Deng Xiaoping was born on

1
Deng Xiaoping was born on August 22, 1904 and he
would greatly change China.
2
As a young man, Deng left China and studied in
France. He worked in a factory under terrible
conditions and discovered Marxism.
3
Upon returning to China, Deng joined the
Chinese Communist Party.
4
Deng Xiaoping survived the Long March.
Many communists died on the Long March as they
escaped nationalist soldiers.
5
When the Japanese invaded China, the Chinese
communists and nationalists stopped fighting each
other and fought the Japanese.
6
After World War II, the Chinese civil war resumed
and the communists won after gaining the support
of the peasants.
7
But just because Deng had sacrificed for the
Communist Party did not mean that his political
future was assured.
8
During Mao Zedongs Great Proletarian Cultural
Revolution, Deng was punished. Mao accused Deng
of being an anti-revolutionary.
9
But in 1973, Deng was called back to politics to
help end the chaos of the Cultural Revolution.
10
By 1978, Deng Xiaoping was the leader of
Communist China.
11
Deng Xiaoping began a series of reforms to change
China and end the chaos that was created during
the Cultural Revolution.
12
Deng began by allowing farmers the right to keep
and sell surplus crops.
13
Deng encouraged elements of a free market
economy to increase productivity by increasing
personal incentives.
14
But for all of Dengs economic reforms, he would
not tolerate movements for democracy.
15
When students gathered in Tiananmen Square in
1989, protesting for democratic reforms, Deng
Xiaoping ordered them to leave the square.
16
When the pro-democracy students refused to
leave, Deng ordered the military to clear the
square.
17
Many student protesters were killed.
18
Yes, Dengs legacy is a mixed legacy. He
improved Chinas economy but crushed
pro-democracy movements.