Why this matters now
Chinese Revolution is tested for: Xinhai 1911 + Sun Yat-sen + Three Principles of the People; warlord era 1916-28; May Fourth Movement 4 May 1919; Chinese Communist Party founded Shanghai July 1921 (Chen Duxiu + Mao Zedong); 1st United Front 1923-27; Shanghai Massacre 1927 Chiang Kai-shek; Long March October 1934 - October 1935; Sino-Japanese War 1937-45 + 2nd United Front; PRC 1 Oct 1949; Great Leap Forward 1958-62 (~45 million dead); Cultural Revolution 1966-76; Sino-Indian War 1962; Deng Xiaoping reforms 1978; Tiananmen Square Massacre 4 June 1989.
Xinhai Revolution + Sun Yat-sen
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1839-42, 1856-60 | Opium Wars — UK humiliated Qing China; Hong Kong ceded (Treaty of Nanking 1842). |
| 1850-64 | Taiping Rebellion — 20-30 million dead. |
| 1895 | 1st Sino-Japanese War defeat — Treaty of Shimonoseki; Taiwan ceded; Korea independent. |
| 1899-1901 | Boxer Rebellion + 8-Nation Alliance. |
| 1905 | Tongmenghui (Revolutionary Alliance) founded by Dr Sun Yat-sen in Tokyo. Three Principles of the People: Nationalism + Democracy + People’s Livelihood. |
| 10 Oct 1911 | WUCHANG UPRISING — sparked Xinhai Revolution. |
| 1 Jan 1912 | Republic of China proclaimed; Sun Yat-sen provisional President. |
| 12 Feb 1912 | Emperor Puyi abdicated — ended 2000-year imperial rule. |
| 1913-16 | Yuan Shikai presidency; declared himself emperor 1915; died 1916. |
| 1916-28 | Warlord Era. |
CCP-KMT Civil War (1921-49)
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 4 May 1919 | May Fourth Movement — protest against Versailles Treaty handing Shandong to Japan. Anti-imperialist + cultural awakening. |
| July 1921 | CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY (CCP) founded Shanghai — 13 delegates incl. Chen Duxiu (first Sec-Gen) + Mao Zedong. Comintern guidance. |
| 1923-27 | 1st United Front KMT + CCP against warlords (Sun Yat-sen + Soviet advisors). |
| March 1925 | Sun Yat-sen died; Chiang Kai-shek took over KMT. |
| 12 April 1927 | Shanghai Massacre — Chiang purged Communists; 1st United Front ended; CCP went underground. |
| 1928 | Chiang reunified China (Nanjing Decade 1928-37). |
| 1934-35 | LONG MARCH — 16 Oct 1934 - 20 Oct 1935: Mao led 86,000 Communists 9,000+ km from Jiangxi to Yan’an Shaanxi to escape Chiang’s encirclement; ~8,000 survived. Zunyi Conference Jan 1935 — Mao took CCP leadership. |
| 1937-45 | 2nd Sino-Japanese War / 2nd United Front — Marco Polo Bridge Incident 7 July 1937; Rape of Nanjing Dec 1937 (200,000+ killed). |
| 1946-49 | Civil war resumed. CCP victory. |
| 1 Oct 1949 | MAO ZEDONG proclaimed PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA from Tiananmen Square. Capital Beijing. |
| Dec 1949 | Chiang fled to Taiwan; established ROC there. |
Maoist era 1949-76
- 1950: Sino-Soviet Friendship Treaty + invasion of Tibet. Marriage Law abolished feudal practices.
- 1950-53: Korean War — China sent 3 million troops; 600,000 killed.
- 1953-57: 1st Five-Year Plan (Soviet-style).
- 1956: Hundred Flowers Campaign + 1957 Anti-Rightist purge.
- 1958-62 GREAT LEAP FORWARD: Mao’s rapid industrialisation + collectivisation. People’s Communes. Backyard furnaces. ~45 million dead in resulting famine (1959-61).
- 1959: Tibetan Uprising; Dalai Lama fled to India; CIA support.
- 1960: Sino-Soviet split.
- 20 Oct - 21 Nov 1962: Sino-Indian War — China defeated India in NEFA + Aksai Chin.
- 1964: China’s 1st atomic bomb test 16 Oct 1964.
- 1966-76 CULTURAL REVOLUTION: Mao’s purge of “rightists” via Red Guards. Universities closed. Persecution of intellectuals + Confucian heritage. Lin Biao + Gang of Four. ~1-2 million dead. Liu Shaoqi + Deng Xiaoping purged.
- 9 Sept 1976: Mao died. Gang of Four arrested Oct 1976.
