The Spread of Communism After 1900
Driving Question: What factors led to China’s adoption of communism, and how did this transformation impact China and the world?
This lesson follows the rise of communism in China and Latin America from the aftermath of World War II through the Chinese Communist Revolution led by Mao Zedong. It highlights the struggle between nationalist and communist factions, the relationship between different socialist movements, the impact of communist policies on China and Latin America, and the challenges and achievements of these policies.
Learning Objectives
- Explain the causes and consequences of China’s adoption of communism.
- Explain the causes and effects of movements to redistribute economic resources.
- Use quick-sourcing skills to evaluate the causes and consequences of the spread of communist states.
Vocab Terms:
China was a major player in the Cold War and decolonization struggles of this period. Use image analysis to begin engaging with the Chinese Communist Revolution.
Seeing Red Slideshow
Mix up the reading strategy for this article by having students track their reading. For example, include prompts with frames such as, “I understood____”; “Questions I have and connections I can make to the text.” Include a space for vocabulary words and definitions. The log can be completed for sections of text, a whole text, or a class period. After reading, review learning logs with students.
Following the Russian Revolution, industrialized Europe managed to contain the spread of communism, but this ideology proved more popular in agrarian societies around the world. China and Latin America offer two contrasting stories of the global spread of communism during the interwar period.
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Guiding Questions
Did you know: Mao Zedong started a cult of mangoes after shipping the fruit to factory workers who fought against the Red Guard during the Cultural Revolution. To learn more about this cult and find tips and resources on the Chinese Cultural Revolution, check out this community conversation.
The Chinese Communist Revolution was a transformational event in both Chinese history and the global history of revolutions—explore why in this video.
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Guiding Questions
Communism resulted in many upheavals around the world in the twentieth century. Using primary sources, you will analyze the causes and consequences associated with these upheavals. We recommend using the Quick-Sourcing Tool to help you analyze these sources.
Don’t skip this closer! It helps students assess the causes and effects of the spread of communism in a fun way—they create one-page comics using the causes and consequences they identified.
Use your causation and contextualization skills to assess the Chinese Communist Revolution.
Help students make the content stick by dividing a reading into paragraph- or section-long chunks. After they’ve read each chunk, have students write a one-sentence summary of what they read. For even more support, incorporate guiding questions into the article so that students know where to look for the answers.
Although China was never fully colonized, its communist revolution was as much anti-imperialist as it was pro-communist.
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Guiding Questions
one who advocates or practices socialism
Socialists are generally in favor of universal health care.