Tiananmen Massacre
Overview
Statewide Dual Credit Modern World History: Unit 16, Lesson 3
A discussion of the Tiananmen Square Massacre highlights the Chinese government's response to pro-democracy demonstrations in 1989, including the violent crackdown and its lasting impact on Chinese society and international relations.
Events took a different turn in China. The collapse of the Soviet Union created tremendous demands for political, economic and social change among ordinary Chinese citizens. Uncertain of what to do, the Chinese government of Deng Xiaoping made minor concessions and played for time. However, throughout spring 1989, thousands of demonstrators congregated in Tiananmen Park in Beijing, where Mao Zedong had proclaimed the existence of the PRC exactly four decades before. Building makeshift monuments to freedom and marching with placards, hundreds of demonstrators camped overnight in the park. Chinese officials negotiated with the protesters while building up police and military forces surrounding Tiananmen. When talks stalled, Deng ordered the military to disperse the crowd on June 4. Even to this day, it is estimated that hundreds, possibly thousands, of demonstrators died in the ensuing conflict. Although the United States and other Western countries imposed economic and cultural sanctions on China, East-West relations were restored by the time of the Clinton Administration in 1993. As a result of the Tiananmen Massacre, the CCP sent a message that although it would continue to liberalize economically, it would tolerate no social liberalization or threats to its power.
Although official accounts vary, it is estimated that 50,000-100,000 demonstrators gathered in Tiananmen Square from April-June, 1989. Students from all over China represented the largest number of protesters. Following the Chinese government’s crackdown on June 4, many students were imprisoned or forced to flee the country.
Few images of the Tiananmen Square Massacre are as iconic as that of “Tank Man,” a lone demonstrator who faced down four Chinese tanks on June 5, 1989. Dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, the man refused to back down. The tank drivers remained in place, unwilling to spark an international incident. To this day, the identity of Tank Man remains unknown. However, he has become a symbol of resistance to the heavy hand of the PRC government and a reminder of protesters who were killed or imprisoned due to their participation in the demonstrations.