Deng Xiaoping + reforms (1978-)
Deng Xiaoping took de facto power December 1978 — 3rd Plenum of 11th Central Committee. “Reform and Opening Up” (改革开放):
- Household Responsibility System 1978 ended communes.
- Special Economic Zones 1980 — Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, Xiamen.
- One-Child Policy 1979-2015.
- Open Door Policy — foreign investment, joint ventures.
- 4 June 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre — pro-democracy protests crushed; ~2,000+ killed.
- 1992 Southern Tour — Deng reaffirmed reforms after Tiananmen freeze.
- WTO 11 Dec 2001.
- Xi Jinping rose 2012-13. Belt and Road Initiative 2013.
UPSC angle
Know CHINESE REVOLUTION — 1911 XINHAI + 1949 Communist; Opium Wars 1839-42+1856-60 (Treaty Nanking 1842 Hong Kong); Taiping 1850-64 20-30M dead; 1st Sino-Japanese 1895 Treaty Shimonoseki Taiwan; Boxer 1899-1901; 1905 TONGMENGHUI Tokyo SUN YAT-SEN THREE PRINCIPLES Nationalism+Democracy+People’s Livelihood; WUCHANG UPRISING 10 OCT 1911 → Republic of China 1 Jan 1912 Sun provisional Pres → Puyi abdicated 12 Feb 1912 ended 2000-yr imperial; Yuan Shikai 1913-16; warlord era 1916-28; MAY FOURTH MOVEMENT 4 May 1919 anti-Versailles Shandong-to-Japan; CCP FOUNDED SHANGHAI July 1921 (13 delegates incl Chen Duxiu 1st SG + Mao Zedong); 1st United Front 1923-27 KMT+CCP; Sun died March 1925; CHIANG KAI-SHEK took KMT; SHANGHAI MASSACRE 12 APRIL 1927 Chiang purged Communists; Nanjing Decade 1928-37; LONG MARCH 16 OCT 1934 - 20 OCT 1935 Mao 86000 Jiangxi to Yan’an Shaanxi 9000+ km ~8000 survived; ZUNYI CONFERENCE Jan 1935 Mao took CCP leadership; 2nd Sino-Japanese 1937-45 (Marco Polo Bridge 7 July 1937, Rape of Nanjing Dec 1937 200000+ killed); civil war 1946-49 CCP victory; MAO PROCLAIMED PRC 1 OCT 1949 TIANANMEN SQUARE Beijing; Chiang fled Taiwan Dec 1949; Korean War 1950-53 China 3 million troops 600000 killed; Tibet invasion 1950 Marriage Law; 1st FYP 1953-57; Hundred Flowers 1956 + Anti-Rightist 1957; GREAT LEAP FORWARD 1958-62 People’s Communes+backyard furnaces ~45 MILLION DEAD famine 1959-61; Tibet Uprising 1959 DALAI LAMA FLED INDIA; Sino-Soviet split 1960; SINO-INDIAN WAR 20 Oct - 21 Nov 1962 NEFA+Aksai Chin; 1st atomic 16 Oct 1964; CULTURAL REVOLUTION 1966-1976 Red Guards Mao purged rightists ~1-2 million dead Liu Shaoqi+Deng purged; Mao died 9 Sept 1976; Gang of Four arrested Oct 1976; DENG XIAOPING 3rd Plenum 11th CC Dec 1978 “Reform and Opening Up” (Household Responsibility System+SEZ 1980 Shenzhen-Zhuhai-Shantou-Xiamen+ONE CHILD POLICY 1979-2015+Open Door); TIANANMEN SQUARE MASSACRE 4 JUNE 1989 ~2000+ killed; 1992 Southern Tour; WTO 11 Dec 2001; XI JINPING 2012-13 + BRI 2013.
Frequently asked questions
When was the Republic of China founded?
On 1 January 1912 by Sun Yat-sen, following the Wuchang Uprising of 10 October 1911 (Xinhai Revolution). Emperor Puyi abdicated 12 February 1912 ending 2000 years of imperial rule.
What was the Long March?
From 16 October 1934 to 20 October 1935 — Mao Zedong led 86,000 Communists 9,000+ km from Jiangxi to Yan’an in Shaanxi to escape Chiang Kai-shek’s encirclement. ~8,000 survived.
When was the People’s Republic of China proclaimed?
On 1 October 1949 by Mao Zedong from Tiananmen Square, Beijing. Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan in December 1949.
What was the Great Leap Forward?
Mao’s 1958-62 attempt at rapid collectivisation + industrialisation. People’s Communes + backyard steel furnaces. Resulted in ~45 million famine deaths 1959-61 — one of the deadliest manmade disasters in history.