Where did the Kuomintang settle after their defeat?

Answer 1

t the close of World War II, two factions fought for power in China: the Kuomintang led by Chiang Kai-shek and the Communist forces led by Mao Zedong. A brief civil war saw the Kuomintang lose, and in the process, move to Taiwan. On October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong announced the birth of the People's Republic of China.

Almost immediately, the new regime began to purge the country of those people who might cause problems later. This included property and business owners. As with other communist nations, the government created harsh laws and used cruel methods in governing the Chinese people. The government quickly gained control of all aspects of the lives of its people.

The postwar years were very hard on China. In 1950, China became involved in the Korean War, which proved very costly to the young nation's economy. Mao Zedong then initiated a program called the Great Leap Forward in 1958. It was designed to increase agricultural and industrial production. The program was almost an entire failure. Millions were forced to relocate into state-run communes. Many were made to work in steel factories which took away from agriculture.

At about the same time these reforms were begun, weather conditions worsened. During a two-year span, frequent droughts occurred. Millions of Chinese died from the famine that resulted. Massive food imports from other nations reduced the number of deaths, and some Chinese began to question the direction the government was taking, which led to further purges.