The consolidation of power: mass mobilisation campaigns and purges; the role of the PLA; the use of terror and propaganda; land reform; attacks on landlords and land redistribution
After winning the Civil War in 1949, Mao used campaigns, violence, and land redistribution to crush opposition and bind ordinary Chinese people to Communist rule.
Real World
During the land reform campaign of 1950–53, local Communist cadres organised 'struggle sessions' in villages across China where peasants publicly accused and physically attacked landlords — an estimated one to two million landlords were executed, transferring around 43 million hectares of land to the peasantry.
Exam Focus
Don't conflate different methods of consolidation — examiners credit answers that distinguish terror, propaganda, land reform, and mass campaigns as separate, linked tools.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
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