China's Communism

After World War II, the ongoing civil war between the communists and nationalists resumed.  Led by Mao Zhedong, the communists eventually overthrew the corrupt government, run by Chiang Kai-Shek.
Once in power, Chairman Mao started a long period of reforms, meant to push China into its own new age.  Mao took land from the wealthy and divided it up between the poor peasants.  He also had all people start producing steel by melting down all of the steel they had into a communal melting furnace. However, the peasants did not know how to make steel and most of it went to waste.  Another of his failed ideas was the Cultural Revolution, a time period where intellectuals were discriminated against and considered enemies of the state.  Millions were killed throughout many of Mao's ridiculous reforms and ideas.  The reign of Mao did not push China to a new golden age, but pulled it further into a period of regression in technology, ideology, and society.