| Glossary Term |
Definition |
| Mao | Took over China in 1949 as the first leader of the Communist party in China. He invoked the Chinese Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward. |
| Great Leap Forward | Mao's plan to industrialize China. Similiar to Stalin's Five Year Plan. He encouraged citizens to smelt steel in their own backyards, most of which was useless. The plan was a failure. |
| Cultural Revolution | This was Mao's version of Stalin's Show Trials. After the Great Leap Forward failed Mao humiliated all of the upper level communists, and sent them to work in fields. He used students called Red Guards and they would refer to a book called the Red book. |
| Deng Xioaping |
Became the leader of the communust party after Mao dies. Was in power from 1978 to th early 90's. Changed China economically allowing some capitalism but not politically. |
| Special Economic Zone | These areas in China were created by Deng Xioping. He allowed trade and investment with the west, foreign firms were allowed to operate and people could own their own businesses. |
| Tianannen Square | On June 4th, 1989, students led a protest against the Communist Party of China that subsequently led to a declaration of Martial Law and the injury of 7,000-10,000 people. |
| Chiang Kai-Shek | Leader of the Kuomintang who fought a long and bloody civil war with Mao and the Communists. He lost the battle and had to flee to Taiwan. |
| Taiwan | In 1949, Mao wins the Chinese Civil War. Chiang Kai-shek and his forces flee to this island and establish “Nationalist China”. |
| Yalu River | A river on the border between China and North Korea. When the Americans were sent in to push back the North Koreans, China got worried that they were going to attack them next so they sent over a million men to attack the UN forces. |
| Red Guards | A movement of civilians, mostly students and other young people, mobilized by Mao Zedong in the Cultural Revolution, between 1966 and 1976. traveled throughout China going to schools, universities, and institutions spreading the teachings of Mao. |
| Little Red Book | A collection of Mao's past speeches, and quotations. Became an unofficial requirement to own for all Chinese people. 900 million copies made. First introduced in the cultural revolution. |
| Kuomintang | The nationalist party in China created by Sun Yet-Sen and later led by Chiang Kai Shek. The Communists were their rival group. |
| Sun Yat Sen | Founded the Kuomintang (a Chinese nationalist party.)Later succeeded by Chiang Kai-shek. |
