Tiananmen Square 1989

Why was there a massacre in
Tiananmen Square?
Learning Objectives:
To identify the key features and to analyse the reasons for the 1989
massacre
Key Terms,
Events, Names:
Hu Yaobang
Zhao Ziyang
Li Peng
Yang Shangkun
Gorbachev
martial law

The Tiananmen Square
Massacre
“The Events Prior and During
the Tiananmen Square
Massacre, June 3-4, 1989”
In their pairs, create a set of
bullet point notes, taking
turns to read and write. The
notes need to include a
description of the
background and a
chronological account of
the sequence of events
leading up to the violence,
emphasising dates, key
figures and groups.
LO: To identify the
key features and to
analyse the reasons
for the 1989
massacre
As you make your notes review these
questions below:
• Do you think there was a point that
the students should have given up?
• What were the key motivations of the
students?
• Do you think Zhao Ziyang was sincere
when he visited the students?
• The Chinese Government later
claimed that violence began as a
result of a minority of demonstrators
attacking the troops. Do you think this
is accurate?
• Why are exact casualty numbers
unknown?
• Why is there such a difference
between estimates?

What were their
roles in this event?
LO: To identify the
key features and to
analyse the reasons
for the 1989
massacre
Zhao Ziyang – 7th
General Secretary of
Communist Party
Hu Yaobang- 6th
General Secretary of
Communist Party
Li Peng – Premier of
PRC
Deng Xiaoping -
Chairman of the CCP
Yang Shangkun –
President of PRC

The Tiananmen Square
Massacre
• The massacre was the climax to the
tensions that had been building up in
the previous ten years which, in turn,
were a reaction to the failure of
Deng’s reforms.
• Deng had failed to address the
problems caused by his
modernisations and his toleration of
some criticisms had even raised
expectations of political change.
• But the question is, why did Deng
decide to use force to stop the
political protests? Was he to blame
for the massacre?
LO: To identify the
key features and to
analyse the reasons
for the 1989
massacre

April 1989 – The Death of
Hu Yaobang
• January 1987 Hu had been
dismissed for showing support
toward the student democracy
movement.
• Hu was remembered for his
liberal political opinions. He was
one of the first Chinese officials
to abandon Mao suits in favour
of Western business suits.
• When asked which of Mao
Zedong’s theories were
desirable for modern China, he
replied, “I think, none”.
LO: To identify the
key features and
to analyse the
reasons for the
1989 massacre

April 1989 – The Death of
Hu Yaobang
• Three Students tried to give a
petition to the Premier Li Peng,
but Li refused to accept the
petition which sparked off a
series of sit-ins and boycotts of
university classes.
• Students from 40 universities
joined their fellow students in
Tiananmen Square. Over
100,000 students.
• Transport workers showed their
support by allowing the
students to travel free to Beijing.
LO: To identify the
key features and to
analyse the reasons
for the 1989
massacre

May 1989 – Hunger
Strike
• By the second week of May, a group of
300 students had gone on hunger strike.
• The government made contact urging
them to call it off. They refused because:
1. They were achieving world wide
publicity with camera crews and
journalists from every continent
reporting events.
2. Gorbachev was due to visit Beijing. He
was very popular because of his reforms
in the Soviet Union. Students were
convinced that the authorities would
not dare crush the demonstrations
during his visit
LO: To identify the
key features and to
analyse the reasons
for the 1989
massacre

May 19th 1989 – Zhao
Ziyang
• On the 6th day of the hunger strike,
Zhao Ziyang asked the students to end
the hunger strike. In tears, he promised
that the issues over which they were
protesting would be resolved.
• That same evening Zhao was dismissed
from his post. Deng had decided that
the demonstrations would be ended by
force and introduced martial law.
• However, then the students voted to
end the hunger strike but continue the
protests.
LO: To identify the
key features and to
analyse the reasons
for the 1989
massacre

