The Political Strategy of the Chinese Communist Party during the Yanan Era - Research Paper Example

THE POLITICAL STRATEGY OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY DURING THE YANAN ERA Introduction The idea of the Chinese communist revolution was conceived in Yan’an in the northern province of Shaanxi China. The ideologies were popular from 1936 to 1948, leading to the establishment of the much talked about Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that based its headquarters in Yanan. The Yan’an era was the most significant period in the history of the republic of china. It was more challenging compared to what the Chinese Communist Party accounts of propaganda. The period saw major events in the history of China take place such as the Sino-Japanese war, the Xian incident of 1936, the civil war, and the rectification movement. During the long march, the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and the red army created a well-established Yan’an spirit, which could later thrive in among the young revolutionaries. They had vision and desire for a better nation fighting for what they believed was a worthy cause, to defeat Japanese and Nationalist armies through the civil war for the revolutionary victory of 1949. The inspirational Yan’an era was fundamental in establishing the Peoples Republic of China through the 1950s. Therefore, in tracking the Chinese Communist Party development, it is essential for one to understand the Yan’an era, particularly the leadership of Mao, his theories and teachings, and ways of ruling like use of threats and elimination. The Yanan spirit played a great role in the Chinese Cultural Revolution, and it is even visible in modern day China. The Yan’an Era and the Chinese Communist Party Revolution After the destruction of the Jiangxi Soviet, the red army marched to Yan’an in northern Shaanxi, where their communist ideologies could be reborn. Yan’an presented the ideal place to stage the communist revolution as it was a peasantry area that was famine and drought ridden. The peasant population worked for Mao and his group as they were easy targets that could accept revolutionary ideas in agriculture. The turning point of the Chinese Communist Party will always be attributed to the long march of the red army to Yan’an. The choice of Yan’an provided a base where the communist would reorganize and rebuild the resistance to the Guomindang Nationalists and the Japanese imperialist1. It was to be the center of communist teachings and development of the theory. After arriving at Yan’an, the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party was in a state of instability, and although Mao Zedong ascended to leadership, there was still more that needed to be mended. He had to deal with factions of the 28 Bolsheviks that had arrived from Moscow to tow the party in line, and the ideological children of the May Fourth movement who were pro-western liberals. In order to win the hearts and minds of the peasant community, Mao adopted the Marxist-Leninist theory as it presented the base of the revolution. Land revolution through land redistribution was center stage in the communist party strategy, and the ideology aroused the peasants to support it. The living conditions in Yan’an were destitute, and the survivors of the long march lived in caves. The hardship, bravery, and the spirit of perseverance under these conditions lead to flourishing of the party, and it created a myth among the populace of who were the communists. The suffering promoted solidarity and brought a mood of achievement among the red army members and party leadership. The torrid conditions in Yan’an contributed to the radicalization of many peasants as they viewed the strategies of the Chinese Communist Party appealing in regard to the distribution of land, provision of health and education. Mao’s teachings helped the red army influence the peasants, and they were outstanding compared to Guomindang’s brutality, corruption and lack of empathy. The party leaders and intellectuals interacted with the peasants and they could even work with them in the fields. Therefore, followers of the Chinese Communist Party were not born of ideological conversion, but rather followed because of the appealing nature of the reds treatment. Although some membership could be drawn from coercion, most joined because of the Chinese Communists propaganda. Survivors of the long march showed great courage, sacrifice and struggle, which were fundamental foundation qualities of the revolutions. Of the approximately 100000 soldiers who began the march, only around 8000 survived, and their strength enabled them to transform the military disaster into a victory based on their sufferings. One of the outcomes of the long march was to establish Mao as a leader autonomous of the Soviet Union ideologies. Moving to Yan’an presented a nationalistic appeal for people of the Republic of China to come together to fend off Japanese invasion. Yan’an as a base of operation for the Chinese Communist Party presented the perfect place to carry out military trainings and strategizing against the opponents. The area was not densely populated and its rugged and inaccessible loess hills provided the perfect terrain for the red army. In addition, the area was remote and it had before offered haven for roving armed outlaws2. Exploitation and degrading lives of peasants