Russia+and+China

__Pg. 684 In-depth Questions__ In the opening decades of the 20th century, the rise of revolutionary forces, stemmed from from the appalling working and living conditions, were internal forces within the governments of Mexico and China that helped to weaken them. World wars were the external forces that helped witness an erosion of power within the governments of Mexico and China if they had lost during the wars. Their armies would not defend an inferior government that could not protect its own people.

Key social groups in Mexico, China, and Russia were the working class, the soldiers, and the ideologists that opposed the government. The working class were important in that they represented a large majority of the population of these nations; they provided the sheer numbers needed to make a change. The soldiers provided the power necessary to enact change. The ideologists provided the advertisement or the spread of ideas that the government was not doing its job properly.

Among these three early revolutions, it would seem that the standard working and living conditions caused by early industrialization were so poor that it invoked rage amongst its workers. Economic slumps and depressions also added fuel to this fire. Other wars impacted the abilities of the nation to govern itself. The ideologists often spread different ideas about the effectiveness of their government, but at the same time, the general idea was that they were trying to rally and unify the civilians together.


 * __Russia:__**

__Pg. 681 - 685 Notes__ MI: Initially in Russia, the liberal party led by **Alexander Kerensky** were the dominating power in Russia, but due to popular unrest and lack of actions, the **Bolshevik Wing** of the Social Democratic party led by **Lenin** soon grew in power and eventually overpowered the liberalists. ++: The liberalists could not enact many changes or resolutions to the growing public unrest caused by economic instability due to wanting to respect property arrangements before a legitimate government could be put into place. ++: Due to the above weaknesses; Lenin and his Social Democratic party grew in power. However, the Social Revolutionary party was ahead in popularity still. Lenin urged the party to disband, arguing that the party no longer "existed." ++: Internal civil war erupted within Russia; tsarist generals, peasants, and other minor nationalities banded together against the communist regime.

MI: Russia stablized itself however, despite the internal civil war, by making amends to the economy, improving their military strength, and specifying certain legal rights for people. ++: The **Red Army** led by Leon Trotsky and its overall strength promoted loyalty to the regime from the mass public. ++: The **New Economic Policy** issued by Stalin gave economic freedom to peasant landowners and small business owners; however, there were still some economic policies that they had to follow. ++: The **Union of Soviet Socialist Republics** and the **Supreme Soviet** were mostly those of ethnic Russians; very little representations and rights were given to the minority groups, such as the Jews.

MI: Russia's communist styled government grew further in power as **Stalin** ascended to power after Lenin's death; this led to the spread of communism and the weakening of the peasantry. ++: The **Comintern** set up communist parties in the West in an attempt to spread communism in other regions besides Russia. ++: A new **collectivization** program set up by Stalin attacked peasant land ownership and caused millions to fall victim to slaughter or starvation. Collectivization was the set up of large, staterun farms rather than individual farms.

__Pg. 698 - 703 Notes__ MI: While agricultural production suffered for Russia, the reverse was true for the industrial sector of Russia; it began to prosper and drove Russia out of its backwardness state. ++: Collectivization antagonized many peasants because it restricted their opportunities and made labor more factory-like. Many opposed collectivization by even burning their own machinery, tools, and crops so that they would not fall into the government's hands. This led to famine and a lack of agricultural production. ++: Industrialization, however, prospered under the **five-year plans**, which set quotas and clear priorities for industrial production. This led to the Union being the world's third industrial power.

MI: Russia under the rule of Stalin enforced certain laws to force beliefs onto their populace. ++: If people did not follow these laws or went against these beliefs, the secret police would get involved and send people to Siberian prison camps. ++: **Socialist Realism** was being taught in schools, idolizing heroic workers, soldiers, and peasants. Scientists were often arrested due to their theories of evolution which went against the Marxist beliefs.

__Pg. 750 - 759 Notes__ MI: Eastern European nations began to backlash against the Stalinist government due to overrepressive laws and demands; this caused a bit of a distraction in terms of Russia's goals. ++: Many still wished to be communist, but desired for somewhat more freedom than the restrictive Stalinist government. ++: The Soviet Union began to concentrate military presense in these nations as a way of monitoring their activities and behaviors; this diverted them away from potential expanionist ambitions.

