Democracy in China

                   Mao, who was the leader of china, had big plans for his country.  He wanted them to become more powerful like the Soviet Union and decided to copy exactly what they did to get power for himself.  Instead of being able to own their own farms, he made the Chinese farmers farm on collective farms, he made the poor work in steel factories with not much pay at all.  This was disastrous for China.  Most of the farmer’s effort in the crops went down, and although they were working hard not enough money was being made on the steel factories so the poor couldn’t buy food for their family.  A famine went all throughout China.  Millions died from it.  The Chinese Communist Party wanted Mao to share his power since things were turning out this way.

                    Soon many people were doubting Mao.  The leader of the CCP was a man named Deng Xiaoping.  He seemed to be a smart choice to replace Mao for Xiaoping.  But instead, Mao and the people who were still with him started a propaganda saying that some people on the inside were planning an assassination.  This gave Mao the excuse to hire a large ‘’bodyguard’’ which was really an army of thirty thousand men. Anybody who was now against Mao, were either killed or arrested.  Deng Xiaoping was not killed, but had to walk through the streets with a dunce cap on his head and then had to go work in a factory like the poor.

                    During this time, Mao made the newspapers, theaters, novels, and gatherings talk only about him and how good he was.  If they didn’t they would have been killed or arrested.  Even children had to join the Red Guard. They had to swear to be loyal to Mao.  Every house needed a picture of him up on their wall.  It would be bad if they didn’t.

                    In 1976, Mao died and Xiaoping came back and became the new leader.  He was determined to get China on its feet again.  He made many changes.  He decided to let some of the farmers work on their own farms, the poor could sell extra food for money and were able to give up working in steel factories.  Things were beginning to start back up again.  There was only one thing they were not allowed to do.  The Chinese were not allowed to give their own opinions about things.  This cause a big catastrophe.

                   On April 15^th, 1989, thousands of young students who wanted to speak their mind gathered to protest in Tiananmen Square.  They wanted to be able to be heard and wouldn’t leave unless they changed that.  Soon the protest got so big that the Chinese army had to come in and say warning that if they didn’t leave there would be dire consequences.  But even with these warnings the people still didn’t leave.  Eventually the army attacked.  Millions died and were wounded.  It was a terribly tragic event.  They even sent in tanks to drive the people out. 

When it was over bodies lay everywhere and the army tried to put up tents to hind what had happened but it was already all over television.  Many people knew about it.  People all around the world helped protest against it, but when it was over the Communist Party still remained in power over china.  Although Mao's big plan for China failed, Deng made it more prosperous.  But the people still wanted Democracy.  

                                                                   The End