CNN Cold War, Episode 15: China - 1949-1972 on AllMovie

With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. The social and political revolution in China is the subject of this episode. Mao Tse-Tung instituted land reforms, purges, and the "Great Leap Forward" program, causing millions to die during the subsequent famine. The program shows Chairman Mao's own developing vision of Communism and his break in relations with the Soviet Union. Also detailed is President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China to reestablish diplomatic ties with the world's most populous country.