Analyse the conditions and the methods used which helped in the rise to power of Mao

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Analyse the conditions and the methods used which helped in the rise to power of Mao

        Mao’s rise to power was as a result of favourable conditions resulting from both the failures of the Nationalist party (GMD) and the various successes of the Communist party (CCP). Before Mao was able to consolidate his power over China in 1949, he first had to become solitary leader of the CCP party; which he accomplished through his ideology, policies and leadership qualities.

        The Long March began Mao’s ascent into power, with his leadership throughout the retreat gaining him the support of many of the party members. The March’s physical scale gave it a political significance and Mao’ choice of route and vindication of judgement meant he arrived at Yanan in 1935 as the leading figure within the party. He appealed to those within the party, for example he would give his only food to those who needed it, insisting that they eat it. At the end of the March, Mao had a created a brotherhood of the 20,000 men that had survived from the initial 100,000 who had set out on the retreat.

Once Mao had become leader of the party, he still had to overcome the standing GMD government, with the various failures of the GMD aiding Mao in his rise to power. To begin with, while the GMD controlled more territory than the CCP, with most of the population being under their control, their control in many areas was not complete as they had failed to remove warlords in some areas. Thus an agreement was made with warlords that they could control their own area whilst GMD controlled the central government, which weakened their ability to mobilise the whole nation in support of their struggle against the CCP. The GMD also failed to improve factory conditions despite the laws in place, and there was no improvement in peasant poverty, with the peasants contributing to the majority of the population. There were also strikes in Shanghai on 28th September 1947, with half the city paralysed. They were not economically motivated, but instead protests against the GMD and the secret police, showing their lack of support within the big cities.

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The use of secret police is an example of the corrupt nature of the GMD government. Chiang’s regime relied on the ruthlessness of secret police removing opposition and the financial backing of wealthy businessman and landlords, and he spent too much time looking after the interest of such individuals, instead of concentrating on the welfare of the people, in particular he was negligent of the peasantry. In order to maintain the one-party state Chiang assassinated political opponents, and tortured and executed CCP members without trial. Local officials abused their power to enrich themselves by taking bribes and extorting money from ...

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