The Communist Party's rise to power in China brought sweeping changes. They implemented land reform, promoted gender equality, and cracked down on perceived enemies. These policies aimed to transform society and consolidate the party's control.

The Common Program laid the foundation for a socialist state, nationalizing industries and promoting agrarian reform. The Communist Party established a one-party system, using mass mobilization and political campaigns to implement their vision while facing economic challenges and international isolation.

Early Policies and Reforms of the Communist Government

Key policies of early Communist China

• Land Reform
  • Redistributed land from wealthy landlords to poor peasants aimed at eliminating feudal exploitation and improving the lives of the peasantry
  • Led to execution of many landlords and confiscation of their property
• Marriage Law (1950)
  • Promoted gender equality and women's rights by banning arranged marriages, concubinage, and child marriage
  • Allowed women to initiate divorce proceedings
• Suppression of Counterrevolutionaries Campaign (1950-1953)
  • Targeted former Kuomintang officials, landlords, and other perceived enemies of the state resulting in execution, imprisonment, or "re-education" of hundreds of thousands of people
• Three-Anti and Five-Anti Campaigns (1951-1952)
  • Three-Anti Campaign targeted corruption, waste, and bureaucracy within the Communist Party and government
  • Five-Anti Campaign targeted bribery, tax evasion, theft of state property, cheating on government contracts, and stealing economic information among the bourgeoisie and industrialists
  • Aimed at consolidating the Party's control over the economy and society

Impact of the Common Program

• Served as provisional constitution for the People's Republic of China until adoption of the first official constitution in 1954
• Established basic principles of the new socialist state
  • People's democratic dictatorship
  • Alliance of workers and peasants
  • Leadership of the Communist Party
• Nationalized key industries bringing most important sectors of the economy (banking, transportation, heavy industry) under state control laying foundation for centrally planned economy
• Implemented agrarian reform promising to redistribute land to peasants and eliminate feudal exploitation paving way for subsequent land reform campaigns
• Promoted gender equality emphasizing importance of women's rights and participation in political and economic life setting stage for Marriage Law of 1950

Role of Chinese Communist Party

• Established one-party state with Communist Party as sole governing party and no legal opposition permitted
  • All other political parties either abolished or forced to accept leadership of Communist Party
• Implemented democratic centralism ensuring strict discipline and unity within Party ranks
  • Decisions made by Party leadership binding on all members and implemented at all levels
• Adopted Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought as official ideology guiding policies and actions
  • Emphasized class struggle, dictatorship of proletariat, and eventual achievement of communism
• Relied heavily on mass mobilization and political campaigns to implement policies and transform society
  • Campaigns (Suppression of Counterrevolutionaries, Three-Anti and Five-Anti) used to eliminate opposition and consolidate power

Challenges in consolidating power

• Faced economic devastation from years of war and civil strife
  • Declined industrial and agricultural production
  • Severely damaged infrastructure
• Dealt with hyperinflation caused by Kuomintang government's mismanagement of economy
  • Stabilized prices and restored confidence in currency
• Eliminated remnants of Kuomintang and other opposition forces through military campaigns and political repression
• Experienced international isolation with many Western countries (led by United States) hostile to new Communist government and refusing diplomatic recognition
  • Relied on Soviet Union for economic and military assistance leading to increasing dependence on Moscow
• Rebuilt state institutions by creating new administrative structure and recruiting and training large number of cadres loyal to Communist Party