China 1948 - 1975

On October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong (1893-1976) stood on the rostrum of Tian’anmen (The Gate of Heavenly Peace) and announced the establishment of the People’s Republic of China

This collection of Chinese Revolution documents contains primary sources relevant to China from the 19th century to the death of Mao Zedong in 1976.

On June 30, 1949, with victory over the Nationalist government assured, Chairman Mao Zedong observed that the Chinese Communist Party now faced a new challenge: ruling all of China.

In 1956, Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong invited critics and intellectuals to openly voice their opinions of his regime. It was a cruel trick.

The goal of China's First Five-Year Plan (1953-57) was a high rate of economic growth. It emphasized the development of heavy industry and technology.

The Great Leap Forward was the name given to China's Second Five Year Plan. It was born from Mao’s impatience for industrial and manufacturing growth.

From 1960–1962, an estimated thirty million people died of starvation in China, more than any other single famine in recorded human history.

The Great Chinese Famine (1959-1961) remains one of the deadliest man-made famines