Suppose that the CCP and Mao were a bit more lax, or experienced some personality change, and thus decided to extend the Hundred Flowers campaign--to better themselves in the eyes of the West, say, or perhaps to genuinely encourage intellectuals to discuss how to better party policy. Regardless, how would it change China's development during the 20th century?
A sustained Hundred Flowers campaign?
- Thread starter BlackWave
- Start date
Mao hated the West. He was not going to endanger his rule to make his enemies happy.
The Hundred Flowers Movement was permitted in the first place because Mao thought he would get mostly praise for his generally successful first five years in power. Instead the intellectuals overwhelmingly criticized his regime.
Criticism to Mao was like oil to water. They couldn't co-exist. Mao would have to go. Even then I don't see the rest of the party willing to keep it going. At best no body gets hurt.
The Hundred Flowers Movement was permitted in the first place because Mao thought he would get mostly praise for his generally successful first five years in power. Instead the intellectuals overwhelmingly criticized his regime.
Criticism to Mao was like oil to water. They couldn't co-exist. Mao would have to go. Even then I don't see the rest of the party willing to keep it going. At best no body gets hurt.
What if the Soviets aren't willing to pour all kinds of aid into China; say there's a Sino-Soviet split right at the get-go. Now, it's very unlikely that Mao will go begging to the Americans, but still a more open policy to attract foreign assistance might not be far fetched. China may increase its links to the rest of the non-aligned world (Egypt, India, etc.) and would probably make a greater effort to attract overseas Chinese. Thus, we would see a "United Front" that's at least a little more than the window-dressing it quickly became in OTL.
Speaking of the United Front, maybe the Hundred Flowers movement could have lasted longer if it was more subtle and especially more institutionalized. I imagine Mao and his fellow leaders would get a lot less panicky if instead of receiving a flood of complaints from every side, these complaints were aired in internal forums (possibly shielded from the public view) in a bureaucratic fashion. So instead of encouraging people to write newspaper articles and big-character posters, suppose they just called a couple more meetings of the People's Political Consultative Congress and added a few more intellectuals to the ranks of the democratic parties.
Speaking of the United Front, maybe the Hundred Flowers movement could have lasted longer if it was more subtle and especially more institutionalized. I imagine Mao and his fellow leaders would get a lot less panicky if instead of receiving a flood of complaints from every side, these complaints were aired in internal forums (possibly shielded from the public view) in a bureaucratic fashion. So instead of encouraging people to write newspaper articles and big-character posters, suppose they just called a couple more meetings of the People's Political Consultative Congress and added a few more intellectuals to the ranks of the democratic parties.
Another intriguing idea that I came upon in an old thread here: https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=56607 is that Mao could just up and die in the middle of the Hundred Flowers movement, and so the authorities would have no choice but to sustain it, in at least some form, as it would be seen as Mao's last achevement and a key part of his legacy.
That's an intriguing idea. What sort of butterflies would this have as far as the CCP is concerned? Possibly this could lead to Mao's popularity increasing in the West, including among left-leaning intellectuals, especially given that the disaster of the Great Leap Forward wouldn't happen.
Also interesting, although this may not lead to the creation a PRC at all.
Good point -- the Chinese model would likely appear to be more of a "communism with a human face"
A few more possibilities:
Without Mao, perhaps the Sino-Soviet split would be more subtle? Instead of slinging harsh polemics, his successors might find a more polite way to move away from the Soviet sphere and perhaps still retain at least a token contingent of Soviet advisors and aid.
Without an out-and-out rejection of the Soviet model, and also without Mao to push ideas like the Great Leap/Cult. Rev., we'd probably see a more urban and industrial-centered economic policy.
That sounds about right -- a more cosmopolitan Mao won't be as effective in leading a uniquely Chinese, agrarian revolution.
Mao would become a messiah. It would become a Chinese cultural meme to concentrate absolute power uncritically in one charismatic person when faced with great difficulty. The Deng maxim of "seek truth from facts", "crossing the river by feeling for stones", and black cat/white cat will find less following.