China Flash Cards: Background,
Assignments 73 -80 new
"Self-Built Railways" - ANSWER Between 1901 and 1907, the Chinese government
encouraged local officials, merchants and gentry to raise money to build railways in their areas. Then
in 1911 the government attempted to take over these railways without paying the locals proper
compensation.
21 Demands - ANSWER A document delivered by Japan to China in 1915 in which Japan
made a variety of demands of China ranging from territorial concessions to the right of Japan to
appoint "advisors" to the Chinese government. Yuan Shikai agreed to most of these demands,
prompting a storm of protest in China.
Big Eared Du - ANSWER A Shanghai gang leader who ran a high-class prostitution and drug
trafficking business that was worth $56 million per year in 1927. On April 12 of that year, he helped
GMD forces loyal to Chiang Kaishek murder thousands of Communists. This connection with
organized crime helped to corrupt the GMD.
Blockhouse strategy - ANSWER Strategy used by the GMD in the Fifth extermination
campaign. Following the advice of a German general, they surrounded the Jiangxi Soviet with
500,000 troops who advanced slowly, building concrete bunkers as they did. Thus they starved the
CCP of supplies and gradually reduced the area they controlled. This strategy worked, and the CCP
was forced to abandon the Jiangxi base in 1934.
Boycott - ANSWER This was an organized campaign by Chinese people to refuse to buy
Japanese goods. This tactic had been used successfully during the May 4 Movement, leading Japan
to give China back the area around Qingdong, (a formerly German area which it had been given in
the Treaty of Versailles) in 1922. After Japan's annexation of Manchuria in 1931, Japanese sales in
China fell by two thirds. Japan declared this an act of aggression and attacked Shanghai in 1932.
Chinese Communist Party - ANSWER This was formed by uniting a number of different
Marxist study groups in 1921. It held its first congress in a girls' school in Shanghai. This congress was
organized by a Comintern agent. Mao was there, but he was not the leader at this point.
Comintern - ANSWER This is short for "Communist International." In theory it was an
international alliance of communist parties, but in practice it was run from Moscow. Its purpose was
to promote communism around the world. In 1923, an agent from this organization persuaded the
GMD to join and persuaded the CCP to join forces with the GMD. This organization then helped the
GMD to reorganize on Communist lines and provided military training for its army.
Communist Bases - ANSWER These were areas of China outside the GMD's control during
the GMD decade. Chiang fought ongoing battles with these throughout the decade. There were
several dotted around the country. The main one was in Jiangxi until 1934 and in Yanan after the
Long March.
Constitution of the Chinese Soviet Republic, 1931 - ANSWER This was the constitution
drawn up for the short-lived Jiangxi Soviet. It declared Jiangxi to be a "democratic dictatorship of the
workers and peasants", and it promised labour legislation, the emancipation of women, land reform,
the abolition of foreign privileges in China, and the right of minorities to secede from China. Mao was
elected President of the "country" but he did not yet control the party.
, China Flash Cards: Background,
Assignments 73 -80 new
Dadu River - ANSWER A famous incident on the Long March. It happened on May 25, 1935.
The CCP had arrived at the Dadu River and had to fight their way across the only bridge to escape
form Chiang Kaishek. According to the official version, the defenders had removed the planks from
the bridge and were firing on the CCP from the other side of the river. 22 soldiers crawled or swung
over the chains and lobbed grenades into the enemy defenses to secure the bridge. This provided an
inspiring story of heroism for the CCP. https://o.quizlet.com/mjsToFEBPuNXEieCxrR8UA_m.jpg
Encirclement Campaigns (AKA Extermination Campaigns) - ANSWER A series of GMD
campaigns aimed at exterminating the Jiangxi Soviet. The first lasted from November 1930-January
1931, the second from April to May, 1931, the third from July to September 1931, the fourth from
January-March 1933 and the fifth from September 1933 to October 1934. The communists fought off
the first four campaigns using guerrilla warfare. In the Fifth campaign, the GMD improved their
tactics, besieging the Communists. Also, the CCP Central Committee tried to fight using conventional
tactics which was disastrous. Eventually the Communists had to abandon their base.
