This document provides an overview of communism spreading in East Asia during the Cold War era. It discusses the communist revolution in China led by Mao Zedong which established the People's Republic of China in 1949. It then examines China's role as a "wild card" in the Cold War and tensions with both the Soviet Union and United States. The document also covers the division of Korea after World War II and the start of the Korean War when North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950, leading to U.S. involvement and China sending troops to aid North Korea. By 1953 an armistice was reached leaving Korea divided along the 38th parallel, with the north remaining communist and the south transitioning to democracy.

1. Chapter 30: The Cold War
Section 3: Communism Spreads in East Asia

2. Objectives
Students will be able to…
1. Analyze China’s communist revolution.
2. Describe China’s roll as a “wild card” in the
Cold War.
3. Explain how war came to Korea and how
the two Koreas followed different paths.

3. Bellringer
CHOOSE ONE!
1. Write at least three (3) facts that you know
about China’s history, OR
2. Write at least three (3) questions you want
answered about China’s history.
Adults write in complete sentences!

4. The Communist Revolution
In the late 1940s, communism made advances in
East Asia. With their victory in China in 1949, the
communists gained a fifth of the world’s people.
Objective 1

5. The Communist Revolution
Chinese Nationalists lost popularity at the end of
World War II because nationalist policies led to
economic hardship, but communist policies
redistributed land to the poor.
Objective 1

6. The Communist Revolution
By the end of World War II, the Chinese
Communists had gained control of most of Northern
China.
Objective 1

7. The Communist Revolution
Mao Zedong was the
revolutionary
communist leader
who founded the
People’s Republic of
China.
Objective 1
He led forces against
the nationalists in a
civil war in China,
winning the support of
the peasant
population.
How do you think Mao
Zedong will keep the
support of the people?

8. Mao
Zedong
Leaders of the Cold War
China
North
Vietnam
South
Vietnam
Cambodia
North
Korea
South
Korea
Place Mao Zedong on
your graphic organizers!

9. The Communist Revolution Objective 1
Mao Zedong Declares People’s Republic of China

10. Group Work: Propaganda Analysis
Recorder
Writes down the
group’s ideas and
answers
Time Keeper
Keeps the group on
task and reminds the
group when time is
halfway up
Leader
Makes sure all group
members’ ideas are
heard
Presenter
Presents the group’s
work to the class
Errand Monitor
Gets the group’s
supplies and asks
teacher for help
when needed
6059585756555453525150494847464544434241403938373635343332313029282726252423222120191817161514131211109876543210 You have 60 seconds to
get into your A Groups
and choose your group
roles. Make sure to bring
your supplies!

11. Group Work: Propaganda Analysis
Example #1
“The Great Communist Thinkers”
In your group, decide which
type of propaganda you
think this is. Don’t peek at the
handout- we’ve done this
before!

12. Group Work: Propaganda Analysis
Propaganda
Technique:
Testimonial
Joseph Stalin
Vladimir Lenin
Friedrich Engels
Karl Marx
Example #1
“The Great Communist Thinkers”

13. Group Work: Propaganda Analysis
Example #2
“Mao Zedong and Children”
Propaganda
Technique:
Appeal to Emotion

14. The Communist Revolution
Mao Zedong soon built a single-party totalitarian state
in China. Recall: What does “totalitarian” mean?
Objective 1

15. The Communist Revolution
In the People’s Republic of China, those that
disagreed with communism were dealt with rashly.
They were beaten, sent to labor camps, or killed.
Objective 1

16. The Communist Revolution
Collectivization is the forced pooling of peasant
land and laborers. It was attempted in China to
increase productivity.
Objective 1
How can we
remember what
“collectivization”
means?

17. Checkpoint
What is collectivization?

18. The Communist Revolution Objective 1
Collectivization Propaganda

19. The Communist Revolution
Communes are commonly owned and operated
farms or communities.
Objective 1

20. Checkpoint
What are communes?

21. The Communist Revolution
From 1958 to 1960, Zedong led a program known as
the Great Leap Forward. This was when he
encouraged his subjects to exert efforts as if they
were superhuman to increase productivity.
Objective 1

22. Group Work: Propaganda Analysis
Example #3
“The Great Leap Forward”
Propaganda
Technique:
Plain Folk

23. The Communist Revolution
Because people had no incentive to perform well,
they often neglected their farms and turned out low-
quality products.
Objective 1
During the Great Leap Forward, China suffered food
shortages, famine, and the failure of many small
industries.

24. Checkpoint
What happened to
China because of the
Great Leap Forward?

25. The Communist Revolution
The Cultural Revolution was launched in 1966. Its
goal was to rid China of the Bourgeoisie tendencies. It
also urged young Chinese to gain similar experiences
to those of Mao Zedong’s own generation.
Objective 1

26. The Communist Revolution Objective 1
To help conduct the Cultural Revolution, China’s
teenagers formed bands of Red Guards.
How might leaders in the United
States use young people in a
similar way?

27. The Communist Revolution Objective 1
Waving copies of the “little red book,” Quotations
from Chairman Mao Zedong, Red Guards attacked
those they considered bourgeois. People were
publicly humiliated, beaten, and sometimes killed.

28. The Cold War’s Wild Card Objective 2
Despite the fact that they were both communist, the
relationship between the People’s Republic of China
and the Soviet Union was distrustful.

