Vocab Words for History of East Asia Final

A form of warfare in which a country mobilizes all resources—military, economic, and civilian—for the war effort. In Japan and China, this meant involving entire societies, not just soldiers.

A 1937 Japanese state campaign urging citizens to work harder, conserve resources, and unify spiritually for the war. It promoted loyalty to the emperor and sacrifice for the nation.

A Japanese youth organization that trained students in military drills, labor service, and patriotic education during the war. It aimed to prepare boys for future military service.

A wartime Japanese slogan encouraging citizens to avoid unnecessary spending or comfort. It promoted frugality as a patriotic duty.

The city where China’s Nationalist government relocated after Japan captured eastern China in 1937–38. It served as the political and military center of Chinese resistance.

The massive movement of factories, universities, and workers from coastal China to the interior during the war. This was done to keep production safe from Japanese attack.

A term used in wartime Chongqing to describe refugees who fled upriver from eastern China after Japanese occupation. They often struggled with housing, food, and adapting to life in the interior.

A series of heavy Japanese air raids on Chongqing between 1939 and 1943. The bombings killed thousands of civilians and destroyed large sections of the city.

A Chinese wartime effort that used literature, art, theater, and film to inspire morale and unity. Writers and artists created patriotic works to support resistance.

A Chinese wartime image of women as educated, patriotic, and socially active. It emphasized roles such as nursing, teaching, and supporting soldiers’ families.

A Nationalist-era organization that coordinated women’s work in relief, fundraising, and social services during the war. It helped mobilize women for national defense efforts.

A Chinese patriotic song created in 1935 that encouraged resistance against invasion. It later became the national anthem of the People’s Republic of China.

Japan’s wartime vision of a unified Asia led by Japan and free from Western control. In practice, it justified Japanese military expansion and domination.

A six-week period in 1937–38 when Japanese troops killed large numbers of Chinese civilians and committed widespread rape and looting in Nanjing. It is one of the worst atrocities of the Second Sino-Japanese War.

A Japanese military strategy in northern China calling to “kill all, burn all, loot all.” It targeted villages suspected of helping Chinese guerrillas.

A secret Japanese military unit in Manchuria that conducted biological warfare research and lethal human experiments during the war. Thousands of people were killed in its experiments.

A system of military-run brothels where women from across Asia were coerced or forced into sexual servitude for Japanese soldiers. Many were abused, displaced, or killed.

A temporary alliance between China’s Nationalists and Communists from 1937 to 1945 to resist Japan. Despite cooperation, mistrust between the two sides remained high.

A former Nationalist leader who broke with Chiang Kai-shek and chose to collaborate with Japan. He later headed a Japanese-backed government in Nanjing.

A Japanese-supported puppet regime led by Wang Jingwei from 1940 to 1945. It claimed to be the legitimate Chinese government but had little real autonomy.

A major World War II military area where Allied forces supported China and fought Japan across Burma and India. It was crucial for supplying China after coastal routes were cut.

A U.S. Army general who led Allied operations in the China-Burma-India Theater. He worked closely with Chinese Nationalist forces during the war.

A large 1944 Japanese offensive in China aimed at securing rail lines and destroying U.S. airbases. It resulted in major territorial gains for Japan.

U.S. air raids that used incendiary bombs to destroy Japanese cities in 1944–45. They caused massive urban destruction and civilian casualties.

The U.S. dropped nuclear bombs on the two cities in August 1945. The attacks killed over 100,000 people and hastened Japan’s surrender.

A major Soviet assault on Japanese forces in Manchuria in August 1945. It quickly defeated Japan’s Kwantung Army.

Emperor Hirohito’s radio announcement on August 15, 1945, declaring Japan’s acceptance of surrender. It was the first time the Japanese public heard the emperor’s voice.

A failed 1945 attempt by Japanese military officers to stop the emperor’s surrender broadcast. The conspirators hoped to continue the war.

The formal document Japan signed on September 2, 1945, ending World War II. It officially confirmed Japan’s unconditional surrender to the Allies.

The Allied occupation authority in Japan led by the U.S. after WWII. It carried out political, social, and economic reforms.

