1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:08,880 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello everyone, I'm Eves and welcome to This 3 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:11,720 Speaker 1: Day in History Class, a podcast where we rip out 4 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: a page from the history book every single day. Today 5 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: is May the day was made. Twenty nine fifty one, 6 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 1: Tibet signed the seventeen Point Agreement, also known as the 7 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: Agreement of the Central People's Government and the Local Government 8 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet. 9 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 1: While Tibetans maintained that the agreement was signed under durest, 10 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: Chinese sources claim that both sides supported the agreement as 11 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 1: a legitimate contract. Tibet is bordered by Chinese provinces and 12 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 1: autonomous regions in China. Though Tibet has long been involved 13 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: in struggles with China, Tibetans have enjoyed considerable autonomy over 14 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: the centuries. In nineteen thirteen, Tibet proclaimed its independence after 15 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: decades of rejecting attempts by Britain and China to establish 16 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: control in the region. At that point, Tibet functioned as 17 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: a de facto independent state, but China still did not 18 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: recognize Tibet as an independent entity and continued to assert 19 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: claims over areas in the region. In nineteen forty nine, 20 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China, 21 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: a one party state controlled by the Communist Party of China. 22 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: The Chinese began asserting their presence in Tibet, calling for 23 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: its liberation. The issue of Tibet was part of China's 24 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: desire for a unified, powerful motherland and for freedom from 25 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: imperialist influence. Most Tibetans were illiterate in life expectancy was low, 26 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: in addition to most of the population being served and 27 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: enslaved people owned by monasteries and nobles. China used these 28 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: facts to justify the need for the liberation and reform 29 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: of Tibet. In October of nineteen fifty, Chinese troops took 30 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 1: control of eastern Tibet. The People's Liberation Army defeated the 31 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: Tibetan army in battle at Chomdo. The Chinese government told 32 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: Tibetan authorities to send delegates to Beijing to negotiate the 33 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 1: peaceful liberation of Tibet. According to Tibetan sources, the Tibetan 34 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:23,959 Speaker 1: delegation was forced to sign the seventeen point agreement, though 35 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:28,519 Speaker 1: the Chinese have rejected this notion. The document affirmed China's 36 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: sovereignty over Tibet, effectively making Tibet a region of the 37 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:36,920 Speaker 1: People's Republic of China. The document included a preamble in 38 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 1: seventeen points, it claimed to guarantee Tibetan autonomy and to 39 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: respect the Buddhist religion. It also called for the establishment 40 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 1: of Chinese civil and military headquarters at Lassa in Tibet, 41 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: and it called for the development of Tibetan agriculture, livestock raising, industry, 42 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: and commerce. There is controversy over the validity of the 43 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: seventeen point Agreement, since Tibetans claimed that the delegates did 44 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 1: not have the authority to sign the document and buying 45 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: the Dalai Lama or Tibetan government to it. They also 46 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: claimed that they were not allowed to make any alterations, 47 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: though others have rejected this claim. In the following years, 48 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: resentment against Chinese rule led to outbreaks of Tibetan resistance. 49 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: China did not fully honor the agreement, including its commitment 50 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: to preserve Tibet's political and religious institutions. In March of 51 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,359 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty nine and uprising began and lass against Chinese 52 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: rule and pro Chinese Tibetan officials and alleged eighty five 53 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: thousand Tibetans died in the uprising, though this number is debated. 54 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:44,119 Speaker 1: Disputes over the legitimacy of the agreement and China's adherence 55 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: to it continue to cause conflict in China and Tibet. Today, 56 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: Tibetans continued to protest mistreatment by the Chinese government. Intentions 57 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: remain over Tibet's political status. I'm each Jeffco and hopefully 58 00:03:57,600 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: you know a little more about history today than you 59 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: did yesterday. And if you have any comments our suggestions, 60 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: you can send them to us via email at this 61 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 1: day at i heeart media dot com. You can also 62 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: hit us up on social media where at t d 63 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: I h C podcast. Thanks again for listening to the 64 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 1: show and we'll see you tomorrow. 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