Traveling east, let's visit China. It's post WWI, around 1920. Mao Zedong began reading the works of Karl Marx during his early 20s. In addition to supporting Marx's belief that workers needed to unite and play a role in a revolution, Mao believed that peasants too could play a role.

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Mao was one of the key figures in the Chinese Communist Party which was established in China in 1921. Another party strong in China was the Kuomintang nationalist party led by Chiang Kai-Shek. Both parties agreed that in order to defeat the Chinese warlords (who were like gang leaders) that dominated the northern part of China, they would have to work together. Click on the image below.

Chiang Kai Shek, however, hated the idea of communism and started a campaign to get rid of the communists in China. This was the start of the Long March, which was a 6000 mile trek led by Mao to get away from Chiang Kai Shek's nationalist army and relocate to northwest China. Click on the map below.

Watch the video below.

In your notes, respond to this question: What was the reasoning behind the communist party leaving southern China? Why do you think this "Long March" strengthened their cause?