MI: At home however, the Soviet Union enforced its laws and regulations amongst its people. ++: It continued its major disapproval of the United States, stating it to be an evil power. ++: Foreign ideas, travel, media, and even glimpses of the outside world were banned. ++: Emphasis was still on the ethnic Russians to take charge within the central powers of the bureaucracy.

MI: Russia attacked the Catholic church and the West, but their attacks did not completely eradicate the beliefs and works of these organizations. ++: The church was allowed to continue preaching, however, it could only do so to people who were 18+ years old, causing their followers to be elderly people. ++: Some art forms from the West were even adapted and called "Russian"; there were some ambivalent feelings towards accepting or denying the works of the West.

MI: Russia's living standards took a hit in its desire to improve industrialization and armaments sectors so that it could compete with the West. ++: Because so much focus was on nonconsumable goods, the consumable goods industries were often underdeveloped compared to the West and suffered from production issues. ++: Long lines plagued people's desires to grab these necessities or commodities of life. ++: Women often worked; mostly in the field of medicine, but were considered inferior compared to the male counterparts of the West. Some had to support their families without the help from their husbands.

MI: With the death of Stalin, new policies loosened up the restrictive controls and laws set up by Stalin, created by **Nikita Khrushchev**. ++: Khrushchev attacked Stalin for his concentration of power and his political oppression against certain groups of people. This led to new policies that were less extreme against people who opposed the government. ++: While in power, Khrushchev created policies that involved the Soviet Union in a peaceful competition against the U.S in terms of space travel and military power. ++: Anti-Western policies were still in effect however; but the public desire for Westernized culture grew as dedication to labor declined.

__Pg. 841 - 847 Notes__ MI: **Mikhail Gorbachev**'s rise to power in 1985 brought even looser policies on Stalin's original restrictive policies and laws. ++: The first was **glasnost**, or openness. People were free to criticize and question the government. Isolation was no longer truly advocated and better relationships with the U.S. was encouraged. However, it still tried to keep its communist government. ++: The second was **perestroika**, or economic reconstructing. Farming and other businesses were decentralized; there was freedom in the way people could manage their labor and/or business.

MI: Gorbachev completely reversed postwar imperialism, stating that each nation had its own right to rule. ++: Many Eastern European nations began fighting for independence from their communist governments; the Berlin Wall was destroyed, elections where noncommunists could run, etc. were some of the most significant events during this period of time. ++: Only in Romania was there extreme or major violence; the rest were done with mass demonstrations.

MI: A coup had taken Gorbachev out of power and inserted in **Boris Yeltsin**, a sign of the return of communism in Russia. ++: Yeltsin had declared the end of the Soviet Union, and projected a commonwealth of the leading republics, though economic reforms were rare due to not wanting to antagonize the general populace. ++: After the fall of Yeltsin came **Vladimir Putin**, who cleaned up the government and attacked dissident organizations and networks who criticized the government. Many Russians actually felt that a leader should not take criticism without action.



__Thesis Statements:__ Russian political structure from 1914 to the present day has gradually shifted from the ideals of communism to the ideals of democracy and capitalism, and back. While there were traces of communism seen throughout their policies and laws throughout this time period, capitalism was not so often seen and only evident in certain periods of time. This was because Russia was adamant about keeping communism within its political structure and not straying too far off even with increased interaction with the outside world. //(Dismantlement of the Soviet Union --> Shift/Change)// //(Tsarist--> Liberalism, Liberalism --> Communism/Establishment of Soviet Union, Abolishment of the Soviet Union.)// //(Disapproval/Rejection of capitalist system)//

From 1914 to the present day, Russia underwent a multitude of changes that involved its centralized government in most aspects. Economically, it shifted from centralized involvement to decentralized involvement, and eventually back to centralized involvement. Likewise, it was the same for the amount of interactions Russia had with the outside world, and even the leaders of Russia, who were the cause for most of the changes involving the government, the thoughts and interactions of its people, and the economy.

