Growing Up in the Chinese Countryside
Background:
China, the US, and the Cold War
The People's Republic of China (PRC) was created in 1949, two years after the beginning of the Cold War, by communist leader Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after years of civil war in the country and its eventual victory. Previous years of political turmoil and the Japanese invasion of North China gave rise to the CCP, which gained popular support. In China was one of the first Cold War conflicts to happen, with the Communists vehemently opposed to the Kuomintang. Inspired by the Russian Revolution, the party allied itself close to the Soviet Union, and the opposing Kuomintang (Nationalist) party was exiled to Taiwan, which Mao failed to seize. These events created an integral shift in the focus of the Cold War, with western states fearing communist expansion in the Eastern front with China leading, with neighboring countries becoming perceived as being susceptible to communism. In response, diplomatic ties between the US and the PRC were cut. US and China relations were further strained due to the tension of the Korean War and US protection of the Taiwanese national government. Therefore limited trade, few contacts, and virtually no diplomatic ties between US and China continued for the next 20 years as the US sought to contain Communist expansion in the East.
Narrative
Both interviewees were born in the late 1940’s, and have lived in China their whole lives, having lived through various wars and Chinese campaigns against the overarching backdrop of the Cold War. Campaigns occurred such as the Great Leap Forward, which was an economic disaster that resulted in starvation and millions of deaths and the Cultural Revolution, which resulted in violence, torture, imprisonments, property seizures, and public humiliation for many citizens. Such movements, coupled with various forms of propaganda, bared great effect on the upbringings of those we interviewed. Their unique experience reflects how growing up in Communist China played a role in shaping their views of the US and the events surrounding the Cold War.
Essential Questions:
- What was life like in a Communist country?
- China under Mao during the 50's and 60's would supposedly flourish economically, as his plans were made in an effort to increase agricultural and industrial production. However with the Great Leap Forward launching in 1958, poor harvests resulted in starvation and millions of deaths. Education was modified in order to place an emphasis on industrialization. Our interviewee remembers being made to learn about industrial production and ironworks as part of the curriculum and having to enlist as soldiers, with many of them disguised as Vietnamese soldiers. The Cultural Revolution, which resulted in violence, torture, imprisonments, property seizures, and public humiliation for many citizens. So, these circumstances in effect lead to the Great Chinese Famine, during which our interview recalls having numerous family members that suffered from malnutrition and suffered from various ailments that were common during the famine. They were heavily deprived of resources necessary to live. One of our interviewees recalls his father being so deprived that it resulted in him starving to death, which is indicative of hour poorly resources were distributed. Millions of people were in similarly struggled as a result, unable to secure their safety and survival.
- How did people in other countries view America during the Cold War?
- America was largely seen as an imperialist nation by China and surrounding countries influenced by the ideals of communism. According to what our interviewee heard listening to foreign enemy radio stations aired by Vietnam, China was said to be a puppet of the US, betraying their own ideals in favor of imperialist ones of the US. The American policy of containment led to years in which the two forces were pitted against each other in various conflicts. In response, propaganda posters commonly depicted the significance of the struggle against imperialism and the rejection of American imperialism in particular. In fact, numerous classmates and friends of the interviewee's enlisted in the Vietnam War to join the fight against imperialism.
- How was propaganda used in the Cold War and what were its effects?
- The media was said to be heavily restricted by our interviewee, with the possibility of capital punishment if one was caught listening to enemy radio stations. Accurate news coverage from the Chinese government was not easily available to the public, and that propaganda stations existed in order to portray other countries such as Vietnam and Taiwan in unfavorable ways that best served the Chinese government. In contrast, our interviewee recalls listening to the enemy radio stations aired by the US which depicted more accurate information about events such as the Challenger space ship explosion and the US bombing of Libya. Today the propaganda posters or newspapers we see today from China reflect the Chinese war effort in a positive light, depicting military force as being necessary to defeat the US and Japan. By doing this, it shows that the tension between the US and China was heightened by use of propaganda, which the government played an active role in maintaining. Radio stations available to the Chinese public influenced public perception of other countries, especially those perceived as hostile to the PRC. In effect, the PRC under Mao riginally promised the citizens of China that they will have their liberties and rights protected, even if this was not the case, leaving millions to struggle for survival during the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution movements. Many sacrifices and decisions were made at the expense of the Chinese citizens quality of life in order to fulfill the vision of Maoist China.
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