Problems and Challenges, 1949

What did the CCP do when it came to power in 1949?

In 1949, the CCP had to form a new government and deal with China's many problems.

What were the problems faced by the CCP when they came to power?

The CCP was faced with 11 key political, economic, social and international problems:

• ❖ The combination of the war against Japan and the civil war had devastated Chinese infrastructure; roads, railways, dams and canals had been damaged or destroyed.
• ❖ In the countryside, crop harvest failed as many peasants had either died, fled or been conscripted into the various armies that had fought over China.
• ❖ The population was growing by 15 million people a year, increasing the demand for food production. Production was down by 25% in 1949.
• ❖ Local officials were corrupt, and former GMD troops and officials were a potential threat to the new government.
• ❖ No government had managed to fully unite the country since the fall of the Qing in 1911. The CCP had to form a strong and effective government.
• ❖ Industrial production was down by over 50%.
• ❖ There was unemployment and a reduction of utility services such as water and power in the major cities.
• ❖ The death toll of the Chinese Civil War, the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Second World War amounted to at least 25 million people in total, most of whom were civilians.
• ❖ Hyperinflation was out of control. It was ruining business and people's ability to purchase basic food supplies.
• ❖ Most people did not understand or support Maoism. They would need educating to change their ways and adopt Mao Zedong Thought.
• ❖ Only the Soviet Union recognised the communist government. The USA officially declared Chiang Kai-shek and the GMD in Taiwan as China's legitimate government.