ChINa's HIstory

China's growing GPD  
To the right is a chart on China's GDP.  A link to Graph

1) What do you notice in 1952? 


2) When do you start to see a change?


3) What is the GDP in 2004?


4) Why do you think it is so low in 1952?  What could of happened to make the change?  

Mao Zedong Rise to Power

Mao Zedong came to power in 1949 as China was rebuilding after the devastating affects of WWII,    China had lost over 10,000,000 people and unstable governance led to a civil war in which the communist party seized control.  Japanese treatment of the Chinese is comparable to Hilter's treatment of the Jewish population.  Women were raped repeatedly, mass killing of civilians, and torture of military personal.   

When Mao came to power and formed the Peoples Republic of China he incorporated sweeping changes to the economy.  After centuries of colonization and imperialism from other countries he now closed off China from the rest of the world in an attempt to make it self sufficient.  Link to Video

"Enable every woman who can work to take her place on the labor front, under the principle of equal pay for equal work." Mao Zedong

China's Transformation

Video Questions

1. How would you describe the government of China between 1911 and 1949? Was it secure and stable or not? What evidence can you use to justify your argument?
   
   
2. What is the difference between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China? Which one do the communists control? Who controls the other?
   
   
3. Who is Mao Zedong?
   
   
4. What did the Great Leap Forward attempt to do? Was it successful? Why did Mao lose power?
   
   
5. What was the Cultural Revolution? Why did it attempt to change? When and how did it end?
   
   
6. When Deng Xiaoping took power in 1980 describe how life changed for many people in China.
   
   
7. What are some of the greatest accomplishments China has made in the last decade?

Resources (Information on website taken from websites below)