__Pg. 685 - 689__ MI: The fall of the Qing dynasty led to a contest of power; both domestically and internationally, over who would control China. ++: Most of China's civlians wanted the new dynasty to be one of Chinese descent, not a foreign dynasty. ++: The most looming choices over who would rule the next dynasty was **Yuan Shikai**, and the international imperial power, Japan, who easily defeated China in war and could easily take over.
 * __China:__**

MI: When the Japanese tried to take over China, new revolutionary groups and actions had occured so that the reins of China's rule could be back in the hands of the Chinese rather than foreigners. ++: The **May Fourth Movement** was evident of the public disapproval of the new regime. Students and intellectuals cheered for Western democracy and openly opposed the old teachings of Confucianism and family order. ++: **Li Dazhao** and his student, **Mao Zedong**, spread the Marxist views, in contrast to the May Fourth Movement, fitted accordingly to China's situation, in order to spread revolutionary actions in the hands of the peasants rather than the working classes.

MI: The different parties, in particular, the Nationalist party of China, began to store and build up power in hopes of taking the throne. However, because of this economic problems were largely ignored in favor of political ones. ++: **Chiang Kai-shek** trained soldiers at the **Whampoa Military Academy**, supported by the Soviet Union. However, he opposed both the Soviet Union and the warlords, and planned to take both out. ++: The Nationalist party claimed that they would take care of the economic problems, but would never do so.

__Pg. 823 - 830__ MI: Although the new Japanese threat seemed to have nothing to do with the internal civil war going on in China, it impacted greatly on which party would achieve control of China. ++: It would be the communists who would gain control of China due to their superior military tactics over the national party, which won most of the civilians over. Thus, the **People's Republic of China** was created in Beijing. ++: Also, Mao Zedong believed it was their duty to protect the civilians, a sharp contrast to Chiang Kai-shek's arrival of rape, theft, and murder of villagers and peasants.

MI: Strong political and military power of China gave strength to communists worldwide. ++: China's aid in the Korean War was what made repelling the U.S. possible from North Korea. ++: China had also grown powerful enough to function without the aid of the Soviet Union, which with the passing of Stalin, they cut ties off with. They also exploded the first nuclear device that was not developed in an industrialized nation.

MI: Mao Zedong quickly shifted away from the peasants back to the working class as the main initiative for change. China was becoming more and more communist. ++: He used the **Mass Line** approach to bring localized farms into government control, a form of collectivization. ++: He also brought intellectuals into the open and arrested them for criticizing the rule of the government.

MI: The **Great Leap Forward** program designed to restore the mass, rural base backfired and instead, it was a great leap backwards. ++: The lack of machinery, combined with abuses, led to economic disaster in the form of famines and mass importation of grains. ++: A birth rate control had to be implemented so that the population would not grow so large. ++: Zedong lost power as state chairman as a result of this disaster.

MI: Women saw new rights as a result of the efforts of Zedong and his wife, **Jiang Qing**. ++: Many women saw new opportunites as truck drivers, laborers, spies, and even soldiers if necessary. ++: The expansion of women's rights, including the abolishment of footbinding, led to Jiang Qing ruling in Mao's name, though she would later be toppled as well.

MI: Like the Great Leap Forward, the **Cultural Revolution** backfired on Zedong as well, ultimately leading to another contest for power over control of China. ++: The Cultural Revolution revolted against the elites and the bureaucracy; often, they were forced to do the same labor as peasants did so that they would feel the same experiences and troubles they did. ++: However, Zedong's old political rivals began to rise in power and tried to claim the throne, as well as the **Gang of Four** led by Zedong's own wife, Jiang Qing.

__Document__ - Education, transportation, security = damaged by revolutionaries. - Danger of civilians = government cares for. - Admiration for students?

Peng Li objects to the protest movement because it is interfering with China's progress; transportation and overall production have been halted, thereby weakening China's economy, as well as their political system.

He tries to convince the citizens that the protest should stop by using the students themselves, describing their admirable qualities and using their hunger against them. It is an appeal to their emotions.

The arguments regarding the safety and the ideals of the youth are universal in most governments around the world. The arguments about poisoning the masses and criticizing the government are more reflective of communist styled governments.

The Chinese decided to repress political democracy because of their numerous unregulated criticisms about the government could bring China back again to pre-revolutionary eras, where China was in a state of chaos. Controlling these responses would lead to a more peaceful China filled with order and stability.



