C232 Study guide

I. Geography

-what are some of the important characteristics of China's geography, climate, agriculture, population?

I. Ancient History

-what are some of the major contributions of each of the dynasties?
-Chinese social structure and relation of individual to society?

III. Ancient Philosophy

-Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism; what are the major tenets of each of these philsophies; what social conditions were they responding to; what figures and/or texts are associated with each?


IV. Modern History (from Grasso and films)

Late Qing (1800-1911):

  • Opium Wars (1839-41; 1856-60)
  • Treaty of Nanjing (1841)
  • Taiping Rebellion (1850-64)
  • Self-Strengthening Movement (1870s and 1880s)
  • Sino-Japanese War (1894-95)
  • Boxer Rebellion (1900)

    • Republican Period (1911-1949)

  • 1911 Revolution
  • Warlord Period (1915-25)
  • May Fourth Movement (1919)
  • Northern Expedition (1925-28) [first united front from 25-27]
  • Five Exterminations Campaign (1930-34) [first civil war]
  • Long March (1935)
  • Zunyi Conference (1935)
  • New Life Movement (1934-)
  • Xi'an Incident (1936)
  • Sino-Japanese War II (1937-45) [second united front]
  • Civil War (1946-49) [second civil war]

    • PRC (1949-present) :

  • Socialization of Agriculture (1950-1958): land reform, cooperatives, collectives, communes
  • Nationalization of industry (1950s) and industrializaiton (five year plans, etc.)
  • Hundred Flowers Movement (1956)
  • Anti-Rightist Campaign (1957)
  • Great Leap Forward (1958-60)
  • Cultural Revolution (1966-76): red guards, attack on four olds, political purges, PLA intervention, rustication of youth, Gang of Four, etc
  • Tiananmen Incident (1976): mourning the death of Zhou Enlai, but leading to Anti-Cultural Revolution dissent
  • Democracy Wall (1978-79): further opposition to Cultural Revolution and pro-democracy sentiments (e.g., Wei Jingsheng's "Fifth Modernization"
  • Post-Mao economic and cultural reform (1978-): agricultural reform (responsiblity system); industrial reform and special economic zones, move away from iron rice bowl, etc.
  • one-child policy
  • Tian'anmen Movement (1989)
  • crackdown on participants in movement
  • intensification of market reforms under Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin (1990s)

    • V. Important modern historical figures:

  • Chiang Kai-shek
  • Deng Xiaoping
  • Fang Lizhi
  • Gang of Four (Jiang Qing, et al.)
  • Jiang Zemin
  • Lin Biao
  • Lin Zexu
  • Liu Shaoqi
  • Mao Zedong
  • Peng Dehuai
  • Sun Yatsen
  • Yuan Shikai
  • Zhao Ziyang
  • Zhou Enlai
  • Hu Yaobang
  • Wei Jingsheng

    • VI. Historical Themes

  • Imperialism
  • Relations between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Nationalists (KMT, or GMD)
  • Agricultural Cooperativization
  • Foreign Relations (e.g. relations with Comintern, Soviet Union, and US)
  • Marxism-Leninism
  • Maoism (what was Mao's contribution to, or adaptation of, Marxism-Leninism?)
  • Nationalism
  • Cult of Mao and Cultural Revolution fanatacism (what brought this about?)
  • CCP factionalism (pragmatists versus radicals)