The Jiangxi Soviet

What was the Jiangxi Soviet?

The Jiangxi Soviet was a communist state set up by Mao Zedong during the Chinese Civil War.

Who was involved in the Jiangxi Soviet?

The CCP, under the leadership of Mao Zedong, ruled the Jiangxi Soviet. There were over 3 million citizens defended by 130,000 Red Army troops.

When did the Jiangxi Soviet exist?

The Jiangxi Soviet was founded in November 1931 and destroyed in October 1934.

Where did the Jiangxi Soviet happen?

The Jiangxi Soviet was located in the province of Jiangxi in eastern China.

What happened at the Jiangxi Soviet?

There were 9 key events during the Jiangxi Soviet period:

• ❖ Mao Zedong and Zhu De set up the Chinese Soviet Republic. This was its own country with Mao as CCP party secretary and Zhu as head of the Red Army.
• ❖ Mao introduced a Land Law in 1930 that redistributed land to the majority of peasants in the Soviet.
• ❖ The communists reduced taxes, reduced corruption, set up schools and hospitals, and taught new farming methods to the peasants.
• ❖ They set up communist councils and gave peasants a say in the running of their affairs.
• ❖ Class enemies such as rich peasants and landlords were attacked and murdered, and their property seized.
• ❖ Hundreds of thousands of class enemies were worked to death or executed under the CCP's orders.
• ❖ Anyone suspected of disloyalty was purged from the party or executed. For example, 200 Red Army soldiers were executed for staging a rebellion against the purges.
• ❖ The Red Army used Jiangxi as a base from which to launch guerrilla attacks against the GMD forces opposing them in the civil war.
• ❖ During the years 1930-1934, the GMD launched 5 Extermination Campaigns against the CCP and the Jiangxi Soviet.

What was the outcome of the Jiangxi Soviet?

There were 7 key outcomes as a result of the Jiangxi Soviet:

• ❖ Land redistribution gave millions of poor peasants land for the first time. It allowed them to start to climb out of poverty.
• ❖ The CCP won a lot of support due to their reforms and lack of corruption.
• ❖ The Red Army grew from just over 10,000 men to over 130,000 by the time of the Long March. The Red Army was now made up of willing recruits who wanted to fight to defend communism.
• ❖ Mao Zedong had shown his potential as a leader and a general. However, he was still not in overall control of the CCP.
• ❖ Chinese people who were identified as class enemies would never support the communists now, as they knew they could be jailed, tortured or killed for owning land or businesses.
• ❖ The Red Army developed tactics to fight a guerrilla war against the much larger and better-equipped GMD forces.
• ❖ By 1934, the GMD Extermination Campaigns had killed over 700,000 peasants and resulted in the capture of communist-held towns and villages.