Uncovering Communist China | Mao's Cold War (Chinese Communism Documentary) | Timeline

[Music] in the decades following World War two a new era of frosty relationship is ushered between the greatest superpowers of the time for many that means capitalist nations pitted against the communist camp an ideological battle between east and west the USA versus the Soviet Union but it isn't so clear-cut a third-party muddies the waters and brings complexity to this relationship and the man responsible for this is the founder of Chinese communism itself Mao Zedong Mao doesn't always align himself with the soviet union against the u.s. mouse position shifts between the Soviets and the Americans disrupting the balance of power for so long China's involvement in the Cold War has been hidden from public record until now newly released Chinese archives have shed light on Mao's cold war strategies and intimately reveal personal stories on the ground these are the eyewitness accounts of the men and women who fought on the front lines of Mao's cold war [Music] the year is 1950 Gao Fujian is barely twenty years old when he sent to battle at Chosun reservoir in North Korea in the thick of winter well gene them coming bocher we are talking you ho Chassagne Santa - Juna - Andy - who [Music] Tatyana Kalinina tuition Natasha my fan bah our society mikka Makka Moo rondônia traditional I belong that the engine could rule a trivial one the table is so shallow the Poland and one neat idea neatness a balloons all you fizzy food Anya new headers all well do I need to meet in the paper [Music] whoa what'd you do without food channel talk over what oh da da la da laughs Angela when I see a girl for me [Music] a war breaks out in the Korean Peninsula between the capitalist south and communist north Chairman Mao calls on young Chinese revolutionaries to fight for the nation Gow and thousands of others rally around the call of Party Chairman Mao Zedong to help North Koreans fight against China's enemies in Korea these are among the rarest archive images captured during the war by Chinese wartime photographers only recently have these been made public five years before the Korean War breaks out East Asia is a sea of turmoil [Music] it is 1945 Japan has just surrendered following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki the Korean Peninsula is divided along the 38th parallel between North and South backed by the Soviet Union and the u.s. respectively China too is reeling from the Japanese occupation with the end of World War two China is thrown once again into a civil war between the us-backed Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party a communist leader is on the rise his name Mao Zedong vowed Saddam attends the founding conference in 1921 a man of the soil he believes that the ultimate power in China belongs to the peasants who make up 80% of the nation's population now is known for his brilliant military strategies the military strategy of Mao Zedong took shape during the World War two and developed fully during the Chinese Civil War between 1946 and 1949 it was called Revolutionary War a war against imperialism and the nationalism mouse tragedy was for a total wig tree in both war in 1949 the Red Army wins a series of decisive battles against the Kuomintang by October that year Mao takes control of the capital Beijing and proclaims the People's Republic of China the stage is set for communist China to face its greatest enemy yet the Americans on June the 25th 1950 an incident in neighboring Korea changes the course of history North Korean forces invade the South advancing all the way to Pusan the United States comes to the aid of South Korea sending American troops to fight alongside the South Koreans September the 15th the Americans made a tactical decision to retreat from Pusan and launch a flank attack by sea at Incheon the US forces then pushed the North Koreans back capturing their capital Pyongyang and advancing even further almost knocking on China's door [Music] the Korean War broke out at a very critical time so the United States sees that war as a kind of part of the global Communist offensive all war means different things to different people the Americans and so it's believed the Cold War's computation confrontation between two two superpowers but Mao believed the Cold War is about China China could be invaded by the Comerica so Mao had been prepared a defense against perceived US invasion of China by entering the war now hopes to lay the foundation of China as a superpower in the eyes of the world but more importantly mousies the war as an opportunity to galvanize the masses will now make decision to send the Chinese troops to Korea the New Republic or the People's Republic was only one year old it was a baby it has a million problems at home but the Mao did need a few important things to consolidate his authorities the first political control or established legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Authority Mao's grip on China has yet to solidify he desperately needs his people to believe in him he established the kind of a personal kraut long warship surrounding him he was very confident but on the other hand he was nervous he was haunted by the nightmare of many Chinese peasant rebellions after they overthrew the older region they failed to hold on to the power mouths vision inspired the masses one of those is 14-year old song Ling living in a village in Tianjin she's a loyal follower of Mao eager to do anything for the new China [Music] yayoi-san application new you a part of your learner's order to retain our unity sure to fill you in a room to embarrass you from shinty Harlem when we put our toner that's all the usual Penguins actual so um the usual vadhaka yoga Sheila : do you um do tribute on target audience Sheila woman sighing firm hey - Roger roll endeavour strategical and European hunt Tanya dungeon eventually Wrangler Terral male