The American general who served as SCAP and oversaw Japan’s postwar occupation and reconstruction. He played a central role in drafting reforms.

Trials held after WWII to prosecute Japanese military and political leaders for war crimes. Leaders were tried for crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Japan’s wartime prime minister and military leader. He was tried and executed after the war for war crimes.

Informal markets that emerged in postwar Japan due to shortages and rationing. People bought food and goods illegally to survive.

Japanese women who worked as sex workers for Allied soldiers during the occupation. They became a visible symbol of postwar hardship.

Japan’s postwar constitution written under Allied supervision. It emphasized democracy, human rights, and peace.

A clause in Japan’s constitution renouncing war and prohibiting the maintenance of traditional military forces. It became a key feature of Japan’s postwar identity.

A postwar policy that redistributed farmland from large landlords to tenant farmers. It dramatically transformed rural society.

A shift in U.S. occupation policy around 1947–48 toward strengthening Japan as a Cold War ally rather than pursuing radical democratization. It emphasized economic recovery and anti-communism.

Japan’s dominant conservative political party founded in 1955. It has governed most of the postwar era.

Japan’s political system in which the LDP held stable long-term power while opposition parties remained weak. It created a long period of political continuity.

Japan’s prime minister for much of the early postwar period. He shaped Japan’s foreign policy through the Yoshida Doctrine.

A strategy of relying on the U.S. for security while Japan focused on economic recovery. It guided early Cold War policy.

Japan’s rapid economic growth from the 1950s to the 1970s. It transformed Japan into a major industrial power.

A 1949 economic stabilization policy that cut spending and aimed to stop inflation. It laid the groundwork for later economic growth.

The economic boost Japan received by supplying goods to U.S. forces during the Korean War. It accelerated Japan’s recovery.

Large business groups of interconnected companies in postwar Japan. They became central to Japan’s industrial structure.

Three consumer appliances—television, refrigerator, and washing machine—that symbolized rising living standards in 1950s Japan. Many households aimed to obtain them.

The treaty that officially ended the Allied occupation and restored Japan’s sovereignty. It also shaped Japan’s postwar international position.

When the San Francisco Treaty took effect and Japan regained full control over its government. U.S. forces remained under separate agreements.

An agreement allowing the U.S. to station troops in Japan after occupation. It made Japan a key American ally in the Cold War.

A Shinto shrine in Tokyo honoring Japan’s war dead. It is controversial because it includes convicted war criminals.

A memorial in China commemorating the victims of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre. It serves as a symbol of wartime suffering.

A memorial statue honoring Korean “comfort women” forced into sexual servitude by the Japanese military. It represents calls for remembrance and justice.

Severe inflation in late-1940s China under the Nationalist government. Prices rose uncontrollably and destabilized the economy.

A Nationalist attempt to stop hyperinflation by introducing a new currency. The policy failed and worsened economic crisis.

Courts set up in postwar China to try Chinese collaborators who aided the Japanese occupation. Many were punished as traitors.

A senior Communist military commander who played a major role in the Chinese Civil War. He led key campaigns in Manchuria.

The conflict between the Nationalists and Communists after WWII. It ended with Communist victory and the founding of the PRC.

Communist policies that seized land from landlords and redistributed it to peasants. It aimed to transform rural society.

Meetings where peasants publicly described abuses by landlords during land reform. They mobilized rural support for the Communist Party.

A U.S. diplomatic effort led by George Marshall to negotiate peace between Nationalists and Communists in 1946. It failed to stop the civil war.

The retreat of Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalist government to Taiwan after defeat on the mainland. Taiwan became the base of the Republic of China.

The government established by the Chinese Communist Party in 1949 after winning the civil war. It replaced the Nationalist government on the mainland.

The leader of the Chinese Communist Party and founding head of the People’s Republic of China. He guided China’s early political and social transformation.

A top Communist leader who served as China’s premier and foreign minister. He played a major role in diplomacy and government administration.

A leading Communist official who served as president of the PRC. He helped shape early state institutions and economic policies.

