Chapter 31: Asia and the Pacific, 1945-Present
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Asia and the Pacific 1945–Present Key Events As you read, look for the key events in the history of postwar Asia. • Communists in China introduced socialist measures and drastic reforms under the leadership of Mao Zedong. • After World War II, India gained its independence from Britain and divided into two separate countries—India and Pakistan. • Japan modernized its economy and society after 1945 and became one of the world’s economic giants. The Impact Today The events that occurred during this time period still impact our lives today. • Today China and Japan play significant roles in world affairs: China for political and military reasons, Japan for economic reasons. • India and Pakistan remain rivals. In 1998, India carried out nuclear tests and Pakistan responded by testing its own nuclear weapons. • Although the people of Taiwan favor independence, China remains committed to eventual unification. World History Video The Chapter 31 video, “Vietnam,” chronicles the history and impact of the Vietnam War. Mao Zedong 1949 1953 1965 Communist Korean Lyndon Johnson Party takes War sends U.S. troops over China ends to South Vietnam 1935 1945 1955 1965 1947 1966 India and Indira Gandhi Pakistan become elected independent prime minister nations of India Indira Gandhi 938 Singapore’s architecture is a mixture of modern and colonial buildings. Nixon in China 1972 Richard Nixon establishes diplomatic HISTORY relations 1989 with Tiananmen Square China massacre Chapter Overview Visit the Glencoe World History Web site at 1975 1985 1995 2005 tx.wh.glencoe.com and click on Chapter 31–Chapter Overview to preview chapter information. 1979 1997 Mother Teresa Return of Hong receives the Nobel Kong to China Peace Prize Fireworks celebrate the handover of Hong Kong to China. 939 The events in Tiananmen Square ended tragically for pro-democracy protesters. A Movement Why It Matters for Democracy The movement for democracy in n the spring of 1989, China began to experience a remark- China in the 1980s was only one of able series of events. Crowds of students, joined by work- many tumultuous events in Asia after World War II. In China, a civil Iers and journalists, filled Tiananmen Square in Beijing day war gave way to a new China under after day to demonstrate in favor of a democratic govern- Communist control. Japan recov- ment for China. Some students waged a hunger strike, and ered from the devastation of World others carried posters calling for democracy. War II and went on to build an eco- To China’s elderly rulers, calls for democracy were a threat nomic powerhouse. In South Asia to the dominant role that the Communist Party had played in and Southeast Asia, nations that had China since 1949. Some leaders interested in reform advised been dominated by Western colo- restraint in handling the protesters. Most of the Communist nial powers struggled to gain their leaders, however, wanted to repress the movement. When freedom. Throughout Asia, nations students erected a 30-foot (9-m)-high statue called “The God- worked to develop modern industri- dess of Democracy” that looked similar to the American alized states. Statue of Liberty, party leaders became especially incensed. History and You Find online or On June 3, 1989, the Chinese army moved into the square. in the library a commentary on the Soldiers carrying automatic rifles fired into the unarmed Tiananmen Square incident written crowds. Tanks and troops moved in and surrounded the from the perspective of the Chinese remaining students. At 5:30 in the morning on June 4, the government. Analyze the work to mayor of Beijing announced that Tiananmen Square had been determine whether or not it displays “handed back to the people.” Even then, the killing of bias. Support your opinion. unarmed citizens continued. In all, more than 2,000 civilians died in the streets of Beijing. The movement for democracy in China had ended. 940 Communist China Guide to Reading Main Ideas People to Identify Reading Strategy • Mao Zedong established a socialist soci- Deng Xiaoping, Richard Nixon Cause and Effect Use a chart like the ety in China. one below to list communism’s effects • After Mao’s death, modified capitalist Places to Locate on China’s international affairs. techniques were used to encourage Taiwan, South Korea, North Korea growth in industry and farming. Preview Questions Effects Key Terms 1. How did the Great Leap Forward and commune, permanent revolution, the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolu- per capita tion affect China? Communism 2. What were the major economic, social, and political developments in Preview of Events China after the death of Mao Zedong? ✦1950 ✦1960 ✦1970 ✦1980 1950 1958 1972 1979 A marriage law guarantees women Mao Zedong institutes President Nixon China establishes diplomatic equal rights with men in China the Great Leap Forward visits China ties with the United States Voices from the Past Nien