Result of the Long March & Mao’s Leadership
What was the Long March?
A long retreat by the CCP to escape the Nationalists.
What was the Yenan Soviet?
A CCP base area in northern China.
What major external enemy did China fight in 1937?
China began fighting Japan after the Japanese invasion.
What was one problem with Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist government?
It was known for being corrupt and not helping poor citizens.
How did the Long March help Mao Zedong?
Why did Mao gain respect from CCP members during the Long March?
How did land reform help the CCP gain support?
They gave peasants land, which made them popular.
How did fighting Japan help the CCP grow stronger?
The CCP gained more territory and more followers by defending rural villages from Japanese attacks.
How did the Nationalists treat peasants, and how did that affect support?
They forced high taxes and labor on peasants, causing ordinary people to resent the Nationalists and turn toward the CCP.
Why did Mao gain respect from CCP members during the Long March?
He showed strong leadership and kept the group united while surviving harsh conditions.
What was the goal of the Rectification Campaign?
To remove opponents and make CCP members follow Mao’s beliefs.
Why did peasants prefer the CCP during the war compared to the KMT?
The CCP protected peasants, treated them with respect, and supported them, while the Nationalists often ignored their needs.
Why did many Chinese believe the Nationalists failed during the war?
They focused more on fighting the Communists than fighting the Japanese, which made the government appear selfish and weak.
How did the Long March help CCP propaganda in a good way?
It created a heroic story that made the CCP seem brave and determined. The CCP had a better representation
Why did peasants trust the CCP more than the KMT in Yenan?
The CCP improved their lives by offering fair land policies and support.
How did the war against Japan weaken Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalists?
The Nationalists lost battles, struggled with corruption, and seemed less focused on defending China, which made people lose respect for them.
How did corruption in the KMT benefit the CCP?
Since the Nationalists seemed greedy and only concerned with power, the CCP appeared more honest and committed to helping China’s poorer population.
Why did the survivors of the Long March become important to Mao’s success later?
They formed a loyal group of supporters who helped enforce his ideas and strengthen his power.
How did the Yenan period strengthen Mao’s long-term control of the CCP?
It unified the party under Mao’s ideology and wiped out disagreement.
Why did the Anti-Japanese War give the CCP a major advantage in the later civil war?
Because the CCP expanded its control in the countryside, gained a positive reputation as defenders of the people, and improved their military strength while the KMT grew weaker.
Why is the Nationalists’ loss of popularity considered a key cause of CCP victory in 1949?
Because once large numbers of Chinese people stopped trusting the Nationalists, they supported the CCP instead, which gave Mao the manpower and legitimacy needed to win the civil war.