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Becoming Madame Mao

Timeline of Modern Chinese History

1893 Mao Tse-tung is born
1911 Chi'ing dynasty, in power since 1644, ends, followed by a period of instability marked by feuding warlords, which lasts until 1927
August 1912 National People's Party, or Guomindang, is founded
1913 Jiang Ching, the future Madame Mao, is born
1914 World War I begins; Japan seizes German holdings in Shandong Province
1915 The Beijing government recognizes Japan's authority over the Shandong territory, southern Manchuria, and eastern Inner Mongolia; Germany and Britain also lay claim to Chinese territory
1917 China declares war on Germany
1918 Beijing signs a secret deal with Japan accepting Japan's claim to Shandong
May 4, 1919 In response, massive student demonstrations against the Beijing government are held
1921 Sun Yat-sen seeks Soviet support for the newly established Chinese Communist Party
1925 Chiang Kai-shek becomes leader of the National People's Party
1927 The Communist Party splits from the Nationalist People's Party and seizes control of the southeastern province of Jianxi; Nationalist forces surround the province and institute a blockade; an estimated one million die of starvation and disease
October 1934 The Long March of 86,000 Communists from Jianxi propels Mao Tse-tung to power
1938 Jiang Ching marries Mao Tse-tung
July 1937 Japan invades China; Mao Tse-tung uses World War II and nationalistic fervor to further communism in China
August 1945 World War II ends
October 1, 1949 The People's Republic of China is established
February 1950 China signs the Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance with the Soviet Union
1953–1957 China's first Five-Year Plan, the Transition to Socialism, takes place
1954 Mao Tse-tung is elected chairman of the People's Republic of China
1958–1960 The Great Leap Forward, marked by propaganda championing human willpower as the means to industrialization and economic growth, takes place
1966–1976 The Cultural Revolution, led by Mao Tse-tung and the Red Guard, takes place; the Gang of Four, including Jiang Ching, Mao's wife; Zhang Chun-qiao, a Shanghai Propaganda Department official; Yao Wen-yuan, a literary critic; and Wang Hong-wen, a Shanghai security guard, rises to power
1971 Lin Biao, leader of the People's Liberation Army, dies
1974 Peng De-huai, critic of Mao during the Great Leap Forward, dies
1976 Mao Tse-tung dies; Hua Guo-feng succeeds him; Zhou En-lai, premier of the Republic, dies
1978 Deng Xiao-ping, as head of the Republic, begins economic modernization
1980 The members of the Gang of Four are tried in court and sentenced to prison
1991 Jiang Ching dies

Becoming Madame Mao
by Anchee Min

  • Publication Date: April 15, 2001
  • Genres: Biography, Nonfiction
  • Paperback: 330 pages
  • Publisher: Mariner Books
  • ISBN-10: 0618127003
  • ISBN-13: 9780618127009