How far does the history of China 1949-76 support this view?
… of the Communist party was it to stay in close relationship with the peasantry, to gain their support. He tried to destroy the old elite and redistribute the wealth in the rural areas. By the time the previous social structure was abolished, a new power structure had already been developed. Educated Communists, mostly coming from the cities all over China, spread out into the countryside to train talented peasants in leadership. The most active and efficient peasants could then become the head of their village. “Work teams” were sent out by authorities to supervise the transformation of the society. They also had the objections to collect taxes and persuade the local people to support the government as well as fighting for their interests. The result of the reformation of the countryside was that the Communist Party had successfully gained more support and the national economy was strengthened. Once the CCP had …