also presented an opportunity for individuals who were vulnerable who could quickly join the cause to revolt against brutal landowners. The torrid experiences of peasants and reticent resentment provided favorable minds for radicalization and formation of peasant movements as presented by the communist ideas of just, impartial and independent society. The young minds of the peasantry population in Yan’an were fertile ground for Mao to sow the seeds communist ideologies. The arrival of the long march survivors in Yan’an achieved national stature as the last remaining communist stronghold hosted the Chinese Community Party leadership. Communist activities ensured and after about two years, the foundation for expanding the popular movement had been set by adopting patriotic policy of a united front to fend off the Japanese and eventually lead to revolutionary victory. The success of the Communist Party can be attributed to diverse reasons with some scholars associating it with the patriotic response and the war of resistance against the Japanese. To some, success came because of the appeal to the peasants through communist ideologies and programs like redistribution of land and better governance, hence realizing better economic and political lives of peasants3. The communists won the peasants minds and hearts through the agrarian revolution, which made it easier for the peasants to participate in politics. In addition, it provided a secure base for the communists to initiate their crusade against the Japanese and the Guomindang Nationalists. The land revolution transformed the lives of many peasants creating basis for classless social order that was key to winning the support of the peasants. Surplus land was taken from the rich landlords and redistributed to the poorer peasants with the help of the red army. Social classes were abolished, and party officials acted only in the capacity of giving advice. Mao’s vision of the communist revolution was interwoven with the agrarian revolution which was the reason for its success as it acquired enormous support from the peasant population4. At first, the red army used force on the landlords who opposed the ideas or redistribution, but majority came to terms with the ideologies and those who fled could later return when the Second United Front when came to effect. Flexibility of the Communist Party allowed it to thrive as a change in party policy allowed it to shift temporary from focusing on the agrarian revolution and forming an alliance with middle classes to fight off the Japanese. In areas where the Chinese Communist party had taken root, interest rates on loans and mortgages were reduced with rents on harvests reduced by more than a quarter. For landlords who could invest in local industries or whose sons were in the red army, they benefited from tax bonuses and peasants were encouraged to form cooperatives. The land revolution removed the aspect of inequalities and improved the lives of many. Similarly, the youths benefited from education, and the revolutionary movement unlocked pathways for them. Another reason the party flourished is the way it was run. The leadership was structured in that youths were predominant from the lowest ranks to top leadership, with the age in the lowest rank in the red army being nineteen and that of their officers being twenty four. Top leadership age ranged between mid-30s and early 40s. It was advantageous in that in times of disarray and discord, the youthful potency and capacity for bold actions was at the finest state5. Majority was peasant youth who had been filled with the flames of the revolution and they carried the agriculture reforms in many villages in the Communist controlled areas. They were the stem of peasant militia and red army forces that took the crusade for a new order in China. Social reforms such as women associations, evening schools, and reading lessons contributed to winning the confidence of the peasants. The peasants and the red army could afford to learn while they were still at work. Most of the communist ideas and perspectives were taught through music and dance troupes, hence their popularity grew fast. Literacy levels grew quickly under the communist ideologies. Left-wing students could later make their long march to a local university of anti-Japanese resistance in Yan’an to hear first-hand from their inspirational leader Zedong Mao6. The Chinese Communist Party represented a discrete approach to social-economic development and people’s war. One of the driving principles of the Chinese communist party was to build a robust economy through hardship and adversity. The red army units worked in sowing seed, livestock rearing and making their shoes, as supplies became more and more limited to the period. Improving the livelihood of the army meant more independence and reducing burden on the people. It was part of the new concept of fostering togetherness and sense of reasonability in that cadres engaged in economic and political activities alike as part of the mass policy. The activities sought to improve cooperation between the subjects and the leaders through unity of mental and physical labor hence creating more unity and strengthening the party. Ability to empathize and integrate with the peasant community to resist Japanese invasion strengthened the party. The communist policy of military self-sustenance reduced the burden of