I experienced pangs of deja-vu while reading about the May 4th revolutions, which is not surprising as there appears to be a clear formula emerging about the proper circumstances that allow a dictator to arise.
What did you notice about the May 4th movement that provided an opportunity for Mao? What is he doing in 1919?
What stood out most to me was the social revolution that was happening around the time of May 4th. Dr. Hu Shih and his literary revolution that he wrote in 1917 laid down the path for Mou to capitalize on Chinese social venerableness. A vulnerability that sprouted from their hatred of Japan due to the First World War where the Japanese attempted to replace all the colonial powers in China. This anger only amplified by the 21 demands of China. As seen in the documentary Mou created a nationalist 'Mou Youth' akin to hitler youth in WWII. If anything history has made clear that nations are most susceptible to accepting dictatorship when they are at their weakest on the social front.
ReplyDeleteThere do seem to be quite a few things in common between Mao and the other dictators we've studied and not just with the soviet union who Mao was openly following for some time but also to hitler. This includes the red book in China and Mein Kampf by HItler. All three dictators also had the a very powerful youth following by being encouraged at a very young age to follow the leader. A weak period for the country seems to be essential in gaining power along with a huge image with a large following which Mao definitely had.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Trent, that socialist and communist dictators thrive when the people are not. It was easy for Mao to step in, after Dr. Hu Shih, who used Japan to scare and anger the Chinese. Mao was there to make sure the people where "safe" and the people reacted well to this.
ReplyDeleteThe cultural revolution stood out to me the most. It is interesting how Mao was able to associate the literary revolution with a political one, which shaped the culture of China. This reminds me of topics we've discussed in my English class about how English is dominating other languages. The same thing applies here; China decided to modernize/westernize its culture. What's even more interesting is how this cultural revolution created a lot of tension because some people preferred traditional Chinese culture. It also shows the crucial role literature plays in culture and politics.
ReplyDeletethe may 4th revolution provided Mao with a opportunity to assert himself as a leader. the population of china was sick of the "weak" government and Mao knew that china could be strong and compete with the other super powers. I think that there are a multitude of similarities between the rise of Mao and the other dictators. one such similarity is the fact that both countries peoples were not happy with the government. in their eyes the government was weak and not representing them as they want to be represented. another similarity is the fact that all dictators had a book/ideal plan that was easy to follow and that made sense. Mao had his red book, hitler had his Mein Kampf, and Stalin had the table set by lenin to sit down and "eat" his meal. these three dictators had many similarities which allowed them to become as powerful as they did around the same time periods.
ReplyDeleteArguably, dictatorships would not arise if the masses were content with the social, economic and political agenda, as previous blog posts suggest. This is depicted in both the Third Reich and the Soviet Union. Concerning China, the May 4th movement in Peking, which consisted of over 3,000 students organizing and rallying further support for protesting, provided a great opportunity for Mao to publicize his thoughts on Marxism by Revolutionary means. Beginning as a very poor, politically agitated man, Mao quickly gained support stimulated by "the political excitement of the times" with his lectures, which emphasized unity and the concept of "cultural revolution". Throughout 1919, Mao organized several groups to "fight imperialism, militarism and capitalism, and all superstition". In addition, he made women's emancipation a revolutionary goal.
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ReplyDeleteIn a time of chaos coming out of WWI, the Chinese situation was described in the article as "hopeless" as many were disillusioned by the unfulfilling "promises" of the Paris Peace Conference. In a country where people are riled up over such things, often times a search for a leader that that relieve them of their woes and make their country strong again takes place. Mao's rise was timely as it coincided perfectly with this uprising and in a time of revolution they began to follow this emerging leader.
ReplyDeleteLike others have said, dictators will always thrive when their country is struggling. I also found it interesting how Mao was also utilising the youth to his advantage. This is a hugely important tactic because it gives you great support from the future generation, and you can start to build a god-like status, which Mao had towards the end of his reign.
ReplyDeleteThe way that dictators come to power, like everyone else has said, is when there is great unrest in their country. Mao was similar to many other dictators, like Hitler he utilized the youth, policies like Stalin, extreme social policies like both. His cultural revolution still effects China today. I find it very interesting how he used another person's revolution to kick start his own. Many Chinese wanted to become a world superpower and Mao promised to do just that.
ReplyDeleteThe easiest way for a dictator to thrive is when the country is not. When there is a political or social unrest, it is then when the dictator gains much of his power. I found Mao similar to the other dictators we talked about when he utilized the youth. The children of that era, though they most likely don't realize it yet, are being brainwashed to bow down in front of their king. This is so important for dictators because since they are so young, they don't see life any other way so ultimatly, there is less of a chance for a revolution.
ReplyDeleteWell, first of all, last night's reading is not about the real culture revolution that we watched during the class, it happened a while ago right after the first world war. The original incentive of the May 4th revolution is the 21 demands assigned in Paris during the conference where western countries established treaty of versalies， the 21 demands was made by western countries and Japan to take away a big part of Chinese territory and assigned my chinese government, this angered the entire community and Professors like Dr.Hu and Revolutioneers appeared to attacking the pedantry of the traditional culture and the entire political system. The universal internal identity crisis made it a perfect opportunity to introduce the advancement of the marxism to the youth of China.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese were subjected to the harsh terms of the 21 demands which made Chinese youth feel like the country that they were about to inherit was going to be simply damaged goods. The youth are perfect vehicles for the Mao communist zeal because of their energy and malleability.
ReplyDeleteWhat separates "Successful" revolutions be it social, political, or otherwise, from "Unsuccessful" ones, is the ability to manipulate the youth. In large uprisings, the youth are often what gives regimes lasting power. Hitler and Stalin were masters of this by indoctrinating children, who grew up to be ful fledged members of the Nazi / Communist party. The overall unrest of the Chinese after the Treaty of Versailles gave more room for a revolution, similar to the environment that allowed Hitler and Mussolini to take power.
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