Riots and Revolutions in China

In the 1950's, China underwent a series of land reforms to increase productivity, and quicken the process of industrialization in China. However, this process caused the peasants to feel like the state was robbing them of their goods, and this led to rioting and revolts in villages throughout China.

Later on, in the 1960's, Chairman Mao instated a process known as The Great Leap Forward. This included a cultural revolution, and the destruction of the remnants of 'old China' to make room for new, socialist and communist, ideas. High school students often took part in the Great Leap Forward by raiding and vandalizing homes and businesses in China.

Both the land reforms and the Great Leap Forward involved change, but in different directions. The land reforms were launched by the government in order to advance China on an international scale; the riots that were against it aimed to return China to how it was before the reforms. The Great Leap Forward, however, consisted of a domestic initiative which had a main goal of motivating Chinese youth to conform to Communist ideals. The riots that stemmed off of it, then, were in support of the government and not against it.

Clearly, then, the turmoil that took place in China in the '50's and the '60's was varied; early on, it was against the government, and later on, it supported the government. However, both cases can be considered similar because they both fought for change, and it was this fighting that made China as unstable, and constantly changing, as it was.