Background of the Tiananmen Square Massacre

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Tiananmen Square Massacre

The words “Tiananmen Square” conjure images of violence that still have a huge impact in contemporary China. When China’s People’s Liberation Army killed hundreds—or even thousands—of civilian demonstrators on June 4, 1989, the country was condemned internationally for its actions. Still, the government maintains that it was simply stopping a potential uprising.

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Background of the Tiananmen Square Massacre

The incident that eventually led to the killings in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square was the death of Hu Yoabang, former General Secretary of the Communist Party. Tens of thousands of Chinese students gathered in the square to mourn his passing.

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PBS Frontline presents “The Memory of Tiananmen 1989,” which provides a timeline of events leading up to the assault on June 4. The timeline begins with the death of Hu Yoabang, who had been a symbol of anti-corruption and political reform.

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FindingDulcinea’s “On This Day: Chinese Troops Overtake Tiananmen Square” reports that the government intervened when it became clear that demonstrations were spreading throughout the country. At first the army only warned people to disperse from the square, but then began firing.

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Remembering Tiananmen Square

China was internationally condemned for its actions during the Tiananmen Square demonstrations but the government maintains that it was putting down a potential uprising. Images and written remembrances of the historic event depict a people enraged by the actions of their leaders.

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BBC’s “Witnessing Tiananmen: Clearing the square,” a site that marked the 15th anniversary of the massacre, provides interviews with some of the individuals who witnessed the protests and the killings, as well as analytical stories about the event and it’s impact then and now.

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Time Magazine’s The Unknown Rebel, part of “The Time 100,” tells the story of the “tank man,” who came to symbolize the opposition to the army; his image is perhaps the most famous from the Tiananmen Square protests. The man who stood before a column of tanks, blocking their progress, has never been identified and his fate is unknown to this day.

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Tiananmen Square’s Impact: 1989 to Today

The massacre had huge implications in China and beyond, and still does today. Many sanctions against China, including United States and European Union bans of arms, have remained in place since 1989. And while China has come a long way, the government has not escaped the damaging reputation it earned at Tiananmen Square.

Top Sites for Tiananmen Square’s Impact: 1989 to Today

CNN looks at Tiananmen’s legacy in China, and around the world, in it’s report, “June 3-4, 1989: Carnage in Tiananmen Square.” Beyond the immediate tragedy of death and violence on June 4, the event was also a blow to many Chinese who had “hopes for immediate, drastic political reform.”

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The National Security Archive houses “Tiananmen Square, 1989: The Declassified History,” an online collection of State Department documents that reveal the thoughts of the U.S. government surrounding the events at Tiananmen Square.

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