China: Endings and Beginnings, 1895-

1927

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The New ReformersThe Scramble for Concession

The Boxer RisingWinds of Change

Stirrings of Protest and RevolutionEleventh-Hour ReformThe Revolution of 1911

Emperor Guangxu

I. The Last Years of the Last Dynasty

The New Reformers It came from a naval

student called Yan Fu:

“…from thousands miles away…barbarians floated in and pounded our gates requesting for entrance…they didn’t get what they asked for, they attacked....”

New Reformers Yang argued that Western learning was needed

to release Chinese energies, and rejected much of Chinese including even Confucius.

Kang Yuwei (1858-1927) and his followers sought to transformed the government into a modern and modernizing constitutional monarchy along the line of Meiji Japan.

Emperor Guangxu asserted his authority by issuing a flood of edicts aimed at reforming the examination system, remodeling the bureaucracy, and promoting modernization.

The Empress Dowager

The coup sent China’s most advanced thinkers into exile.

She approved moderate reform, but the central government was weak facing problems came from the West.

The Scramble for Concessions

Germany leased territory in Shandong

Russia leased Port Arthur in the southern Liaodong

France held leases on land around Guangzhou Bay

Britain obtained Weihaiwei and Hong Kong

Finally, China made the decision by not ceding a given area to any power other than signatory: The Yangzi Valley to Britain The provinces bordering French Indochina to France Fujian to Japan and Russia received special rights in

Manchuria

The Boxer Rising

Popular anxieties were fueled by anti-foreignism, flood and famine in Shandong, combined with the advance of the Germans, led to the first Boxer rising in May 1898.

Later they were given support by high Qing officials to prepare to fight against the foreign powers.

In June 13 1900, they entered Beijing and 8 days later the court declared war on all the treaty powers.

They were officially placed under the command of imperial princes.

The Boxers and the Chinese troops were undisciplined, poorly-organized, and uncoordinated.

The Winds of Change Foreigners controlled much of China’s mining and

shipping, and were a major factor in manufacturing both export and domestic market.

They were an important part of China’s economic modernization.

Groups of modern or semi-modern entrepreneurs, tradesmen, financiers, industrial leaders… emerged.

170 presses supplying 2 to 4 million readers: depravity novels, science fantasy novels..

On provincial affairs was exercised by a semi-modern urban elite composed by merchants and bankers, and military and professional men trained in modern methods.

Stirrings of Protest and Revolution

The first anti-footbinding movement in 1894, which resulted in a law banning the practice in 1902.

Expressions of public opinion, protests at Russia’s refusal to leave Manchuria, a boycott against the US, and a boycott against Japan as well as movement to regain railway rights.

Sun Yat-Sen

1866-1925 Three principles:

“nationalism, democracy, and the people’s livelihood”

He called for overthrow the dynasty and the establishment of a republic.

Eleventh-Hour Reform

By 1911 even remote provinces boasted new schools, teaching new subjects and ideas.

Students also studied abroad in record number who enjoyed new personal and intellectual liberty.

They learned about Western history, law, science, and logic.

Manchu political reform included restructuring the government along modern lines, developing a constitution, and creating a modern military with Yuan Shikai.

The Empress Dowager and Emperor Guangxu both died in November 1908.

Aisin Giorro Puyi

The Revolution of 1911

Provincial and merchant elites who created their own railway companies.

The Qing government, however, also wanted to nationalize the major railways lines by doing foreign loaning.

The loans and the disbanding of provincial companies caused a furor.

The nationalists were indignant over the foreign loans.

Revolt broke out carried by men led by Sun Yet-Sen

The revolutionaries had formed a government at Nanjing with Sen as provisional president

The Revolution of 1911

A compromising between Yuan Shikai and the revolutionaries toke place, and an agreement was reached.

The Manchu child-emperor formally abdicated on Feb.2, 1912, bringing an end not only to a dynasty but also to a political system whose foundation had been laid in 221 B.C.E.

China became a republic.

II. From Yuan Shikai to Chiang

Kai-Shek

Yuan Shikai Sun Yat-Sen stepped aside and Yuan accepted the

presidency of a republic with a two-chambered legislature.

Elections were held in Feb. 1913 with about 5% of China’s population entitled to vote.

