According to Schurmann “Every Communist party relies heavily on ideology”.[1] Since the leading influential figure of Chinese Marxist-Leninst ideology was Chairman Mao Zedong, the legislative sector of the CCP correlated with the political theories inherently believed within the Party. Legislation would reflect many of the policies that would pass throughout the Chinese Revolution.
In the “first phase” of the revolution the ideology behind legislative as well as socio-political actions reflected industrialization, mobilization and unification of the peasantry classes. This can be found in the First Five-Year Plan (1953-57) when the party established its role and the future laws that would come from this movement.[2] This movement to mobilize the masses by using the People’s Liberation Army would be reflected in Mao’s writings when he asked for the “provincial committes…and the special district committees of all places…[to form] cadre training schools”.[3] He would also state how the PRC would systematically use the People’s Liberation Army to strengthen this construction throughout the districts and oversee the peasant associations that would make them Vanguards of the Revolution.[4] By doing this Mao would decree more power to the bureaucratic institutions that were being formed throughout the rural districts and reflect his ideologies and theories on a practical scale. According to Mao the reason behind his control over the Dictatorship and the direction of Marxist-theoretical ideology, which impacted future policies, was the idea that external forces such as imperialism, democratic state-power and counter-revolutionaries still lived amongst the state.[5] This would be reflected in the Eighth Party Congress.
Legislation would seek out the counter-revolutionists all throughout the Chinese Revolution and reflect the campaigns that would later arise in the second phase such as: the Great Leap Forward and the Anti-Rightest Campaigns. The sole purpose was to unify the political structure of the nation eventually to Mao’s doctrine and will.
[1] Schurmann, Ideology and Organization in Communist China. (Berkley: University of California Press, 1966) p. 118.
[2] Harvard University, Communist China 1955-1959, (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1962): p. 42.
[3] Mao Zedong, The Writings of Mao Zedong, 1949-1976, (New York: M.E. Sharpe Inc., 1986): pp. 32-34.
[4] Ibid, p. 49
[5] Stuart R. Schram, The Political Thought of Mao Tse-tung, (London: Pall Mall Press, 1963): p. 220.
In the “first phase” of the revolution the ideology behind legislative as well as socio-political actions reflected industrialization, mobilization and unification of the peasantry classes. This can be found in the First Five-Year Plan (1953-57) when the party established its role and the future laws that would come from this movement.[2] This movement to mobilize the masses by using the People’s Liberation Army would be reflected in Mao’s writings when he asked for the “provincial committes…and the special district committees of all places…[to form] cadre training schools”.[3] He would also state how the PRC would systematically use the People’s Liberation Army to strengthen this construction throughout the districts and oversee the peasant associations that would make them Vanguards of the Revolution.[4] By doing this Mao would decree more power to the bureaucratic institutions that were being formed throughout the rural districts and reflect his ideologies and theories on a practical scale. According to Mao the reason behind his control over the Dictatorship and the direction of Marxist-theoretical ideology, which impacted future policies, was the idea that external forces such as imperialism, democratic state-power and counter-revolutionaries still lived amongst the state.[5] This would be reflected in the Eighth Party Congress.
Legislation would seek out the counter-revolutionists all throughout the Chinese Revolution and reflect the campaigns that would later arise in the second phase such as: the Great Leap Forward and the Anti-Rightest Campaigns. The sole purpose was to unify the political structure of the nation eventually to Mao’s doctrine and will.
[1] Schurmann, Ideology and Organization in Communist China. (Berkley: University of California Press, 1966) p. 118.
[2] Harvard University, Communist China 1955-1959, (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1962): p. 42.
[3] Mao Zedong, The Writings of Mao Zedong, 1949-1976, (New York: M.E. Sharpe Inc., 1986): pp. 32-34.
[4] Ibid, p. 49
[5] Stuart R. Schram, The Political Thought of Mao Tse-tung, (London: Pall Mall Press, 1963): p. 220.