
• party members endures struggle meetings with the public and they had to make self criticisms
• they were reeducated with attending indoctrination meetings and manual peasant labour

Learning from the people

• He knew the party should listen to and learn from the people's concerns and the masses should discuss policy
• he wanted to prevent an unjust dictatorship

Mass Mobilisation

• Mobilise the pople in mass campaigns to achieve specific objectives
• he believed chinas millions could achieve anything
• major infrastructural works such as dams and roads
• he did not believe in experts or managers
• he did not think extra money would make people work harder 

Challenges facing the new government in 1949

• Industrial and agricultural output had fallen
• food shortages
• GMD left hyperinflation and took all foreign currency
• Communism cut off trade with the west
• outer provinces were not under control and there was no national unity

Solutions

• Renminbi - new currency - introduced
• Cut public expenditure and raised taxes
• all GMD property was confiscated
• All foreign assets (except USSR) were confiscated
• Banks, gas, electricity and transport industries were all nationalised
• 3 reunification campaigns to unite china in Tibet, Guangdong, and Xinjang
• New government system established the dominance of the CCP
• Mao used policies that would not alienate the middle class supporters

New Government System

• State Bureaucracy at national, regional and local levels
• Communist Party at national, regional and local levels
• PLA
• Party's Standing Committee (5 of the politburo) that made all the policy decisions

Mass Party Membership

• October 1949 - 4,448,000
• October 1950 - 5,821,604
• Still a small number of a population of 500 million
• Cadres were a select group of party members

The Role of PLA

• 1950 - 41% of the state expenditure on PLA and it had 5 million men
• 1953 cut back to 3.5 million to cut expenses and so men could work
• 800,000 new conscripts every year who pass…