Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
New
New
Year 11
AQA

The ‘loss’ of China and the Cold War

I can explain the impact of the ‘loss’ of China on the superpowers during the Cold War.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 11
AQA

The ‘loss’ of China and the Cold War

I can explain the impact of the ‘loss’ of China on the superpowers during the Cold War.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. After 1949, China declared its support for other communist countries.
  2. The Sino-Soviet Friendship Treaty created an alliance between China and the USSR.
  3. Communist victory in China was referred to as the 'loss' of China in the US.
  4. US anti-communism intensified after the 'loss' of China.
  5. US officials accepted the Domino Theory.

Common misconception

US responses to the 'loss' of China were only based on international concerns.

As a democracy, American policy-makers and leaders had to pay attention to domestic opinion as well as international issues. Both of these factors encouraged tough anti-communism after the 'loss' of China.

Keywords

  • Balance of power - the power of different countries and groups of states compared to one another

  • Sino-Soviet - relating to relations between China and the USSR

  • Treaty - a written agreement between two or more countries

  • Alliance - an agreement between countries or political parties to work together to achieve something

Students could be given extra information about the strength of communist parties in different parts of East Asia and South-East Asia at the start of the 1950s (i.e. Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos). Ask how realistic the Domino Theory was.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Video

Skip video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Which initialism was the Chinese Communist Party known by?
Correct answer: CCP
KMT
PRC
Q2.
Which Asian country experienced a civil war from 1946-49?
Correct Answer: China
Q3.
Write the missing word. During the Chinese Civil War, the US offered support to the Party.
Correct Answer: Nationalist
Q4.
Write the missing word. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) the Chinese Civil War in 1949.
Correct Answer: won
Q5.
Which statement is most accurate?
The CCP was controlled by the USSR.
The CCP fought against the USSR.
Correct answer: The CCP sometimes defied the USSR.
Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
1 - Civil war began in China.
2 - Nationalists made advances during attacks on communist areas.
3 - Chiang Kai-Shek rejected US calls to negotiate.
4 - Communist PLA began launching offensives.
5 - Nanking was captured by the PLA.
6 - Mao declared the establishment of a communist state in China.
7 - Leading Nationalists fled to Taiwan.

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Write the missing word. A is a written agreement between two or more countries.
Correct Answer: treaty
Q2.
What was the 'loss' of China?
The moment when the USA lost its colonies in China
Correct answer: The moment when China became a communist state
The moment when China was invaded by the USSR
Q3.
How did Mao's 'leaning to one side' affect China's approach to the Cold War?
China offered its full support to capitalist states.
Correct answer: China offered its full support to communist states.
China refused to support either side in the Cold War.
Q4.
Which two countries signed the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship in 1950?
Britain
Correct answer: China
France
USA
Correct answer: USSR
Q5.
Which theory led the US to worry that communism in China would lead to other non-communist countries in the region falling to communism?
Correct Answer: Domino Theory, the Domino Theory
Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
1 - End of WW2
2 - Beginning of the Chinese Civil War
3 - Nationalists began to lose their advantage in the Civil War.
4 - Mao declared the foundation of a communist state in China.
5 - Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship was signed.

Additional material

Download additional material
We're sorry, but preview is not currently available. Download to see additional material.