Creation of Shang Dynasty- 1700 B.C. - 1045 B.C.

The Shang Dynasty was the first dynasty to rule and arose power during the 1700s B.C.
The dynasty ruled for over 600 years until it was overthrown by the Zhou Dynasty.

Qin Dynasty-
221 B.C- 206 B.C.
The Qin Dynasty gave their name to china and their first Qin emperor was Shi Huangdi.
In 221 B.C., the Qin Dynasty defeated and united a number of smaller states under a strong
central government and established the Chinese Empire.
The Chinese Empire lasted for 2,000 years and was ruled by different dynasties.
The Qin Dynasty was overthrown by the peoples uprising in 206 B.C..

Beginning of the Great Wall-

221 B.C.
Emperor Qin Shi Huang began building the Great Wall of China in 221 B.C.
He began the construction to prevent incursions from barbarian nomads into the Chinese Empire.
However the purpose the wall served was the psychological barrier between Chinese civilization
and the world. It ended up being a powerful symbol of the countrys enduring strength.

Interest in China
13th Century
In the 13th century European travelers began to develop interest in china and began to visit.
Marco Polo traveled from Italy to China and wrote a book about his adventures.

The Great Wall we know today-

1474- 1644
The great wall as it exists today was constructed by mainly during the Ming Dynasty.
The construction of the wall we know today began in 1474. A mix of soldiers, and convicts built
the great wall. It was said that as many as 400,000 people died while building the wall, and were
buried within the wall itself.
The wall was completed when the Ming Dynasty was done ruling.

The Machu People-

1644- 1911
In 1644, the Manchu people of Manchuria invaded China and established the Qing Dynasty.
In 1911, the Manchus were overthrown by revolutionaries and this ended the dynasties and the
Chinese Empire.

Trouble with Europeans-

19th Century
In the 19th century the Europeans wanted more access to Chinese markets.
China had a weak army and could not fight off the Europeans.
The Europeans took advantage of China and forced it to sign treaties that granted special
privileges to the Europeans.

China gets angry-
19th century
China was carved up into spheres of influence.
They were controlled by Britain, France, Germany, Russia and Japan.
China began to get angry which led to the Boxer Rebellion of the 1900s.

The Boxer Rebellion-

1900s
Militants attacked and killed Europeans and Chinese Christians in China.
These militants were referred to as Boxers, because they performed physical exercises they
believed would make them able to withstand bullets.
A multinational force of about 20,000 soldiers finally defeated the Boxers.

Revolution and Change-

1902
After the Boxer Rebellion, the Qing Dynasty attempted to reform the Chinese government
however it was too late.
Many individuals wanted to form a republic, which would give the people a voice in their
government.

The beginning of the Nationalists Party-

1912- 1920s
In 1912 Sun Yat-Sen and others founded the Nationalist Party.
In 1925, a general named Chiang Kai-Shek took over the Nationalists Party.
Chiangs troop fought against the warlords of China and united most of the country in the 1920s.

Trouble between the Nationalists and Communists-

1930- 1949
During the 1920s and 1930s, the Nationalists and the Communists fought for control of China.
The two sides stopped fighting each other during WWII and joined sides to fight the Japanese.
In 1949, the Communists, under the leadership of Mao Zedong, finally defeated the Nationalists.
Mao and the Communists ruled mainland China (which is now called The Peoples Republic of
China) from Beijing.

The Great Leap Forward-

1958- 1960
The Great Leap Forward was to change China from a predominantly society to a modern,
industrial society- in just five years.
Between 1958- 1960, millions of Chinese citizens were moved to communes.
However, so many farmers had been sent to the steel production work that there were wasnt
enough hands to harvest the crops.
Due to famine caused by this policy, 20 to 48 million people died in China.

Cultural Revolution-
1966
In response to the failure of the Great Leap Forward, Mao began the Cultural Revolution in
August 1966.
Mao shut down all the nations schools. Mao called for a massive youth mobilization to take
current party leaders to task for their lack of revolutionary spirit.
In the months that followed, the movement escalated quickly as the students formed paramilitary
groups attacked members elderly and intellectual population.

Nationalists Fled to Taiwan-

1949
Chiang Kai-Shek and the Nationalists fled to the island of Taiwan.
After Mao died in 1976, Deng Xia Oping, a moderate became Chinas most powerful leader
through the 1980s.

Issues with Taiwan-

1949-now
The Peoples Republic of China do not recognize Taiwan as an independent country.
They claim it is part of China.
On the other, Taiwan and the Nationalists there claim that they are the true government of China
and not the communists of the Peoples Republic of China.

The U.S. helps Taiwan-

1979-now
Taiwan relies on the United States for security and protection.
The United States provides weapons, and military aid to Taiwan.
In 1979, the United States officially recognized the Peoples Republic of China.
During his Presidency, George W. Bush pledged in 2002 to Do whatever it takes to help Taiwan
defend herself, and the Chinese must understand that.

One-Child Policy-
1979
In 1979, China adopted a policy of one child per family.
They adopted this policy because of its rapidly growing population.

China outlaws early marriage-

1979
All men must be 22 before getting married. A woman must be 20 before getting married.
Those policies have reduced Chinas birthrate dramatically.

Hu Jintao becomes President of China-

2003
In 2003, Hu Jintao became president and Wen Jiabao premier.
The two took responsibility for overseeing economic reforms to improve the standard of living.