Fifth Encirclement/ Extermination Campaign - ANSWER Chiang Kaishek's final campaign
against the Jiangxi Soviet. This time, he surrounded the territory with concrete blockhouses and
moved all the peasants into strategic hamlets to cut off the CCP's supplies. In addition, the CCP had
abandoned its guerrilla tactics and was trying to fight the GMD with conventional warfare. The CCP
lost and were forced to abandon the Jiangxi Soviet in 1934.
First United Front - ANSWER An alliance between the CCP and the GMD. It was brokered by
the Comintern and it lasted from 1923-1927.
Foreign Concessions - ANSWER These were areas of treaty ports that were essentially
extended foreign embassies where the laws of China did not apply. This state of affairs was
understandably resented by the Chinese. During the GMD decade, these were reduced in number
from 33 to 13.
Foreign Encroachments - ANSWER These helped to cause the 1911 revolution because they
angered the Chinese and made them resent the Manchu government that allowed them.
• The Manchu government had signed a series of unequal treaties with Western powers and Japan
between 1842 and 1900. These gave foreigners parts of numerous treaty ports to live in,
extraterritoriality, the right to send missionaries, the right to set Chinese tariffs, various favourable
economic concessions, and huge amounts of reparations.
• China was forced to give up the tributary states of Vietnam Laos and Cambodia and Korea. The
Germans took over the area around Tsingdao. The British took Hong Kong. They lost Taiwan and
some other islands to Japan in the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-95
• The fact that the Manchus were too weak to keep out the foreigners made them lose support.
• After the Boxer Rebellion, the foreign nations made China pay a massive sum as reparations.
gentry - ANSWER This class had grown as a result of the 19th century rebellions. Also, more
of them had purchased their status or gained it through services rather than through the traditional
examination system. Furthermore, they had taken on different roles, raising and leading armies,
organizing famine relief and collecting taxes. The distinction between the high officials and those
Assignments 73 -80 new
"Self-Built Railways" - ANSWER Between 1901 and 1907, the Chinese government
encouraged local officials, merchants and gentry to raise money to build railways in their areas. Then
in 1911 the government attempted to take over these railways without paying the locals proper
compensation.
21 Demands - ANSWER A document delivered by Japan to China in 1915 in which Japan
made a variety of demands of China ranging from territorial concessions to the right of Japan to
appoint "advisors" to the Chinese government. Yuan Shikai agreed to most of these demands,
prompting a storm of protest in China.
Big Eared Du - ANSWER A Shanghai gang leader who ran a high-class prostitution and drug
trafficking business that was worth $56 million per year in 1927. On April 12 of that year, he helped
GMD forces loyal to Chiang Kaishek murder thousands of Communists. This connection with
organized crime helped to corrupt the GMD.
Blockhouse strategy - ANSWER Strategy used by the GMD in the Fifth extermination
campaign. Following the advice of a German general, they surrounded the Jiangxi Soviet with
500,000 troops who advanced slowly, building concrete bunkers as they did. Thus they starved the
CCP of supplies and gradually reduced the area they controlled. This strategy worked, and the CCP
was forced to abandon the Jiangxi base in 1934.
Boycott - ANSWER This was an organized campaign by Chinese people to refuse to buy
Japanese goods. This tactic had been used successfully during the May 4 Movement, leading Japan
to give China back the area around Qingdong, (a formerly German area which it had been given in
the Treaty of Versailles) in 1922. After Japan's annexation of Manchuria in 1931, Japanese sales in
China fell by two thirds. Japan declared this an act of aggression and attacked Shanghai in 1932.
Chinese Communist Party - ANSWER This was formed by uniting a number of different
Marxist study groups in 1921. It held its first congress in a girls' school in Shanghai. This congress was
organized by a Comintern agent. Mao was there, but he was not the leader at this point.