May 1989 – Further
Support
• When news broke of the
decision to continue,
thousands who had earlier
given up, returned to the
Square.
• This included many residents of
Beijing who blocked the roads
and avenues leading to
Tiananmen Square to prevent
the troops from imposing
martial law.
• The troops were withdrawn to
the outskirts of Beijing.
LO: To identify the
key features and to
analyse the reasons
for the 1989
massacre

Early June 1989 – Troops
move in
• Deng was now more
determined than ever to
end the protests. Crack
troops, led by specially
appointed commanders,
advanced on Beijing.
• By 2nd June, 350,000 PLA
soldiers surrounded
Tiananmen Square and
controlled the routes
leading to it, ignoring the
protests of the local
people.
Deng initially tolerated
free speech in the early
1980s. Why do you think
he was determined to
now use force against the
protesters?
LO: To identify the
key features and to
analyse the reasons
for the 1989
massacre

3/4th June 1989 – The
Massacre
• The PLA commanders described the
action as a ‘full military campaign’ to
overcome the resistance of ‘rebels’ and
recapture the Square. The troops were
told to reclaim the Square at all costs.
• At 10pm on the night of the 3rd June,
shots were fired at protesters. By midday
on the 4th, the occupation was over.
– Students were marched away and
imprisoned.
– Unknown number of casualties
– The government imposed a news
blackout but information about the
massacre leaked out.
LO: To identify the
key features and to
analyse the reasons
for the 1989
massacre

Why was the massacre
carried out?
• Deng could have used riot police,
water cannons and tear gas to
disperse the protesters.
• The students were unarmed and
not fully united and determined.
However, Deng seems to have
wanted a violent end to the
protest.
• The massacre was in the Chinese
tradition of crushing opposition by
the severest means in order to act
as a deterrent as well as
highlighting that this opposition
was illegitimate.
LO: To identify the
key features and to
analyse the reasons
for the 1989
massacre

Why was the massacre
carried out?
• The use of tanks and bullets was to show the Chinese
people the determination of the government not to
tolerate opposition.
• There are other explanations for the severity of Deng’s
actions:
1. The Chinese government insisted the students had
foreign support and were trying to undo the communist
revolution.
2. Deng saw the student movement as a genuine threat to
his leadership.
3. Power struggle to replace Deng between Zhao Ziyang
and Li Peng. Li Peng encouraged force against the
students, hoping to gain Deng’s support.
LO: To identify the
key features and to
analyse the reasons
for the 1989
massacre

Results of the Massacre
• Demonstrators were rounded up and
imprisoned.
• CCP officials who had supported the
Democracy Movement were dismissed.
Zhao Ziyang was imprisoned for 15 years
and died in 2005. He remains censored
in China. Details of Hu Yaobang was
censored until 2005.
• Those who opposed demonstrations
were promoted. Li Peng remained a
powerful politician. Jiang Zemin
replaced Zhao Ziyang as General
Secretary.
LO: To identify the
key features and to
analyse the reasons
for the 1989
massacre

• The massacre and promotion of
economic conservatives like Li
Peng meant that economic
change was slowed and market
reforms delayed until 1992.
• Chinese authorities announced
that 23 students had been
‘accidentally’ killed.
• The demonstration marked the
end of the Democracy Movement.
At the 14th Party Congress of the
CCP, held in October 1992, the
dictatorship of the CCP was
confirmed.
LO: To identify the
key features and to
analyse the reasons
for the 1989
massacre
In your opinion,
what was the most
significant
outcome of the
Tiananmen Square
massacre?

• Using the BBC footage and footage from another source of your
choosing, assess the value of both sources under the headings of
– Origins
– Motivations
– Intended Audience
– Content
– Perspective
– Reliability
– Usefulness
• Answer each section comprehensively and in complete
sentences
• In a paragraph to a half-page response, compare and contrast
the differences between the two sources and make a judgment
of the overall value of footage of the Tiananmen Square
Massacre.
LO: To identify the
key features and to
analyse the reasons
for the 1989
massacre

Tiananmen Square 1989

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