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The 1911 revolution
The revolution began among soiers in Wuchang in October and most provinces quickly declared themselves independent of the capital. The governor asked for help from the retired General, Yuan Shih-Kai. This man, agreed a deal with the revolutionaries and agreed to his becoming first president of the Chinese Republic. -
Yuan's iniciation as a military dictator
His rulling lasted until 1915, and died in 1916. -
Abdication of the last Chinese Emperor
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Formation of the Kuomintang or National's People Party
This was lead by Dr Sun Yat-Sen, who had 3 principles or aims: Nationalism, Democracy and Land Reform. -
End of Yuan's dictatorship
He made the mistake of proclaiming himself emperor, which lead him to loose support from the army, that forced him to abdicate. -
The beginning of the Warlord Era
After Yuan's abdication, China desintegrated into hundreds of states of varying size, each controlled by a warlord and his private army. This lasted until 1928. -
May the Fourth Movement begins in China
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Official fundation of the Communist Party
10 years later, Mao was ellected chairman of the Central Executive Commitee of the party. -
Chiang Kai-Shek became leader of the KMT.
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Northern March
Chaing Kai-Shek set the Northern March to destroy the warlords of central and northern China. BY1927, they had captured Hankow, Shanghai and Nanking and Beijing was taken in 1928. -
Chiang's "extermination campaigns"
These campaigns forced Mao to fight a guerrilla war against the more organised armies of the KMT. -
Mao's announciation of the Republc of China
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The Long March
Almost 100000 communists broke through the KMT lines and embarked on the Long March, a journey of some 9700km lasting 368 days. -
The Communist Victory
After the Japanese defeat in 1914, the KMT and the CCP vecame locked in the struggle for power.
Finally, with the help of the Rusians, the communists were able to take over Beijing and a year later, leaving Mao in command of China -
The Constitution of 1950
This included the National People's Congress, the State Council and the Chairman of the Republic. -
Industrial changes
By this year, China embarked on a Five Year Plan concentrating on the development of heavy industry. -
Adoptation of the Constitution
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Agricultural Changes
These transformed China from a country of small, inefficient private farms into one of large co-operative farms like those in Russia. By 1956 about 95% of all peasants were in co-operatives (consisting of between 100 and 300 families) with joint ownership of the farm and its equipment. -
The Hundred Flowers Campaign
This seems to have some extent to have developed out of industrialization which produced a vast new class of technicians and engineers. However, Mao called off the campaign and clamped down on his critics, insisting that his politics were right. This campaign showed there was still opposition to communism. -
The Great Leap Forward
Due to the failure of "The Hundred Flowers Campaign" and Mao's thinking that a drive was needed to consolidate the advance of Socialism, this policy was put forward.
This involved further important developments in both industry and agriculture, in order to increase output and to adapt industry to Chinese conditions. -
The Cultural Revolution
This was Mao's attempt to keep the revolution and the Great Leapr on a pure Marxist-Leninist course.
This made opposition grow, and between 1963-66 there was a great debate on which course to follow.
Unfortunately it brought chaos and something close to civil war. Once the masses had been roused, they denounced and physically attacked anybody in authority, not just critics to Mao. -
End of the Cultural Revolution
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Lin Biao's death
Air crash while trying to escape to the USSR -
Mao's Death
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Demands for radical reform
There was a poster campaign in Beijing and other cities, often supporting Deng and demanding changes. By this year, the government felt obliged to ban marches and poster campaigns.
However, during 1979, there were still posters displayed on the "Democracy Wall" demanding human rights and attacking Mao.
This angered Deng, who now launched an attack on the leading dissident. 1979 the "Democracy Wall" was abolished. Law and Order were restored. -
Deng becomes the new leader
Deng applied some policy changes, such as: *Reversed many changes introduced during the Cultrural Revolution.
*Asked for financial help to the west to modernize industry, agriculture, science and technology. -
Zhao announcement that compulsory state purchase of crops was to be abandoned
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Exports increasal of 10%
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1987 Crisis
There were a series of demonstrations supporting Deng but urguing a much quicker pace and, more democracy. After the students ignored a new ban on wall posters and a new rule, Deng decided that this challenge to party control and discipline had gone far enough, and the demonstrators were dispersed. However, it had been enough to alarm the hardliners, who forced the resignafion of the reformer, Hu Yaobang as Party General Secretary and was replaced by Ziyang. -
Tiananmen Square
Due to the economic reforms, inflation rose to 30% and wages lagged behind prices.
17 April, there were demonstrarions in Tiananmen Square demanding political reform, democracy and an end to communist party corruption.
It began to llok as the gov. lost the control and might have to meet the demands, however, they crashed the demonstrations. -
Li Peng becomes the leader