mosquitoes you see - really like a woman junker time for some new meat on our chicken sandwich other ones hatred are too raw giorgia they show me a lot one of the earliest battles takes place here near Yalu River these are rare images captured by Chinese photographers that fateful day in August 1950 more than 300,000 Chinese soldiers converge on the Chinese side of the Yalu masked by the darkness of the night all the eighteen divisions begin infiltrating across the border they were under coverage undetected the alleged surprise attack against UN forces those attacks surprised UN forces Makassar cried and telegraphed Washington code n code we're facing an entirely new war [Music] the sheer number of troops sent to the frontlines is so overwhelming the American forces coined them waves they were Shiro McGary and sensual usually taller how many children usually well Mimi - very sunny me Mahajan consumption you'll see me the poet she doesn't miss emotional Italian she's a good Sanjay get sancorp incision aha yes is a pencil cool [Music] for Mao the stakes are high failure to eject the Americans from Korea will create insecurity for her it's a question of survival for the fledgling Chinese Communist Party you in November 1950 China finds itself embroiled in a war of ideologies against the Americans [Music] the battleground the Korean Peninsula Mao needs to prove to his people that joining the Korean War is the right thing to do [Applause] in an act of courage Mao sends his own son to the frontlines [Music] in order to mobilize the Chinese forces and convince the Chinese generals many of whom did not believe China should fight war against United Nation Mall sent his son more I need to career as a Russian translator but tragedy soon strikes the young mouth during UN air raid my you was killed in November 1950 our loss in sign in a Korean War his son's death doesn't deter the paramount Chinese leader if anything it strengthens his resolve Mao is confident of repelling the enemies as Mao's soldiers near the 38th parallel there's a dilemma should shine across the border and press ahead mark was too obsessed with victory and he was too hot of the previously so and he rushed to the sample opens but not all of Mao's generals are that optimistic bunda Hawaii the Commandant of the volunteer army knows the Chinese have a weak defense and is more cautious so during those weeks hyung try to convince Maul that we should adopt more cautious or defensive strategy in Korea Mao and Stalin surprised you you're winning the war why you stop now it could take over the entire career we are winning the world right we say no we need to build up defense Pung is overruled the 31st of December 1950 the Chinese launched their third campaign against the American forces this time they press on towards Seoul [Music] UN forces continue to retreat for military medic cow the day he marches into Seoul is a moment to remember who you were talented needed sacred available on honey hole - why don't we all go play from we are dodging GM is mere shadows Angelo nah girl qionghua an aurora though she's a yeah yeah women be ho Keva her to come their children are getting one you know you're Joey you children [Applause] but the jubilation is short-lived the US forces push back and the Chinese have to play defense Chinese forces suffered heavy casualties because of the technology between the Chinese forces and the UN forces Chinese forces used over two weapons from Shoei unit some from captured Japanese made weapons United States and UN forces had developed advanced technology including the jet fighters jet bombers rocket launchers heavy artillery pieces and automatic weapons thirty or forty percent of Chinese soldiers died in the career war or killed and heavy weapons for the next six months it's a stalemate Chinese and American forces alternately gaining and losing the upper hand the coming months will prove to be the war's deadliest yet on the 19th of April 1951 Chinese forces launched a fifth offensive on the Americans for the next eight months China and the US engage in a protracted war 33 army divisions are unleashed 700,000 Chinese troops on the ground fight in a series of battles near the Demilitarized Zone one of the most fiercely fought the Battle of triangle Hill don't worry we can function how people were you're watching Tinian partisan was your hobby some yes some Guardian even Buddha that's the ping-pong goomy hey I'm always a matzo meal Guardian sangalans return will be coded in a song singing she's a cheerleader for Yahoo songs are there are certain Concordia goes I say so didn't attendee to follow the warmia commentary do you know do you did harm at all sir - I don't know [Music] million show whole cottage the Sun about confounded evo-devo the kongamato product the tuna mirror I say so they may miss really don't uncover typhoons were some no he wasn't we appreciative or so so woman say a woman DNA made sure my oh ho such a charity Musa Omaha a John Doe [Music] casualties are high on both sides more than a hundred thousand have died in the battle so far [Music] tens of thousands more are wounded volunteer data sang member cbourgin Shinto Ching Wu ji and and illegal Susheela teacher borrow from the towel maternai bhakti-yoga you go you know challenge ago you joined the da da de da de da hua male daughter to booster stages of him not to burn tongue to Bertoni come the little wooden animal there's a patient and took a time to ditch our kahlo museum me my Buddha server we push our simple salad ham the visual side of him that we sure are being a financial fitting earlier to the word is Hashanah Mao devises military principles that he feels will ensure success in the field among them to attack isolated troops with a strong force to go on an offense to cease weakly defended cities and to refresh troops between battles during the first two campaigns from October to November 1950 those tactics worked UN forces