__Thesis Statements__ Chinese politics from 1914 to the present day consistently revolved around communism; however, the extent of the laws and policies surrounding this belief in communism is what differed during this time period. Mao Zedong for most of the time period enacted major restrictive changes to China, but after his death, China began to see a loosening of its policies, evident by its increasing standards of living.

(//Between 1914 to the present day, China experienced several changes in its political structure. The most significant changes were the victory of the communists over the nationalists in ruling China/the establishment of the People's Republic of China. However, despite these changes, there were also few continuities such as the rule of China's centralized government.)//

From 1914 to the present day, China saw changes in the improvements of the rights of women, shifts in power of the social classes, and overall political rule and policies of the nation.

__Essay 1:__ Thesis Statement: 20th century political developments in China and Russia were centered around communism; China was more consistent on the ideals of communism, where as Russia tried to balance the ideals of communism and capitalism, trying to lean more towards retaining communism.

Topic Sentence #1: One byproduct of communism used by both Russia and China was the use of collectivization to bring localized farms and businesses into government control. Evidence: Peasants would be forced to work on state-run farms/institutions rather than their own private institutions. Direct Comparison: Both Russia and China used collectivization as a way to bring mostly farms and small businesses under their control. Analysis of Direct Comparison: While both initially used collectivization, Russia constantly swapped back and forth between deciding on personal economic freedom due to ambivalence from limited to no Westernization.

Topic Sentence #2: A major difference between China and Russia's political developments are the opinions of its people. Evidence: Russia's people were strongly towards communism, where as eventually, China's people were eventually accepting the ideals of democracy and capitalism. Direct Comparison: Because of Russia's stubborness on communism, some of Russia's leaders were actually usurped due to fierce disapproval of their civilians; China did not see such a coup. Analysis of Direct Comparison: The approval of the civilians on the type of government largely affected the type of the government that leaders often chose to adopt; fear of coup d'etats was large. //(Reforms made towards civilians)//

Topic Sentence #3: Another major difference was the violence involved in the rise of leaders within China and Russia. //(Revolutionary drive)// Evidence: China was endowed in chaos as new leaders competited for power; Russia was mostly in order; rather than civil wars, it used the political battlefield. Direct Comparison: Russia was more civilized in dealing with the rise of new leaders in comparison to China, but both often struggled with who would succeed the previous leader. //(May Fourth Movement; Bulshevik Revolution)// Analysis of Direct Comparison: A major desire for power was evident in both nations due to numerous political polities and significant people wanting to rise up in position.

__Essay 2:__ Thesis Statement: Social developments of China and Russia in the 20th century were largely centered on the groups of people who had very little rights in comparison to the major elite classes.

Topic Sentence #1: One similarity was the rise of women's rights between the two nations. Evidence: China's women saw more equality in terms of men and both often worked in jobs such as soldiers, nurses, delivery workers, etc. Direct Comparison: Both Russia and China saw new opportunities for women in terms of occupation; however, Russia's women were still considered inferior, where as China's women saw more equality. Analysis of Direct Comparison: China's new found equality was due to the civilians arguing for the destruction of old Confucianist beliefs and looking to the West for their new beliefs in the family structure.

Topic Sentence #2: Another similirity between the two nations was the rise in rights of the peasant class. Evidence: The peasant class received more rights, and even at times, more economic freedom than the traditional collectivization methods employed by the government. Direct Comparison: China's peasants often saw more triggers of change than Russia's peasants; however both societies believed that the power to make changes ultimately lied in the hands of the peasants, not the working classes. Analysis of Direct Comparison: This was due to their beliefs in Marxism; variations in the way these nations treated their peasants were due to adaptations of the belief, but ultimately, both nations stayed true to the main points of the belief.

Topic Sentence #3: A major difference was the treatment of the elite class in both classes. Evidence: The elite enjoyed many rights, and were opposed in both societies. Direct Comparison: However, success came only to China. The elite and the bureaucracy lost major power and were forced to relive experiences of the peasantry. Analysis of Direct Comparison: Success only came to China due to the Cultural Revolution which pitted and united the peasantry against the elite.