Written by a Cambridge Law student with an A* at history A-level.
Outlines the different aspects and periods of government including the Common Programme, 1954 Constitution, reunification campaigns, Korean war, PLA and social control, laogai network, Great Terror, Denunciation Campaigns and Hun...
The Common programme for China 1949-1954 (temporary constitution)
- Gave enormous power to Chinese Communist party
Named Mao as Head of State
Abolished GMD laws + old judicial system + adopted Communist economic policy
Gave army + police extra judicial powers to suppress all counter revolutionary
activity
China divided into six regions + four major posts created and filled with
Communist Party officials (military commander, army political commissar,
government chair + Party secretary) to centralise power power heavily
concentrated in some areas (eg Manchuria, one man - Gao Gang – held all four
posts)
- However limited power
Tolerated other political parties (eight parties given legal status cautious
approach, not one party political dictatorship)
Supported important rights (eg freedom of speech, right to assemble) + gender
equality
Structure 1949-54
- Gov
CPPCC: conference dominated by Communists but with delegates from 14 other
parties (incl China Democratic League) to increase legitimacy acted as
provisional Parliament until 1954
o Drafted + Approved temporary constitution (Common Program)
o Chose state capital and flag
Central People’s Gov (ministers appointed by CPPCC responsible for every day
running of country)
- Party
Politburo
, The 1954 Constitution
- Banned all parties except Communist party (removing opposition)
- Increased party control by restructuring gov (leading members of CCP held key
positions, eg Peng Dehuai minister of defence + commander in chief of PLA) +
splitting country into smaller provinces (6 regions subdivided into further 28, with
urban centres at Beijing + Shanghai)
- Centralised power within party as dominated by standing committee of which Mao
was most powerful member
- Huge increase in bureaucracy (720,000 to 8 million 1949-59) Hugely increased
power + effectiveness of gov but Mao feared this bureaucratisation of the revolution
as bureaucrats became more interested in preserving status quo + own positions
than advancing case of revolution
Structure 1954+
- Gov
National People’s Congress (Legislature): rubber stamped politburo decisions +
CPPCC advisory body
State Council (executive): Dominated by politburo + central committee members
+ mainly took orders from standing committee
- Party
Standing committee of Politburo five member committee (incl Mao, Shaoqi,
Enlai, Yun and De Huia) who were key decision makers of party + made decisions
in between politburo meetings
Politburo 14 member committee who met for plenary session
Central Committee
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