Communism Spreads in East Asia
Chapter 15
Section 3
Communists vs. Nationalists in China
After WWII, Mao Zedong led communist forces to
victory over Jiang Jieshi’s Nationalists, who fled to
Taiwan
Mao began to reshape China’s economy
First, he gave land to peasants, but then called for
collectivization (similar to Russia under Stalin)
Under this system, Mao moved people from their
small villages and individual farms into communes of
thousands of people on thousands of acres
Mao Zedong (left) vs. Jiang Jieshi
(right)
Great Leap Forward
Known as the Great Leap Forward, the program
was intended to increase farm and industrial
production
Instead, it produced low quality, useless goods and
less food
Bad weather also affected crops, and many people
starved
Cultural Revolution in China
To remove “bourgeois” (middle class) tendencies
from China, Mao began the Cultural Revolution
Skilled workers and managers were removed from
factories and forced to work on farms or in labor
camps
This resulted in a slowed economy and a threat of
civil war
China’s Cultural Revolution
A poster during the
Cultural Revolution.
Caption reads : The
Chinese People's
Liberation Army is
the Great School of
Mao Zedong Thought
Taiwan vs. China
U.S. Relations with China
At first, the United States supported the Nationalist
government in Taiwan
The West was concerned that the Soviet Union and
China would become allies, but border clashes led
the USSR to withdraw aid and advisors from China
U.S. leaders thought that by improving relations with
the Chinese, they would further isolate the Soviets
In 1979, the USA established diplomatic relations
with China
Taiwan
Taiwan vs. China
Nationalists
Communist
The Korean Peninsula
Korea was an independent nation until Japan invaded
it in WWII
After WWII, American and Soviet forces agreed to
divide the Korean Peninsula at the 38th parallel
Kim Il Sung, a communist ruled North Korea
Syngman Rhee, allied with the USA, controlled
South Korea
38th Parallel Separating North Korea
and South Korea
Korean War
In 1950, North Korean troops crossed the 38th
parallel and attacked South Korea
The United Nation forces stopped them along a line
known as the Pusan Perimeter, then began
advancing north
Mao Zedong of China sent troops to help the North
Koreans
U.N. forces were pushed back south of the 38th
parallel
Armistice in Korea
In 1953, both sides signed an armistice to end the
fighting, but troops today remain on both sides of the
demilitarized zone (DMZ)
There is no peace treaty between North and South
Korea—a state of war technically still exists
Over time, South Korea enjoyed an economic boom
and a rise in living standards, while communist North
Korea’s economy declined
Many North Koreans have starved to death
Kim Il Sung’s emphasis on self-reliance kept North
Korea isolated and poor
38th Parallel and Demilitarized Zone
Powerpoint Questions (13 points)
1. Who established Taiwan?
2. Explain Chinese collectivization.
3. What was the Great Leap Forward?
4. Why was the Great Leap Forward a failure?
5. What was the Cultural Revolution?
6. Whom did the USA support in the beginning –
China or Taiwan?
7. When did the USA formally recognize mainland
China?
Powerpoint Questions (13 points)
8. Where was Korea divided after WWII?
9. Who was the leader of South Korea?
10. Who was the leader of North Korea?
11. In what year did North Korea invade South
Korea?
12. What country assisted North Korea?
13. What is the “DMZ”? Where is it located?
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