Ch.41 Communism crumbles-but Survives
Democracy in China
- The time between 1966 and Mao‘s death in 1976 became known as the Cultural Revolution. Every part of Chinese culture-newspapers, public gatherings, theaters, operas, and novels-had to praise Mao and Mao‘s policies. Children were encouraged to join the ˝Red Guard,˝ a youth military that swore loyalty to Mao. Every house in China had a picture of Mao in it. (It was dangerous not to!)
- After Mao died in 1976, Deng Xiaoping left his screw-factory and came back to Beijing. He claimed his old position as general secretary of the Communist Party, and-eventually-leader of China. Deng Xiaoping could finally make a few much-needed changes in China.
- Under Deng, China grew more prosperous. People had more to eat, better clothes to wear, and a chance of earning enough money to live well.
- But one thing in China didn‘t change. The Chinese were still not allowed to express their ideas openly-either in print or in speech.
- The rest of the world protested the violence of the June 4th Massacre in Tiananmem Square. But when it was over, the Communist Party still controlled
Communism Crumbles
- By November 11th, it was clear that more than the wall was coming down. The communist rule over East Germany was falling too. In 1990, East and West Germany were reunited into one country.
- Over the next few months, the countries that had been brought into the Soviet Union declared their independence one by one: Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Armenia, and all of the rest. When it was over, Gorbachev resigned. He had no more Soviet Union to govern! Boris Yeltsin would serve as the head of the ancient country of Russia-no longer communist, and no longer part of the USSR.