suffered heavy casualties but later on those tactics failed to achieve the goal of driving UN forces out of Korea UN Command realized the shortage of witness of Chinese forces UN Command call it seven days a week offensive campaign to characterized the Chinese surprise system so the average soldier could carry on surprise for one week so that's all day day God or their next campaign initial success soon gives way to disappointment May the 23rd mouths fear turns to reality the Chinese hundred and eightieth division is almost totally wiped out in an all-out siege Marshall Poong de Hawaii again tries to signal caution to his leaders in Beijing but his warnings fall on deaf ears [Applause] when Poong rush back to Beijing for more aid and support he was upset and he saw the party leaders in the middle of a dancing party it was Saturday night everybody had a fire and he was really upset and yield out we're dying fighting in Korea and you guys still having party and home what can tell my soldiers with no clear winner on either side both now and the u.s. consider a truce seriously but peace isn't going to come so easily [Music] the Korean War has dragged on for more than a year since the first gun shots are fired on the 25th of June 1950 [Music] but neither China nor the US is winning the war with a stalemate both parties agree to come to the negotiating table but Mao does so half-heartedly negotiation in the fighting are always two handles in Mao's strategic thinking when you fight you have created a more favorable position before you come to the negotiation table so where you negotiate actually you are buying time one issue proves to be a major obstacle treatment and exchange of the prisoners of war throughout the Korean War over 50,000 troops have been captured as prisoners on both sides one of them is soldier Chang Jing trained [Music] in April of 1953 he and hundreds of others are held captive but Jiang is hit by tear gas and soon loses consciousness when he comes to he finds himself in a truck as a prisoner of war army correspondent Hong Luo has written many articles on the plight of these captured soldiers one of those he's profiled is POWs Jiang chanting Chile Chile Java send those donuts animal talk for P Fuyu Soula interfere according to archives some of these Chinese prisoners of war are given tattoos on their bodies these tattoos are anti-communist slogans aimed at shaming these POWs making it hard for them to be assimilated back in China Jiang is among those tattooed yet diverse enhances felony woke up what color you got so much so know what go see how would you would you brandish [Music] these POWs may not have realized it but their fate lies in the hands of negotiators between the US China and to an extent the Soviet Union here tableau issues became the major problem during the Korean War negotiations Chinese and North Korea demanded total repatriation of their POWs to their country that means UN forces had to return all the Chinese and North Koreans back to their home country but the UN Command believed that each prisoners had his own choice his own willingness or their own repatriation the powa remains unresolved for the next two years this hard-line stance on mouthpart is because of his close relationship with a leader of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin Stalin was happy to see American and UN forces was bleeding on the career battleground yes siree unions benefited from the Korean War not just undermine the US Authority in the world and also studying could sell more weapons to China so styrene existed a better term or the Communist Party he liked to see more fighting for his political in March of 1953 Stalin dies with the Soviet leaders death Mao begins reassessing his priorities by June that year both China and the US are ready for a compromise a decision is reached on the status of POWs the armistice between China and the US is signed on the 27th of July 1953 correspondent Hong Luo is in the front lines when he hears that the armistice will kick off at 9 p.m. on July the 27th but the hours leading to that are intense you talking here not like appalled Anna hold on hold on hold on [Music] generally Shanna a total to square that'll ping you are you let's say that the median Michelin sudachi gaiety now this is a seven different ocean solidarity audience colony changing together [Music] as the Korean Conflict draws to a close another battle is slowly brewing further South Vietnam is in the throes of an ideological war once again China soon finds herself face-to-face with her Cold War enemy the US Vietnam 1954 for eight years communist forces led by Ho Chi Minh wages an ideological battle with the French colonists and their surrogates the Vietnamese national army the first Indochina war as it's called ended with a Geneva Accord Vietnam is divided into two at the 17th parallel North against South in the north the Communist Viet mins take charge in the south the government of Moore Dinh Diem backed by the United States the Accord creates provisions for an election in Vietnam within two years but peace doesn't last long when elections fail to take place Vietnam falls into another Civil War [Music] now still reeling from the Korean War doesn't want to be involved in another proxy fight with the West but in early 1963 Mao's attitude towards Vietnam shifts one reason the split in the Communist world [Music] the Vietnam became a better ground for the two communist countries to compete to gain control when Stalin died Nikita Kruschev seizes control of the Politburo the governing central communist body Khrushchev sets about implementing policies that deviate from the Stalinist ways Khrushchev began to criticize a Stalin's policy and even describe Stalin as a dictator I cannot accept that Mao feels is an attack not just on Stalin but on himself Beijing believed that China maintained a communist principle well so a unit betrayed those principles because