The Communist Revolution in China, 1949 (AQA GCSE History) : Revision Note
How did communist revolution in China impact Cold War tensions? - Summary
In 1949, the Communist Party won the civil war in China and Mao Zedong took control of the country. This was a major turning point in the Cold War because China was one of the largest and most powerful countries in Asia. It showed that the divide between the Capitalist West and Communist East was growing. The USSR supported Mao’s new government, meaning the Soviet Union had gained a powerful communist ally, which made the USA feel more isolated.
The USA had been trying to contain the spread of communism. The West feared a “domino effect” — that other countries in Asia might turn communist too. The USA refused to recognise Mao’s government and instead supported the Nationalist government in Taiwan. It also gave more help to countries like Japan and South Korea and began to spend more money on its military.
The communist takeover of China made the Cold War more global and made the USA even more determined to fight communism when it appeared in Korea and Vietnam.
Mao's Revolution
How was China governed before the revolution?
Before the revolution, China was ruled by the Nationalist Party
The government was
corrupt
struggling to deal with poverty
As a result, the Nationalist Party lost support from many areas of Chinese society
Who was Mao Zedong?
Mao Zedong was the leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
Mao wanted to remove the Nationalist government and create a Communist state
He promised the Chinese public that, if he was in charge, he would
redistribute land to the peasants
end corruption in the government
The creation of Communist China
A civil war broke out between the communists and nationalists in 1945
The communists gained more support and won many battles
In October 1949, Mao and the communists won and declared the People’s Republic of China
The nationalists fled to the island of Taiwan, where they set up a separate government
China's relationship with the USSR
When Mao came to power in 1949, the USSR was the first country to recognise Communist China
The USSR supported China’s revolution and hoped China would follow the Soviet model of communism
The Treaty of Friendship
In 1950, China and the USSR signed the Treaty of Friendship
It aimed to
create a military alliance, similar in aims to NATO, but for the communist world
help rebuild China after the civil war
strengthen the USSR's economy by purchasing Soviet goods and services
Terms of the Treaty of Friendship
Breakdown of the relationship between the USSR and China
Soviet and Chinese versions of communism were very different
Soviet communism
Focused on industrial workers in cities
Stalin believed he was in charge of communism around the world
Chinese communism
Based on peasants in the countryside
Mao wanted to create his policies without consulting the Soviet Union
Stalin's death in 1953 further damaged the relationship between the two countries
The next leader of the USSR, Khrushchev, criticised Stalin’s leadership
Mao saw this as a betrayal
Mao disliked Khrushchev’s peaceful approach to the West
By the mid-1960s, the Sino-Soviet split had occurred
China and the USSR were no longer allies and even threatened each other with war
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The Conflict and Tension Between East and West relies on your understanding of causes and consequences. This will help you to understand how each event you study in the Cold War connects together.
For this example, China and the USSR had a positive relationship. The Treaty of Friendship is the consequence of this connection. Consequences do not always have to be negative. A consequence is just a result of an action - these can be positive or negative.
China's relationship with the West
In 1949, the USA refused to recognise Mao’s communist government after the Chinese Civil War.
Instead, the USA recognised the nationalist government in Taiwan as the "real" China
The USA kept Mao’s government out of the United Nations
Why was the USA threatened by Communist China?
The change of government was a failure of the USA’s Containment policy
The USA feared that communism was spreading through Asia, particularly Taiwan and Japan
China’s influence also encouraged the growth of communist movements in Korea and Vietnam
The USSR gained a huge propaganda victory
The country with the world’s largest population had joined the communist bloc
US actions against Communist China
Allying with Japan
The USA began to build up Japan as a strong capitalist ally in Asia by:
providing economic support to re-build after the Second World War
help Japan rearm
The NSC-68
In 1950, the USA created the National Security Council Resolution 68 (NSC-68)
The report
stated that the USA must take a much tougher stance against communism
called for a major increase in military spending to stop communism across the world
Examiner Tips and Tricks
After 1949, the USA saw Asia as a key battleground. It is important to recognise the communist takeover of China was a turning point in US foreign policy. The US was more aggressive, fearing the spread of communism across Asia.
Worked Example
Source A is supportive of the USSR. How do you know?
[4 marks]
Source A: A Chinese propaganda poster from 1953. The caption reads: “The Soviet Union is our example.”
Answer:
Source A is supportive of the USSR due to the content. The poster shows a Chinese worker proudly laying bricks while looking up at a large Soviet-style building with a portrait of Stalin on it (1). This suggests that China sees the USSR as a model of strength and progress, especially in terms of industry and leadership. The caption says “The Soviet Union is our example,” showing that the USSR is being praised as a guide for how China should build its own future (1).
It is also supportive because of its provenance. The poster was made in 1953, just a few years after China and the USSR signed the Treaty of Friendship in 1950 (1). As part of the treaty, the USSR gave China $300 million in aid, along with technical experts to help with industry and development. The poster was designed to show that China admired the USSR’s example, and using the aid that they had provided to them to become a strong, communist country (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
When approaching the "How do you know" question, ensure that you have selected two parts of the source which are relevant to the question and that you have knowledge of. If the worked example above did not mention any knowledge about the Communist takeover of China or the Treaty of Friendship, it would not get more than 3 marks.
For further guidance on this question, you can read this revision note on how to answer the 4-mark “How do you know” question.
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