Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communists in China in the 1920s Essay

Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communists in China in the 1920s - Essay Example In his article, Analysis of the Classes in Chinese Society, Mao Tse-tung argues that the lower classes of Chinese society will provide the main support for the communist revolution because they have low economic status and are victims of the capitalist exploitation of international imperialism. According to Mao, the origin of massive class disparity in China is the imperial capitalism which places most of the national resources in the hands of a small elite group and leaves the majority of the population, which comprises of peasants and low-level workers, economically deprived and struggling excessively in their efforts to earn a living. Mao believes that these struggling classes are the real friends of the revolution because they stand to benefit tremendously in a system whereby national resources are equitably distributed to all citizens (Tse-tung, Marxists.org).Thesis: Mao’s argument on economic disparity between classes in Chinese society illustrates the reason for the con stant conflict between the Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communists in the 1920s. Mao’s argument plays a significant role when considering the differences between the Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communists in China in the 1920s. The policies of the Nationalists tended to lean towards western ideals of capitalism and international imperialism. These policies favored the high classes of Chinese society at the expense of the lower classes. The high classes benefited from this system because they owned capital which they could use for productive purposes. They kept the proceeds from these productive purposes all to themselves, paying peasant workers small wages and overworking them. On the other hand, the Communists recognized that resources are limited, and not everyone in the society can acquire significant resources that will enable them to live comfortably. Therefore, they believed that the government should have sole control of all resources and distribute them equal ly to all members of the society (Ebrey, Walthall and Palais, 427). These massive ideological differences pitted the Communists against the Nationalists in the struggle to establish control over the divided country. It quickly became apparent to the Communists that they would have to drive the Nationalists from power for them to be able to spread the ideals of the revolution. Regime change and complete overhaul of the old system would have to take place if the communist revolution were to achieve success. Consequently, the Communists were a direct threat to the survival of the Nationalist government and to its grip on power and influence. As a result, the Nationalists realized that they would have to stem communist ideals from spreading throughout China in order to prevent the Communists from acquiring enough support to mount a revolution (Ebrey, Walthall and Palais, 431). Throughout the 1920s, there was conflict between the Nationalists and the Communists. The Communists were attem pting to grow their movement whereas the Nationalists were bent on preventing from them from gaining a foothold among rural Chinese peasants and urban dwellers. For example, the Communist Party gained a massive following among members of the General Labor Union of Shanghai. This following enabled the Communist Party to influence the GLU to call for a general strike on March 1921. Consequently over six hundred thousand workers seized the city and demanded a return of foreign concessions. Soldiers and members of the Green Gang loyal to Chiang Kaishek of the Nationalist Party immediately mounted a response, shooting and killing an estimated 5,000 union members and also attacked the union headquarters. This terror did not end with Shanghai. It quickly spread to other Chinese cities whereby soldiers of the Nationalist government destroyed bases of the Communist Party (Ebrey, Walthall and Palais, 427). These events demonstrated the fear that the Nationalists had over the Communists gainin g