Mao Zedong (1893-1976) emerged as a major CCP leader. He took a different path
by basing his revolutionary programme on the peasantry. He organised the Chinese
peasants to fight for abolition of landlordism. He also built an army of
peasants. Millions of landless peasants joined the struggle led by CCP. His
success made the CCP a powerful political party. It ultimately won against the
Guomindang. Mao Zedong’s radical approach can be seen in Jiangxi, in the
mountains, where they camped from 1928 to 1934, secure from Guomindang attacks. A
strong peasants’ council (soviet) was organised. This council united through
confiscation and redistribution of land of landlords. Mao, unlike other leaders,
stressed the need for an independent government and army. He had become aware of
women’s problems and supported the emergence of rural women’s associations. He
also promoted a new marriage law that forbade arranged marriages, stopped
purchase or sale of marriage contracts and simplified divorce.
The Communists’ Soviet party was forced to find another base for themselves
because of the Guomindang blockade. They went on a Long March (1934-35) which
was a gruelling and difficult journey of 6,000 miles to Shanxi. They set up their
new base in Yanan. Here, they further developed their programme to end warlordism,
carry out land reforms and fight foreign imperialism. This twin agenda of land
reform and nationalisation made them successful and made a strong social base
for them.
Japan attacked and occupied much of China between 1937 and 1945. They
tried to impose a cruel colonial military rule over China. This had a disastrous
impact on the Chinese society and economy. Both Guomindang and CCP now tried
to join together to fight Japanese occupation. After the surrender of Japan to the
US in August 1945, Guomindang and CCP fought a war for control over China.
Eventually, CCP was successful in establishing its rule over mainland China while
Guomindang was forced to set up its government on the island of Taiwan.
The Peoples Republic of China government was established in 1949. It was
based on the principles of the ‘New Democracy’. This new principle was an
association of all social classes who were opposed to landlordism and imperialism.
Important areas of the economy were put under government control. Once in power,
the CCP started large scale land reform measures. They took away the land of