Cheng, the widow of an official of Chiang Kai-shek’s regime, described a visit by Red Guards to her home: Mounting the stairs, I was astonished to see several Red Guards taking pieces of my“ porcelain collection out of their padded boxes. One young man . was stepping on them. Impulsively I leapt forward and caught his leg just as he raised his foot to crush the next cup. He toppled. We fell in a heap together. The young man whose revolutionary work of destruction I had interrupted said angrily, ‘You shut up! These things belong to the old culture. Our Great Leader Chairman Mao taught us, “If we Students in support do not destroy, we cannot establish.” The old culture must be destroyed to make way of Mao Zedong for the new socialist culture.’” —Life and Death in Shanghai, Nien Cheng, 1986 The Red Guards were established to create a new order in China. Civil War and the Great Leap Forward By 1945, there were two Chinese governments. The Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek, based in southern and central China, was supported by the United States. The Communist government, under the leadership of Mao Zedong, had its base in North China. In 1946, full-scale war between the Nationalists and the Communists broke out. In the countryside, millions of peasants were attracted to the Communists by promises of land. Many joined Mao’s People’s Liberation Army. By the spring of 1949, the People’s Liberation Army had defeated the Nation- alists. Chiang and two million followers fled to the island of Taiwan. CHAPTER 31 Asia and the Pacific 941 China, 1949–1989 People‘s Republic of China (Communist) SOVIET UNION Republic of China (Nationalist) Site of fighting involving the Red Guards, On June 4, 1989, the Chinese 1966–1969 army massacres pro-democracy Pro-democracy student demonstrations, 1986 demonstrators in Tiananmen Square. °N 40 MONGOLIA MANCHURIA On October 1, 1949, Communist Sea Mao Zedong proclaims China as of NORTH Japan the People’s Republic of China. JAPAN XINJIANG Beijing KOREA INNER SOUTH N MONGOLIA e KOREA N H Yellow A W g °N T E CHINA n Sea 30 IS Hu a K A S Nanjing P C Xian h Hefei Shanghai an TIBET g Chongqing J East China N SIKKIM i Wuhan E BHUTAN a Sea PA n ER L g ANC Taipei OF C ᮡ PIC Chinese workers in TRO °N INDIA Guangzhou 20 a state-owned factory Kunming Taiwan Shenzhen Pacific BANGLADESH Hong Kong 0 400 miles BURMA VIETNAM U.K. Ocean LAOS Hainan 0 400 kilometers In late 1949, Nationalist Chiang Kai-shek Two-Point Equidistant projection THAILAND and his followers flee to Taiwan and 80°E 90°E100°E 110°E reestablish the Republic of China. The People’s Republic of China originated in 1949. in 1958. Existing collective farms, normally the size of 1. Interpreting Maps Identify the places where pro- a village, were combined into vast communes. Each democracy student demonstrations took place in 1986. commune contained more than thirty thousand peo- Which of these cities had also been sites of fighting ple who lived and worked together. Mao hoped this involving the Red Guards 20 years earlier? program would enable China to reach the final stage 2. Applying Geography Skills Use the map’s scale to of communism—the classless society—before the determine the approximate distance from Taiwan to end of the twentieth century. The government official mainland China. Use an atlas to help you name two slogan promised the following: “Hard work for a few U.S. cities that are about this same distance apart. years, happiness for a thousand.” The Great Leap Forward was a disaster. Bad weather and the peasants’ hatred of the new system The Communist Party, under the leadership of its drove food production down. As a result, almost chairman, Mao Zedong, now ruled China. In 1955, fifteen million people died of starvation. In 1960, the the Chinese government launched a program to government abandoned the communes and returned build a socialist society. To win the support of the to collective farms. peasants, lands were taken from wealthy landlords and given to poor peasants. About two-thirds of the Reading Check Explaining Why was the Great Leap peasant households in China received land under the Forward an economic disaster for China? new program. Most private farmland was collec- tivized, and most industry and commerce was The Great Proletarian nationalized. Chinese leaders hoped that collective farms would Cultural Revolution increase food production, allowing more people to Mao now faced opposition within the Communist work in industry. Food production, however, did not Party. Despite this opposition and the commune fail- grow. ure, he still dreamed of a classless society. In Mao’s To speed up economic growth, Mao began a more eyes, only permanent revolution, an atmosphere radical program, known as the Great Leap Forward, of constant revolutionary fervor, could enable the 942 CHAPTER 31 Asia and the Pacific Chinese to overcome the Thousands of students were sent abroad to study sci- past and achieve the final HISTORY ence, technology, and modern business techniques.