A system in which the Communist Party and the government operated together, with the Party holding ultimate authority. Government offices existed alongside parallel Party organs.

A Chinese law that ended arranged marriages and promoted gender equality in marriage. It required free choice in marriage and outlawed concubinage.

Government programs to teach reading and writing to China’s population. They aimed to raise education levels and spread Communist ideology.

Efforts to improve hygiene, prevent disease, and expand basic medical care. They included vaccination drives and sanitation reforms.

A slogan and propaganda theme promoting China as transformed under Communist rule. It emphasized progress, equality, and modernization.

The harsh, military-led phase of Japanese colonial rule in Korea from 1910 to 1920. It involved strict policing and suppression of resistance.

A Japanese colonial agency in Korea responsible for land management and agricultural development. It facilitated economic control by Japan.

A Korean nationwide protest against Japanese rule inspired by calls for self-determination. It sparked widespread demonstrations and brutal suppression.

A period when Japan relaxed some controls in Korea after the March First Movement. It allowed limited cultural and educational freedoms while maintaining colonial power.

A government-in-exile formed by Korean nationalists in 1919. It sought international recognition and independence for Korea.

An early communist organization formed in the 1920s to promote socialist revolution in Korea. It became a core of the later North Korean leadership.

A late Japanese colonial program aimed at turning Koreans into loyal imperial subjects. It encouraged adoption of the Japanese language, customs, and identity.

A slogan promoting unity between Japan and Korea under Japanese leadership. It reinforced the idea that Koreans should fully assimilate.

A 1939 policy requiring or pressuring Koreans to adopt Japanese-style names. It was part of assimilation efforts during wartime.

A Japanese wartime law allowing the government to control labor, resources, and industry. It extended to Korea under colonial rule.

The line dividing Soviet-occupied northern Korea from U.S.-occupied southern Korea after World War II. It became the boundary between North and South Korea.

Local political groups formed in Korea after Japan’s surrender. They organized administration and reform before the formal division of the peninsula.

A short-lived political body formed in 1945 that sought to unify Korea under local committees. It was not recognized by the U.S. occupation.

The founder and first leader of North Korea. He became the central figure of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

A Korean Christian nationalist leader in the North. He initially worked with Soviet authorities but was later sidelined and disappeared from politics.

The first president of South Korea. He led the new republic during its early years and emphasized strong anti-communist policies.

The U.S. military commander in southern Korea after World War II. He oversaw administration and helped set up the South Korean government.

The state established in southern Korea under U.S. influence. Syngman Rhee became its first president.

The state established in northern Korea under Soviet influence. Kim Il-sung became its first leader.

A mass labor strike in South Korea protesting working conditions and U.S. occupation policies. It became an early sign of political unrest.

A violent protest in Daegu sparked by tensions between police and demonstrators. It reflected growing conflict between left-wing activists and authorities.

A widespread rebellion on Jeju Island against the South Korean government and U.S. occupation. It was violently suppressed.

A South Korean law aimed at blocking communist activities. It gave the government broad power to arrest political opponents.

A coalition of political groups formed in early North Korea. It helped consolidate support for the new state.

The ruling communist party of North Korea. It became the central political institution under Kim Il-sung.

Local governing bodies formed across Korea after Japan’s surrender in 1945. They organized basic administration, reform, and public order before the peninsula was formally divided.

Mass killings of suspected leftists and political prisoners by South Korean authorities during the early months of the Korean War. Tens of thousands were executed without trial.

A conflict between North and South Korea that drew in the United States, China, and other UN forces. It ended in a military stalemate without a formal peace treaty.

A defensive line held by UN and South Korean forces in the far southeast during the summer of 1950. It prevented North Korea from taking the entire peninsula.

A surprise amphibious assault led by General MacArthur at Incheon. It turned the tide of the Korean War and forced North Korean forces to retreat.

Chinese troops who entered the Korean War in late 1950. They fought on North Korea’s side against UN and South Korean forces.

A Chinese slogan justifying intervention in the Korean War. It framed the war as defending China and supporting North Korea against American imperialism.