29. The Cold War’s Wild Card
Recall: What is the purpose of propaganda? What
are Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin trying to do here?
Objective 2

30. The Cold War’s Wild Card
Relations between China and the U.S. were even
more complicated. In the Cold War, the U.S. decided
it would be beneficial to have good relations with
Communist China.
Objective 2

31. The Cold War’s Wild Card
“Playing the China
Card” refers to the
attempt of the
United States to
improve relations
with China.
Objective 2
What do you think
“Playing the China
Card” means?

32. The Korean War Objective 3

33. The Korean War
Korea was an independent kingdom until Japan
conquered it in the early twentieth century.
Objective 3
After Japan’s defeat in World War II, the Soviet and
American forces agreed to divide Korea temporarily
along the 38th parallel of latitude.

34. The Korean War Objective 3
The 38th Parallel was the invisible line that split North
and South Korea.

35. Checkpoint
What is the 38th
parallel?

36. The Korean War Objective 3
Kim Il-Sung was the
dictator who ruled North
Korea during the Cold
War.
Kim II Sung became a
steadfast communist ally
of the Soviet Union,
leaving his country
isolated and poor.

37. Kim II
Sung
Mao
Zedong
Leaders of the Cold War
China
North
Vietnam
South
Vietnam
Cambodia
North
Korea
South
Korea

38. The Korean War Objective 3
Syngman Rhee was the
noncommunist dictator of
South Korea during the
Korean War.
Syngman Rhee had the
support of the United
States.

39. Kim II
Sung
Syngman
Rhee
Mao
Zedong
Leaders of the Cold War
China
North
Vietnam
South
Vietnam
Cambodia
North
Korea
South
Korea

40. The Korean War Objective 3
The Korean War began when
communist troops from North Korea
attacked South Korea.

41. Checkpoint
How did the Korean War
begin?

42. The Korean War Objective 3
G.I. comforting an infantryman

43. The Korean War Objective 3
Martial Law in Korea

44. The Korean War Objective 3
American Soldier Executed

45. The Korean War Objective 3
Korean Children in front of U.S. Tank

46. The Korean War Objective 3
At the end of the Korean war, troops remained dug
in on either side of the demilitarized zone.
The demilitarized zone is the area with no military
forces near the 38th parallel.
What do you think a demilitarized zone is?

47. Checkpoint
At the end of the Korean war, troops remained
dug in on either side of the ___________________.

48. Korean War Timeline Objective 3
1945: Potsdam Conference
splits Korea along 38th Parallel
1947: Truman Doctrine pledges
U.S. assistance to nations
threatened by communism
1948: Syngman Rhee declares
South Korea independent
1948: Kim II Sung declares
North Korea independent

49. Korean War Timeline Objective 3
1950: Communist North Korean
troops cross 38th Parallel and
invade South Korea
1950: Syngman Rhee’s
Summer of Terror
1950: North Korea captures
South Korean capital, Seoul
1950: Stalin gives Kim II Sung
approval to invade South Korea
What might have happened if Seoul had not been captured?

50. Korean War Timeline Objective 3
1950: Mao Zedong sends Chinese
troops against South Korea
1951: Korean War enters
stalemate
1951: Peace talks begin, but
drag on for years
1950: General MacArthur crosses
38th Parallel to pursue North
Korean forces
1951: President Truman fires
General MacArthur; MacArthur
receives hero’s welcome in U.S.
1952: Dwight Eisenhower
elected 34th President

51. Korean War Timeline Objective 3
1953: United States, North
Korea, and China agree to
armistice without a formal
peace treaty; Korea remains
divided at 38th Parallel
What do you think the relationship between North and South
Korea is like today? Why?

52. John F.
Kennedy
Dwight
Eisenhowe
r
Ronald
Reagan
United States
Nikita
Khrushche
v
Fidel
Castro
Joseph
Stalin Leaders of the Cold War
Cuba
Soviet Union
Leonid
Brezhnev

53. The Korean War Objective 3
Check out the numbers
on the left. Why do you
think South Korea was
able to fight back
against North Korea?

54. The Korean War Objective 3
Kim-II Sung responded to the armistice ending the
war in Korea by remaining a steadfast communist,
leaving his country isolated and poor.

55. The Korean War Objective 3
In the decades following the Korean War, South Korea
transitioned from military rule to a democratic system.
Why do you think leaders of South Korea chose to do this?

56. Checkpoint
What did South Korea
transition to after the
Korean War?

57. The Korean War Objective 3
In the decades following the Korean War, North Korea
remained a communist dictatorship.

58. Collectivization
Playing the
China Card
Demilitarized
Zone
38th
Parallel
Pooling
peasant
land and
laborers
Attempt of
the U.S. to
improve
relations with
China
Invisible line
that split
North and
South Korea
Area
with no
military
forces

59. Syngman Rhee Mao Zedong Kim II Sung
Communist leader
who founded the
People’s Republic
of China
Noncommunis
t dictator of
South Korea
Dictator who ruled
North Korea during
the Cold War

60. Exit Ticket
1. Imagine if North Korea and South Korea wanted to be
reunited as a single country.
a. Would you consider this a positive or negative
thing? Explain your answer!
b. Assume that you are in a position of power. What
steps would you take to help these two countries
come together? Provide at least two examples.
2. How do you think the results of the Korean War will
eventually impact the rest of the world? (No
Googling!)

61. Homework:
Create flashcards for the following terms:
1. Kim II-Sung
2. Syngman Rhee
3. Mao Zedong
Choose two of the following terms:
1. Demilitarized Zone
2. 38th Parallel
3. Great Leap Forward
4. Playing the China Card 3029282726252423222120191817161514131211109876543210