CHINA: Hist. Geog.-
Mao Zedong

Among the ideas and innovations introduced to China in the nineteen and twentieth centuries were the concepts and views of western democracy and Marxism.  After the overthrow of the Manchu dynasty [chempire] the Chinese Republic was established under the guidance of Sun Yat-sen.  For a brief time China appeared to unify behind this charismatic leader who established the Nationalist Party whose goals were to reform politics, society and the economy.

Upon Sun’s death in 1925, Chaing Kai-Shek took over the Nationalist Party which he ruled until his death in Taiwan in 1975.  In the meantime with the help of Soviet Communists, Marxism with Mao Zedong as its political leader gained a foothold in northern China.  After a short period of unsuccessful competition with the Nationalists, the communists retreated to rural areas of China in order to regroup and gain political support.  This retreat of Chinese communists from Ruijin toYunan and over the 6,000 mile trek [chmarch] from Southern China to its interior is referred to as the Long March.  Regrouping, the communists briefly united with the Nationalists to fight the Japanese during World War II.  By wars end the communists had gained formidable military and political arms and resumed their campaign against the Nationalists in order to unify China.  Increasingly, the Communists established their power in North China, and the Nationalists were no longer able to compete for popular support.  Eventually Chiang Kai-Shek and the remnants of his army retreated to Taiwan [chtai] and Mao Zedong and his followers established a new revolutionary government in 1949.

The communists regime, although authoritarian as many of the previous dynasties, sought to reform much of the problems of Chinese society.  Farms were collectivized, dams and levees were built, health conditions improved somewhat, and industrialization was increased.  Despite some initial successes, because of the weaknesses of central planning, agriculture and industrialization goals were never reached. 

In agriculture, land was taken from the wealthy and small communes were established.  Eventually the Chinese established larger communes where entire families were broken up with the children sent to reduction camps and the adults forced to work the fields under ruthless supervision.  This “Great Leap Forward” as Mao called it was actually a major step backwards.  Between 1958 and 1961 as many as 20 million Chinese may have starved to death under these terrible conditions.  Additional suffering took place during Mao’s “Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution” of 1966 in an attempt to “purify” his communist party and another 20 million people died during this purge. 

With Mao’s death came reform to China’s agriculture, first the Production Responsibility System of the late 1970’s which allowed families to lease a certain amount of land to farm. If the family agrees to production quotas it can keep whatever is produced above this amount after expenses are paid.  This system has increased production, improved efficiency, raised rural incomes and resulted in better crop selection.  In some cases families are allowed to own land outright, passing it down from generation to generation.  The government takes over the farm only if there are no heirs. 

Despite these reforms and mechanization of agriculture, only nine percent of China’s land is arable [wdarable] (suitable for cultivation).  With 22 percent of the world’s population, it is necessary for China to import food.  With only dry or marshy lands available for future expansion, China faces a difficult situation, given  the growing population.  Cropland has actually decreased in recent years to about 245 million acres (99 million hectares) and continues to decline each year.

[The text of the above was written by Scott Girhard, San Antonio College from his online course GEOG 1301 World Geography. Used with permission.]