Khrushchev made changes that's why malko Khrushchev revisionist Mao criticizes Moscow's lack of support for revolutionary movements around the world and to prove his point he advocates stronger support for Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam this will bring China once again face to face against America 5th of July 1965 Mao agrees to dispatch engineering and artillery troops to help the North Vietnamese one artillery man who's sent to Vietnam is wujin chai well yeah you know Thomas the food we are circling GABA ISA seon-ah there woman little nauseous a harmful stop to make of it yeah we're not sure yet you can go and answer Jonathan go harder Sanjeev Oh Sooyoung Lola Jannik are already in our town strategy high road hierarchy Tita the other figure the boot solution Councilwoman that's French lace or star you can tell China's participation in the Vietnam War is less direct than the battles in Korea for one male soldiers don't wear Chinese military uniforms taro Matsui / 180 C oven era the farthest and Eva mm yeah Bosnia dimension mark to the chemo yet as a channel you know [ __ ] attention Ibrahim [Music] artillery men like whoo aren't the only soldiers another 100,000 engineering troops are dispatched to build roads and highways he had all being gone humming ah I'm a nose count with you no no I don't you know hello cow I miss you Vitalis you know Tahoe I loved him the youngest Mao's confrontation against the Americans during the Vietnam War is however a complex issue it isn't always a battle of communists against capitalists when the Vietcong leaders begin courting Soviet Union Mao feels betrayed the relationship repeating Maoist China and inclusion means go to Vietnam for the mutually supportive but it is it is also full of tension because Louis China trying to impose some of these key policies how know the Vietnamese movement China trying to tell know the venomous Communists that you needed to engage it Englander before movement in your countryside to eliminate Landon Landon Lord class and also to eliminate the mix peasant class but the Vietnamese would were not happy with that [Music] in 1968 against mouths advice the vietnamese launched an all-out attack on US forces on the viet New Year Tet this is known as the Tet Offensive more than 40,000 troops are killed in a series of concurrent air and ground attacks Mao's relationship with Vietnam and USSR is now on a different course the stage is set for a new act in the Cold War [Music] in the shadow of the ongoing ideological war between the US and China in the 1960s China's relationship with neighboring Vietnam is changing the first signs of disharmony appear over the role of Chinese troops in Vietnam mouse suggested people's war mobilised the peasants and farmers build up defense but Moscow believed in offensive campaign so more and more North Vietnam move away from China and closer and closer to Moscow in 68 and 70 that's the beginning of the breakup or divorce between China and Vietnam [Music] in 1969 Mao withdraws all of China's troops from Vietnam in order to protect the China against so a unit the Chinese leader began to work out the new alternative a new approach toward international crisis Mao utters publicly the Chinese proverb the enemy of my enemy is my friend in April 1971 a window of opportunity appears from a seemingly a political event a table tennis world championship tournament held in Nagoya Japan after one of the competition's American player Glen Callan accidentally boards the wrong bus and is in the company of the Chinese team while all of the Chinese players smiled none approached him except for Chinese ping pong champion Duong Saddam the two strike a conversation and are friendly with each other all caught by the media millions in China and the US follow closely as the event unfolded in Beijing Mao monitors this seemingly innocent exchange the next day Mao gives the approval to extend an invitation to the American table tennis team to visit China ping-pong diplomacy sounds like you know there's a small incident but actually it was happened because of China's ready for such a event but those small events seems also happened accidentally involved only few in the video but they would just be the right person in the right place so now door was open [Music] on the 21st of February 1972 Nixon visits Beijing the first time for an American president for Mao it's an affirmation of China's arrival on the international stage two decades of confrontation and antagonism with America finally gives way to a new era of dialogue [Music] now as a Chinese leader was not only a visionary idealist and he also was a realistic always considered China's security and interest it takes the US and China another six more years before full diplomatic relations are established but on that late winter day of 1972 the seeds are planted Mao's cold war with the u.s. is coming to an end for so long China has seen itself as a nation under siege by imperialist forces the Cold War has been instrumental in shaping and molding the worldview of the Chinese people now emerging out of those decades of conflict and tension is a China that is ready to take on a new role

Channel: Timeline - World History Documentaries

Views: 618,010

Rating: 4.7410436 out of 5

Keywords: History, Full Documentary, Documentaries, Full length Documentaries, Documentary, TV Shows - Topic, Documentary Movies - Topic, 2017 documentary, BBC documentary, Channel 4 documentary, history documentary, documentary history, communist china, cold war, mao zedong, chinese history, chinese communism

Id: Tk2eP2T2pz8

Length: 44min 22sec (2662 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 04 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/Gusfoo]

Well worth the 40 minutes. Very interesting, particularly the 7-day effect. I'm sure Mao thought the rotation would solve a key logistics problem, but it had quite the large unintended consequences.