A phase of the Korean War where front lines shifted back and forth repeatedly. It resulted in heavy casualties but little territorial change.

The ceasefire that halted fighting in the Korean War. It created the Demilitarized Zone but did not officially end the war.

A buffer zone separating North and South Korea established by the 1953 armistice. It remains one of the most fortified borders in the world.

A vision of development that emphasized factories, technology, and scientific planning. It contrasted with China’s rural, agricultural past.

Educated officials and specialists who managed China’s new state institutions. They represented urban expertise and technical training.

Loyal Communist Party workers who organized political campaigns and mobilized the masses. They often came from rural or working-class backgrounds.

A period in the 1950s when China and the Soviet Union worked closely together. The USSR provided technical aid, loans, and advisors for China’s industrialization.

A brief campaign encouraging Chinese citizens to voice criticisms of the government. It was soon halted when criticism became widespread.

A crackdown on intellectuals and critics following the Hundred Flowers Movement. Many were labeled “rightists” and punished or sent to labor camps.

Mao’s idea that revolution must be ongoing to prevent the rise of privilege or complacency. It emphasized constant political struggle.

A nationwide attempt (1958–60) to rapidly increase agricultural and industrial production. It reorganized society into large communes and pushed unrealistic production goals.

Large collective units that combined farming, labor, and social services. They replaced traditional villages during the Great Leap Forward.

The merging of individual farms into collective units where labor and resources were shared. It aimed to boost agricultural efficiency.

Small, local steel furnaces built during the Great Leap Forward. People were encouraged to produce steel at home, often resulting in poor-quality unusable metal.

A Maoist slogan promoting human ability to reshape the environment through effort and willpower.

A massive famine caused by a mix of policy failures, poor weather, and unrealistic production targets. Millions of people died across China.

A meeting of Communist Party leaders where criticisms of the Great Leap Forward were raised. Peng Dehuai was purged after challenging Mao.

A top military leader who criticized the Great Leap Forward. He was removed from power after the Lushan Conference.

A senior leader who helped manage economic recovery after the Great Leap Forward. He supported practical, moderate policies in the early 1960s.

The intense glorification of Mao Zedong as an infallible leader. It became a defining feature of Chinese politics in the 1960s.

A widely distributed collection of Mao’s sayings. It became a symbol of loyalty during the Cultural Revolution.

The breakdown of relations between China and the Soviet Union in the 1960s. It stemmed from disagreements over ideology, leadership, and foreign policy.

A Chinese accusation that the USSR had abandoned true Marxism. It targeted Soviet reforms and peaceful coexistence policies.

The Soviet leader whose policies angered Mao and contributed to the Sino-Soviet Split.

A widening rift in the Communist world as China and the USSR competed for leadership and accused each other of betraying Marxism.

A Maoist slogan promoting women’s participation in work, politics, and revolutionary life. It emphasized gender equality as part of socialism.

A set of eight state-approved operas and ballets during the Cultural Revolution. They promoted revolutionary themes and replaced traditional art forms.

An artistic style that portrayed workers, soldiers, and peasants as heroic and idealized. It emphasized political messages over individual expression.

Mao Zedong’s wife and a leading figure in cultural policy during the Cultural Revolution. She oversaw the creation of Model Dramas and played a major political role.

A massive political movement launched by Mao in 1966 to reshape Chinese society and strengthen revolutionary ideology. It disrupted schools, government, and daily life for a decade.

Mao’s call for students and activists to challenge established Communist Party leaders. It encouraged young radicals to attack “authorities” seen as insufficiently revolutionary.

Old ideas, culture, customs, and habits targeted for destruction during the Cultural Revolution. Red Guards were encouraged to eliminate them.

Officials accused of favoring capitalist or non-revolutionary policies. They were often publicly attacked or removed from office.

Student groups that acted as Mao’s militant supporters during the Cultural Revolution. They traveled across China to challenge authorities and spread revolutionary ideology.

Large gatherings where Red Guards traveled nationwide to meet and exchange revolutionary ideas. Millions of students participated in these mass mobilizations.

