T troops. The CCP, who had mass peasant support and a well-disciplined Red Army, defeated the KMT in 1949. On October 1 Mao declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.Mao and the CCP inherited a poverty-stricken country that was scarred by war and in political disarray. As chairman of the CCP, Mao directed the PRC’s reconstruction. Following the USSR model for constructing a socialist society, Mao ordered the redistribution of land, the elimination of landlords in the countryside, and the establishment of heavy industry in the cities. Throughout this period Mao relied heavily on aid and expertise from the USSR. The United States became Mao’s enemy, particularly in the Korean War (1950-1953) in which approximately 1 million Chinese soldiers died fighting for North Korea, including Mao’s own son, Mao Anying. Mao feared enemy infiltration and sought to ensure political unity in China. Mao launched several mass campaigns to root out traitors and corruption, including the “Suppression of the Counterrevolutionaries,” the “Three-Anti,” and the “Five-Anti” campaigns. The campaigns, which involved intense investigation into people’s personal lives, left few Chinese citizens untouched. In the “Hundred Flowers” movement of 1957, Mao encouraged intellectuals to criticize the CCP, believing the criticism would be minor. When it was not, he launched the “Antirightist” campaign, quickly turning on those who had spoken out, labeling them as rightist, and imprisoning or exiling many.MAO’S FAILURESMao’s early experiences with peasant revolution convinced him of the immense potential of peasant strength. He believed that if properly organized and inspired, the Chinese masses could accomplish amazing feats. Beginning in the mid-1950s Mao advocated the rapid formation of agricultural communes, arguing that t...
