Korean War Effects on China

Page 1

To what extent did involvement in the Korean War affect the development of the PRC?

June 1950

Involvement of UN forces and USA

Mao did not want to get involved

Worried about American victory leaving China vulnerable to bomb attacks (US would have a base in Korea) → Mao decided to intervene when UN forces went to North Korea

Mao manipulated by Stalin (wanted UN, US and China to finish the war so that they don’t waste resources)

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The war’s role in enhancing CCP control, suppressing opposition and promoting national unity

Political effects at home

Mao took advantage of the outbreak of the war to take extreme measures in China such as:

Great Terror against counter-revolutionaries

Three antis and five antis

Justified by the threat to national security

Local leaders were given key roles in organizing the terror

Ordinary workers denounced unpopular colleagues

Party’s aim was to force foreigners to leave the country

Americans branded as counter-revolutionaries

Christian missionaries treated harshly

Russians remained

Propaganda against the Americans

Mass meetings in work´places and schools

Press focused on anti-American sentiment

Student demonstrations on which anti-American slogans were chanted

Participants often did not know about the dangers of capitalism or why was the war fought but there was persecution of people who refused to protest, which ensured mass participation

People forced to join PLA

Donation of money and goods to help to finance the war

Farmer’s crops were taken compulsorily

Taxes raised

Claim that America was using germ warfare against China

Widespread fear

“Planes dropping cylinders placed with erm infested insects

Exhibition to show evidence of claims organized by Party

Russians declared Chinese claims false

Use of paranoia to justify a campaign to kill the “five pests” (flies, mosquitoes, fleas, bedbugs, rats and dogs)

Dogs are seen as a health hazard

Keeping pets symbolized bourgeois decadence

Page 3

Sino-Soviet Treaty, 1950

Mao visited USSR in Stalin’s 70th birthday

Showed that he decided to work with the USSR

Expected Stalin to cut ties wit GMD

Terms of the Treaty

Negotiated by Zhou Enlai