Public humiliations where individuals were accused, criticized, and forced to confess their “wrongdoings.” They were commonly used during the Cultural Revolution.

A top military leader who became Mao’s designated successor for a time. He helped promote Mao’s cult of personality.

The event in which Lin Biao died in a plane crash after allegedly plotting against Mao. His fall marked a major political turning point.

A political campaign attacking both ancient Confucian ideas and Lin Biao’s legacy. It aimed to reinforce Maoist ideology.

New governing bodies formed during the Cultural Revolution that combined officials, soldiers, and activists. They replaced traditional government institutions.

A political group led by Jiang Qing and her allies that dominated Cultural Revolution policies. They were later arrested and blamed for its excesses.

China’s premier who worked to stabilize the government during the Cultural Revolution. He remained a respected and moderating figure in Chinese politics.

North Korea’s official ideology emphasizing independence in politics, economy, and defense. It promoted national self-sufficiency.

A North Korean mass mobilization campaign encouraging rapid economic production. It urged workers to achieve “miracle” levels of effort.

The founder and long-time leader of North Korea. He established a strong personal cult and centralized state.

An attempted challenge to Kim Il-sung’s leadership by rival factions. Its failure strengthened Kim’s control over the ruling party.

The leadership system centered around Kim Il-sung as the unquestioned national leader. It emphasized loyalty and obedience to him.

A North Korean policy prioritizing the military in national affairs. It gave armed forces a leading role in politics and resource allocation.

A defense partnership allowing U.S. troops to be stationed in Japan. It tied Japan closely to the American-led Cold War security system.

Japan’s postwar strategy focusing on economic recovery while relying on the United States for military protection. It shaped Japan’s foreign policy for decades.

Informal directions given by Japanese government bureaucrats to businesses. It helped coordinate industrial policy without strict laws.

Large networks of affiliated companies linked by cross-shareholding and business ties. They played a major role in Japan’s postwar economy.

A close relationship among Japan’s ruling party, top bureaucrats, and major corporations. It supported stable political and economic growth.

A model where the government actively leads and plans economic development. Japan used this approach to promote rapid industrial growth.

A Japanese prime minister known for promoting economic growth. He introduced the Income Doubling Plan.

A Japanese policy aimed at doubling national income within ten years. It encouraged investment, consumption, and industrial expansion.

A practice where employees stayed with the same company for their entire careers. It offered job security in exchange for company loyalty.

Labor unions organized within individual companies rather than across industries. They emphasized cooperation with management.

A term describing Japan’s shift toward widespread middle-class lifestyles in the 1960s–70s. It reflected rising incomes and consumer culture.

White-collar male workers employed in corporate or bureaucratic jobs. They became symbols of Japan’s middle-class work culture.

A 1950s–60s youth movement associated with rebellious attitudes, leisure culture, and Western influences. It was portrayed as morally unsettling to older generations.

Massive demonstrations against the renewal of the U.S.–Japan Security Treaty. They became a defining moment in postwar Japanese political activism.

A wave of grassroots activism in Japan during the 1960s–70s. It included citizen groups advocating for democracy, environmental protection, and social equality.

A Japanese social movement that sought to end discrimination against the Burakumin, a historically marginalized outcaste community. It pushed for legal equality and social recognition.

A movement by the Ainu, an Indigenous people of northern Japan, to gain cultural rights, land recognition, and protection of their heritage. It challenged long-standing assimilation policies.

A postwar Japanese model of middle-class womanhood centered on full-time domestic work and managing the household. It became a widely idealized gender norm.

A Japanese employment structure in which men typically held secure, long-term jobs while women and part-time workers filled low-paid, unstable positions. It reinforced gender and class divisions in the workforce.

A cultural enthusiasm for scientific progress and high-tech modernity. In Japan, it emphasized visions of futuristic cities, robotics, and advanced transportation.

Japan’s high-speed railway system introduced in 1964. It symbolized modern engineering and rapid economic development.

A popular 1960s Japanese animated series about a robot boy. It reflected themes of technology, science, and human–machine relations.

A 1988 animated film depicting a dystopian future Tokyo. It explored fears surrounding nuclear destruction, urban unrest, and uncontrolled power.

