History Stage 3: Unit 3B Chinese Revolution 1920 1989

The Chinese Communist Party: 1927 - 1931

Joseph Stalin in dispatched two new Comintern advisors Heinz Neumann and Besso Lomindaze in 1927, to China. Through them Stalin directed a number of uprisings against the Nationalists in key urban cities i. Nanchang Uprising: The Nanchang Uprising was in August 1927 in the Jiangxi province ii. Autumn Harvest Uprising: The Autumn Harvest Uprising was in 1927 was near Changsha iii. Canton Commune The Canton Commune was in December 1927 at Guangzhon Canton iv. Recriminations

Nanchang Uprising The first launched uprising was on August 1st 1927, at Nanchang in the Jiangxi province. A number of Nationalist Army divisions at Nanchang were let by Communist officers. There were up to 30 000 soldiers under the command of Communists He Long and Ye Ting; a perfect opportunity for insurrection. The rebels seized control of the city and proclaimed a revolutionary government. The communists held out for 4 days before loyal Nationalist troops recaptured the city and forced the CCP survivors to flee south Autumn Harvest Uprising A motely group of soldiers were led by the former head of the GMD Peasant Department, Mao Zedong, with the aim of rousing peasant uprising and taking the capital Changsha. Maos Autumn Harvest Uprising on the 7th -13th of September 1927 was a disaster. His forces were seized a few small towns but failed to get even remotely close to the capital. GMD troops inflicted severe causalities on the Communists. Mao was briefly captured but managed to escape. His ragged mob of 1000 survivors eventually found sanctuary in the Jinggangshan Mountains along the Hunan/Jiangxi border. In January 1928 he was joined by Zhu De, who brought 2000 more soldiers veterans of the failed Nanchang Uprising Canton Commune

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History Stage 3: Unit 3B Chinese Revolution 1920 1989

On December 11th 1927, the Communists attempted another insurrection, this time at Guangzhou (Canton). A dispute between the local GMDbacked warlords had created politically unstable situation which the Communists sought to exploit. CCP troops seized control of the city and Canton Soviet Council was proclaimed. A radical program of socialist measures was announced including the redistribution of land, collective ownership of industry and reduced working hours for the cities proletariat. The Canton Commune lasted just 2 days. The workers of Guangzhou were not interested, some even hostile to the revolutionaries. Unionists assisted in the campaign against the Communists. Brutal reprisals were dished out to the suspected Communists and their sympathisers. Recriminations The Russians blamed the Chinese for the CCPs uprising failures. However tin particular Moa was criticised for taking a purely military viewpoint- he had not effectively roused the revolutionary consciousness of the people

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