Yuan stayed in power by depending on military authority.

During WWI, Japan presented in China with Twenty-One Demands: Recognition of Japanese rights in Shandong Extension its rights in Mongolia and Manchuria Sino-Japanese joint operation of China’s largest iron and steel

companies China not ceding or leasing any coastal area to any power other

than Japan Provisions that would have obliged the Chinese government to

employ Japanese political, financial, and military advisors…..

Yuan Shikai Yuan was forced to accept Japan’s seizure of

Germany’s holdings in Shandong, grant Japan new rights in southern Manchuria and Inner Mongolia, and acknowledge its special interest in China’s largest iron and steel works.

The domestic result was a wave of anti-Japanese nationalist outrage, which expressed itself in protests and boycotts.

Yuan wanted to reinstating the emperorship, but he did nothing to tap or mobilize mass to support him. He proclaimed the new regime, but the new dynasty was overwhelming in March 1916 and he abandoned his imperial ambition and died in the same year.

Warlord Era

In 1917 there was even a two-week restoration of the Qing.

In the same year, China was under the premier and warlord Duang Qirui.

Although a national government ruled in Beijing, actual power lay in the hands of regional strongmen (warlord).

After WWI ended, foreigners continued to enjoy extraterritoriality wherever they went.

Economically, the modern sector expanded during the global postwar boom so that 1917 through 1923 had been called “the golden age of Chinese capitalism.”

Intellectual Ferment The abolition of the examinations and the collapse of the

Qing opened the floodgates to new ideas.

The major landmark was the founding in 1915 of New Youth, the journal that came to stand at the core of new intellectual tide. Confucianism was something about old state and society, the

old class system, the old politics,… Opposed both traditional teachings and the language

Some of these new intellectuals taught at Beijing University, so their ideas found a ready following among students at this and other universities. Demonstrations May Fourth Movement: attacked every aspects of Chinese

tradition, new journals appeared, organized labor unions.

Intellectual Alternatives

Proponents of scientism who believe that science holds for arriving at truth.

Their opponents argued that science is applicable only to a narrow field of study and that moral values have to be based on deeper metaphysical truths, which by their very nature are beyond the reach of scientific methodology.

Culture Alternatives

Qi Baishi

Culture Alternatives

Some painters like Gao Lun were trying to bring Chinese painting up to date.

Some others got education abroad and brought new styles of painting

Culture Alternatives

A steady and swelling stream of translation were made.

The May Fourth Movement had a strong effect on literature.

Writers of revolutionary persuasion such as the Communist Mao Dun.

Marxism in China: the Early Year

Marxism created by Marx and Engel

The success of the Russian Revolution in 1917

For the Chinese Marxism was modern, scientific and advanced ideas.

Some Chinese scholars, Marxism is a more effective means to achieve modernization, solve China’s ill.

CCP took place in 1921 by cooperating with Guomindang

The Guomindang and Sun Yat-Sen (1913-1923)

After the second revolution of 1913 Sun Yat-Sen was forced into exile in Japan.

After the death of Yuan Shikai, Sun was able to return to China and establish a precarious foothold in Canton, depending on the local warlord.

He was ready to work with the Communists, but in his view China was not ready for socialism and immediate task was the national unity and independence.

The GMD was recognized into a more structure and disciplined organization

GMD and CCP Cooperation (1923-1927)

CCP leaders occupied important GMD office

The CCP devoted itself mainly to organizing the urban labor movement

Sun Yat-Sen died in March 1925 Nationalism: directed against foreign

imperialism, provided self-determination Democracy: popular elections, referendum The people’s livelihood: egalitarianism

(equality) and economic development.

GMD and CCP Cooperation (1923-1927)

Wang Jingwei replaced him

Chian Kai-shek decided to act: arrested Soviet advisors, took steps to restrain the CCP influence in GMD, and launched Northern Expedition.

The Break

Bankers and industrialists supported Chiang Kai-shek to move away from CCP.

In April 1927, Chiang broke with the CCP in a bloody campaign.

CCP got support from city factory workers and peasants in rural areas, where Mao Zedong (1893-1976) lived.

Chiang Kai-shek established the government in Nanjing, by depending on warlords

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