A long-running Japanese film series featuring a giant monster awakened by nuclear testing. It became an iconic symbol of postwar nuclear fears and popular entertainment.

The first president of South Korea. He led the country with strong anti-communist policies until being overthrown in 1960.

A nationwide student-led uprising in South Korea that protested election fraud and authoritarian rule. It forced Syngman Rhee to resign.

South Korea’s short-lived democratic government formed after the April Revolution. It struggled with political instability and economic problems.

A South Korean military general who seized power in 1961. He ruled as an authoritarian leader while promoting rapid industrialization.

A military takeover led by Park Chung Hee. It ended the Second Republic and established military control of the government.

The military government that ruled South Korea after the 1961 coup. It reorganized politics and began economic reforms.

A constitution introduced by Park Chung Hee that greatly expanded presidential powers. It formalized his authoritarian rule and limited political freedoms.

A South Korean military general who seized power in 1961 and ruled as an authoritarian leader while promoting rapid industrialization.

A military takeover led by Park Chung Hee that overthrew the Second Republic and established military control over South Korea.

The military government formed after the 1961 coup to run the state, reorganize politics, and direct economic planning.

A constitutional revision under Park Chung Hee that gave the president sweeping powers and formalized authoritarian rule.

A model in which the government actively directed economic growth through planning, investment, and support for major industries. Common across East Asia.

Large family-controlled business conglomerates such as Samsung and Hyundai that became central to South Korea’s economic development.

The term for South Korea’s rapid economic growth and modernization from the 1960s to 1980s.

The event in which Park was shot and killed by the head of the Korean intelligence agency, creating a political crisis.

A coup by military officers loyal to Chun Doo-hwan that seized control of the armed forces after Park’s death.

A South Korean general who took power after the 12/12 mutiny and ruled as an authoritarian president in the 1980s.

A violent military suppression of pro-democracy protests in the city of Gwangju, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths.

A major South Korean opposition leader who survived political repression and later became president, promoting democracy and reconciliation.

A long period of political repression in Taiwan during which the government arrested, imprisoned, and executed people suspected of opposing the regime.

A popular revolt in Taiwan against Nationalist rule that was violently suppressed and became a symbol of injustice.

A period of strict military rule lasting from 1949 to 1987, during which political freedoms were severely limited.

A political system in which the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) tightly controlled government, military, and society in Taiwan.

People who came to Taiwan with the Nationalist government after 1949 and their descendants.

The majority population of Han Chinese (mostly Hokkien and Hakka Chinese ancestry) whose families lived in Taiwan before the 1949 Nationalist retreat.

The original Austronesian-speaking peoples of Taiwan with distinct cultures and histories.

A series of military confrontations and artillery exchanges between the PRC and Taiwan over contested islands in the Taiwan Strait, especially centered on the island of Kinmen.

Taiwan’s rapid economic growth and industrialization from the 1960s onward.

The high-growth economies of South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore known for rapid industrialization and rising living standards.

The passing of Mao Zedong, which marked the end of the Cultural Revolution and opened the way for political change.

Mao’s chosen successor who briefly led China and initiated limited reforms before being overshadowed by Deng Xiaoping.

A political faction blamed for excesses of the Cultural Revolution; they were arrested shortly after Mao’s death.

A criticism of Hua Guofeng’s policies as blindly upholding whatever policies and instructions Mao left behind.

China’s paramount leader from the late 1970s to early 1990s who introduced major economic and political reforms and would be credited for opening China to global markets.

A reform-minded Chinese leader who supported market reforms and was later sidelined after expressing sympathy for student protestors in 1989.

A liberal-leaning Communist Party leader known for promoting political openness and rehabilitating victims of earlier campaigns.

A literary movement in late 1970s China that depicted the suffering and trauma experienced during the Cultural Revolution.

A mass mourning demonstration for Premier Zhou Enlai that also expressed discontent with the Cultural Revolution.

A policy allowing educated youth who had been sent to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution to return to urban areas.

A Party document that officially reassessed the Mao era, condemning the Cultural Revolution while upholding Mao’s historical importance.