Comintern - ANSWER This is short for "Communist International." In theory it was an
international alliance of communist parties, but in practice it was run from Moscow. Its purpose was
to promote communism around the world. In 1923, an agent from this organization persuaded the
GMD to join and persuaded the CCP to join forces with the GMD. This organization then helped the
GMD to reorganize on Communist lines and provided military training for its army.
Communist Bases - ANSWER These were areas of China outside the GMD's control during
the GMD decade. Chiang fought ongoing battles with these throughout the decade. There were
several dotted around the country. The main one was in Jiangxi until 1934 and in Yanan after the
Long March.
Constitution of the Chinese Soviet Republic, 1931 - ANSWER This was the constitution
drawn up for the short-lived Jiangxi Soviet. It declared Jiangxi to be a "democratic dictatorship of the
workers and peasants", and it promised labour legislation, the emancipation of women, land reform,
the abolition of foreign privileges in China, and the right of minorities to secede from China. Mao was
elected President of the "country" but he did not yet control the party.
, China Flash Cards: Background,
Assignments 73 -80 new
Dadu River - ANSWER A famous incident on the Long March. It happened on May 25, 1935.
The CCP had arrived at the Dadu River and had to fight their way across the only bridge to escape
form Chiang Kaishek. According to the official version, the defenders had removed the planks from
the bridge and were firing on the CCP from the other side of the river. 22 soldiers crawled or swung
over the chains and lobbed grenades into the enemy defenses to secure the bridge. This provided an
inspiring story of heroism for the CCP. https://o.quizlet.com/mjsToFEBPuNXEieCxrR8UA_m.jpg
Encirclement Campaigns (AKA Extermination Campaigns) - ANSWER A series of GMD
campaigns aimed at exterminating the Jiangxi Soviet. The first lasted from November 1930-January
1931, the second from April to May, 1931, the third from July to September 1931, the fourth from
January-March 1933 and the fifth from September 1933 to October 1934. The communists fought off
the first four campaigns using guerrilla warfare. In the Fifth campaign, the GMD improved their
tactics, besieging the Communists. Also, the CCP Central Committee tried to fight using conventional
tactics which was disastrous. Eventually the Communists had to abandon their base.
Fifth Encirclement/ Extermination Campaign - ANSWER Chiang Kaishek's final campaign
against the Jiangxi Soviet. This time, he surrounded the territory with concrete blockhouses and
moved all the peasants into strategic hamlets to cut off the CCP's supplies. In addition, the CCP had
abandoned its guerrilla tactics and was trying to fight the GMD with conventional warfare. The CCP
lost and were forced to abandon the Jiangxi Soviet in 1934.
First United Front - ANSWER An alliance between the CCP and the GMD. It was brokered by
the Comintern and it lasted from 1923-1927.
Foreign Concessions - ANSWER These were areas of treaty ports that were essentially
extended foreign embassies where the laws of China did not apply. This state of affairs was
understandably resented by the Chinese. During the GMD decade, these were reduced in number
from 33 to 13.
Foreign Encroachments - ANSWER These helped to cause the 1911 revolution because they
angered the Chinese and made them resent the Manchu government that allowed them.
• The Manchu government had signed a series of unequal treaties with Western powers and Japan
between 1842 and 1900. These gave foreigners parts of numerous treaty ports to live in,
extraterritoriality, the right to send missionaries, the right to set Chinese tariffs, various favourable
economic concessions, and huge amounts of reparations.
• China was forced to give up the tributary states of Vietnam Laos and Cambodia and Korea. The
Germans took over the area around Tsingdao. The British took Hong Kong. They lost Taiwan and
some other islands to Japan in the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-95
• The fact that the Manchus were too weak to keep out the foreigners made them lose support.
• After the Boxer Rebellion, the foreign nations made China pay a massive sum as reparations.
gentry - ANSWER This class had grown as a result of the 19th century rebellions. Also, more
of them had purchased their status or gained it through services rather than through the traditional
examination system. Furthermore, they had taken on different roles, raising and leading armies,
organizing famine relief and collecting taxes. The distinction between the high officials and those
