Episode 282: Tiananmen Square Massacre: China’s Dirty Secret

On this episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we look at the June 4th Incident, also known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre. The year was 1989, and as the Soviet Union was falling, and democracy was spreading through communist nations across the globe, a revolution started in China. It mostly occurred in Beijing; it was led by college students, and it was centered in Tiananmen Square. The students began to gather to mourn the death of the General Secretary of the Communist party. He was a symbol of political reform and was thought to avoid the corruption of the main party government.

Students called for protests and reform in his name, and word spread. Eventually, protests emerged in various cities, and in Beijing 100,000 students gathered. This was obviously alarming to the dictatorial communist regime of China. The ruling party feared this was going to lead to a national civil war of people demanding freedoms as they had in the Soviet Union. A small government faction supported the student ideals, but most opposed it.

Between April and June, tensions mounted, and more and more people gathered and protested, totaling 1.2 million citizens. There were small skirmishes, beatings, and shootings. There were also acts of compassion as students fed the very soldiers sent in to control them. Eventually, some bold moves were made as the whole population got involved.

At one point, the citizens of Beijing even formed in mobs and forced the army to retreat and held them in certain neighborhoods. So, what was it that finally sparked the army and government to attack the mob of students? How many were killed? How did the students react? How did the Soviet Union play a part? Who was the infamous Tank Man, and what ever became of him? Listen, laugh, learn.

Nice Timeline: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tankman/cron/