A broad program of economic modernization beginning in 1978 that emphasized market mechanisms, foreign investment, and flexible economic policies.

A term describing China’s blend of socialist political control with market-oriented economic reforms.

A rural reform allowing farm families to contract land, make production decisions, and keep profits after meeting quotas.

Local, collectively owned businesses that flourished in the 1980s and became engines of rural industrial growth.

A South Korean military general who seized power in 1961 and ruled as an authoritarian leader while promoting rapid industrialization.

A military takeover led by Park Chung Hee that overthrew the Second Republic and established military control over South Korea in 1961.

The military government formed after the 1961 coup to run the state, reorganize politics, and direct economic planning.

A constitutional revision under Park Chung Hee that gave the president sweeping powers and formalized authoritarian rule.

A model in which the government actively directed economic growth through planning, investment, and support for major industries. Common across East Asia.

Large family-controlled business conglomerates such as Samsung and Hyundai that became central to South Korea’s economic development.

The term for South Korea’s rapid economic growth and modernization from the 1960s to 1980s.

The event in which Park Chung Hee was shot and killed by the head of the Korean intelligence agency, creating a political crisis.

A coup by military officers loyal to Chun Doo-hwan that seized control of the armed forces after Park’s death.

A South Korean general who took power after the 12/12 mutiny and ruled as an authoritarian president in the 1980s.

A violent military suppression of pro-democracy protests in the city of Gwangju, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths.

A major South Korean opposition leader who survived political repression and later became president, promoting democracy and reconciliation.

A long period of political repression in Taiwan during which the government arrested, imprisoned, and executed people suspected of opposing the regime.

A popular revolt in Taiwan against Nationalist rule in 1947 that was violently suppressed and became a symbol of injustice.

A period of strict military rule in Taiwan lasting from 1949 to 1987, during which political freedoms were severely limited.

A political system in which the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) tightly controlled government, military, and society in Taiwan.

People who came to Taiwan with the Nationalist government after 1949 and their descendants.

The majority population of Han Chinese (mostly Hokkien and Hakka ancestry) whose families lived in Taiwan before the 1949 Nationalist retreat.

The original Austronesian-speaking peoples of Taiwan with distinct cultures and histories.

A series of military confrontations and artillery exchanges between the PRC and Taiwan over contested islands in the Taiwan Strait, especially centered on the island of Kinmen.

Taiwan’s rapid economic growth and industrialization from the 1960s onward.

The high-growth economies of South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore known for rapid industrialization and rising living standards.

The passing of Mao Zedong in 1976, which marked the end of the Cultural Revolution and opened the way for political change.

Mao’s chosen successor who briefly led China and initiated limited reforms before being overshadowed by Deng Xiaoping.

A political faction blamed for excesses of the Cultural Revolution; they were arrested shortly after Mao’s death.

A criticism of Hua Guofeng’s policies as blindly upholding whatever policies and instructions Mao left behind.

China’s paramount leader from the late 1970s to early 1990s who introduced major economic and political reforms and opened China to global markets.

A reform-minded Chinese leader who supported market reforms and was later sidelined after expressing sympathy for student protestors in 1989.

A liberal-leaning Communist Party leader known for promoting political openness and rehabilitating victims of earlier campaigns.

A literary movement in late 1970s China that depicted the suffering and trauma experienced during the Cultural Revolution.

A mass mourning demonstration for Premier Zhou Enlai in 1976 that also expressed discontent with the Cultural Revolution.

A policy allowing educated youth who had been sent to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution to return to urban areas (1978–1980).

A Party document that officially reassessed the Mao era, condemning the Cultural Revolution while upholding Mao’s historical importance.

A broad program of economic modernization beginning in 1978 that emphasized market mechanisms, foreign investment, and flexible economic policies.

A term describing China’s blend of socialist political control with market-oriented economic reforms.

A rural reform allowing farm families to contract land, make production decisions, and keep profits after meeting quotas (1978).

Local, collectively owned businesses that flourished in the 1980s and became engines of rural industrial growth.