sustaining a large army thus more energy could be focused on other areas. After the collapse of the second united front and the 1940-41 Japanese offensive, the party reviewed the rent policy of peasants in the borders thus growth of more support for the red army. The labor hero campaigns looked to strengthen the ideologies through encouragement of manual labor in the fields and factories. The labor hero presented a figure and model that communities could look unto to emulate. In the communist areas, outstanding workers were awarded with gifts, educated and honored, and their agricultural accomplishments publicized. The labor hero model helped in identifying, training and motivating individuals who could then spread the revolutionary ideas7. Competition amongst individuals and factories could also be spearheaded as part of the labor hero campaign since that was the new feature that defined the economy. The leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Mao Zedong spent most of his time writing new ideologies of democracy, mass line and continuous revolution based on Marxism. In 1942, the rectification campaign was launched with the objective of teaching the new Maoist ideas to the Chinese communists and eliminating those opposed to the ideologies. Mao Zedong emphasized on tightening party unity and discipline by embracing Marxist theory in practice. Individuals were advised to learn from each other in sessions that were systematically organized so as to raise political awareness of the Marxist-Leninist ideologies. People gained the correct revolutionary consciousness from the teachings and whoever had not seized the correct interpretation could be placed before a denunciation meeting, where they could self-criticize and take criticism from their peers8. After that, someone had to restudy the ideas and rethink their thoughts and if someone still had trouble reforming, they could be punished through physical labor working with the peasants. The campaign successfully defined itself to be a purge of the Chinese Communist Party with the Maoist ideologies becoming more popular and formally accepted as party doctrines. Mao emphasized on the idea of continuous revolution by the Communist, who was to struggle incessantly against inactiveness and always strive for improved revolutionary energy. The idea would later prove very useful during the Cultural Revolution of 1966 to 1976. The virtues of struggle, selflessness, diligence, sacrifice and courage cultivated among the people by the Chinese Communist Party played an essential part in revolutionary success. Conclusion The Yan’an era played a significant role in shaping the political landscape of China through the principles of Chinese communism. The establishment of the Chinese Communist Party grew, and peasants were trained and educated to be active supporters of the party. The focus of the party for its success was the problems the peasants were facing in China and with the introduction of land and tax reforms, the rural economy improved. As demonstrated by the revolution in China, the power of people can bring a great deal of change that is, if the problems they are facing are incorporated in the revolutionary ideologies. Just like Mao knew, in order to expand the base of the Chinese Communist Party, they had to focus on the agricultural communities and offer them hope in terms of land reforms and tax review to get them to join the cause. Although the Chinese Communist Party achieved a lot, there has been criticism as to how they carried their operations. The westerners believed that the methods employed by Mao and his red army were extreme, especially during the rectifications. But as it could later be revealed by journalist Edgar Snow, the Chinese Communist Party had no resemblance of the Soviet Union communists. They were agrarian revolutionists who were out to better the lives of the people of Republic of China. The revolutions could be compared favorably with nationalist capital that they portrayed as corrupt. The idea was also supported by USSRs Joseph Stalin who called the Chinese Communist Party radish communists. The spirit of the revolution still lives in the heart of the Chinese people even the Chinese Communist Party runs under the ideologies of Mao up to today. Mao is highly regarded in Chinese history for his great role in transforming the Republic of China. Bibliography Chong, Woei Lien. Chinas Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution: Master Narratives and Post-Mao Counter-Narrative. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002. Ebrey, Patricia, and Anne Walthall. East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, 2014. OBrien, Kevin J. Reform without Liberalization: Chinas National Peoples Congress and the Politics of Institutional Change. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Pederson, William D. The FDR Years. New York, NY: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Shambaugh, David. “International Perspectives on the Communist Party of China,” China: An International Journal 10, no. 2 (2012). Zhang, Xudong. Chinese Modernism in the Era of Reforms Cultural Fever, Avant-Garde Fiction, and the New Chinese Cinema. Durham: Duke University Press, 1997. Zhong, Xueping, and ‎Ban Wang. Debating the socialist legacy and capitalist globalization in China. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. Read More