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Lecture 17: Socioeconomic Developments and State Building in China and Russia

SOSC 152

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A. Key Topics

Lecture focuses on role of class in pre-revolutionary society

state strength – capacity of traditional regime

external factors

links between the state and social elites in affecting the development of the pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary regimes.

*how much autonomy did the social/political elites have from the state as key factor affecting the pattern of revolution, links to society after revolution and pattern of change

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B. Background to Chinese Revolution

1. Dynastic traditions based on 1. Dynastic traditions based on “Mandate of Heaven” (“Mandate of Heaven” ( 天命天命 ) ) and and right of rebellion in face of right of rebellion in face of unvirtuous rulersunvirtuous rulers

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from local level to central government, key role for "gentry class" composed of landlord families who joined state administration through examination system.gentry tied to state through exams and government posts as measure of success, upward mobility, means of attaining wealth and prestige., interdependent relationship: state needed gentry to collect taxes, manage society and irrigation systemslowest level state official at county (hsien) level (縣長 ); below that is “sub-system autonomy” with gentry relatively autonomous from the stateLess tendency towards absolute powernot feudal system where all peasants belong to the state --in China, landlord/tenant system based on rents.

2. Relationship of Gentry2. Relationship of Gentry ((紳士紳士 )) and Stateand State

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a. Domestic Factors: From mid-1800srapid population growth, intra-court corruption, peasant rebellionsrise of local militias run by gentry to keep local order as county governments weaken, these militias begin to undermine regime.Qing selling government posts.Taiping Rebellion, largest rebellion of 19th century--20 million deadRegional armies after Taiping remain very powerfuleffort at reform in 1870s, Tongzhi (同治 ) Restoration, fails to change systemPoliticization of provincial gentrycollapse of exam system in 1905Failure of parliamentary reform and constitutional monarchy

3. Weakening of Qing State3. Weakening of Qing State

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b. External Factors:foreign intrusions from 1839-1895 weaken legitimacy of Qinglocal militias become regional armies run by regional military leaderscosts of war reparations and opium addiction harm Qing economyrailroad buy back movement led by provincial elites, 1905rise of nationalism and national interest challenges Confucianism (孔子主義 )Sino-Japanese War, 1984-95, Confucianism cannot save China and manage relations with other states

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a. Nationalist Revolution, 1911military secession by provincial military rulers leads to collapse of dynastySecession, not violent overthrowKuomintang (國民黨 ) plays some role, but lacks military strength to run Chinafailure of new political institutions in 1912-1916, Presidency of Yuan Shi-kai, declares himself Emperor in 1916collapse of central government and rise of Warlord Period (1917-1927)

4. Nature of Chinese Revolution4. Nature of Chinese Revolution

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b. Kuomintang (國民黨 ) - Communist (共產黨 ) Struggle: Early Years, 1921-1946Comintern helps form both KMT and CCP, establish Leninist partiesKMT more powerful in early years, unifies China in 1927, with regional military leaders co-opted into KMTCCP fails to build successful urban base, driven out of cities by KMT in 1927CCP stays in countryside (江西 ), builds rural support based on reducing rents and destroying landlords (shifting policy)Long March to Yan'an, CCP eventually rules 90 million people in northwest, builds local party-state.Great experience in governing a large population from 1935-1947 in Yan’an

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The rise of the Chinese Communists

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c. Civil War, 1946-1949KMT forced to withdraw by Japanese invasion in North China after 1937success of CCP based on mobilizing peasants for nationalist, anti-Japanese cause in areas under Japanese controlalso successful rent-reduction campaign, good ties between people and Red Armyparty control over military makes CCP more effective military forceChinese communist path to power gives CCP and Mao special ability to mobilize (發動 ) rural villagers for major political campaigns in the 1950s

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Land Reform (1950-51)

Collectivization (1955-56)

Great Leap Forward (1958-59) and People’s Communes (人民公社 )

Famine of 1959-61 and retreat from Great Leap leave peasant problem unresolved

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mix of "revolution from above," which was Soviet method, and mass mobilization based on mix of material, ideological, and coercive incentives

external threat intensified due to Korean War, intensifies search for internal enemies

Land Reform to pay back peasants for supporting CCP revolution

state takes control of grain markets in 1953, but farmers refuse to sell to state

Peasant resistance leads to intensified party control

5. Nature of Post-Revolutionary Regime5. Nature of Post-Revolutionary Regime

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Mao pushes more rapid collectivization despite strong Party oppositioncollectivization occurs through mix of incentivesconstant battle between Maoist mass mobilization based on class struggle and radical ideology versus party leadership favoring economic developmentfailure of Mao's effort to attain "communism" under Great Leap Forward leads to massive famine, millions of deaths, and 5 years of reform (1960-65)but again, Mao's fear of capitalist restoration leads to Cultural Revolution in 1966

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a. Pre-revolutionary Regimemuch more centralized, absolutist regime, no independent social classformer gentry class replaced with service gentry owing allegiance to Czarhierarchy of noble ranks same as in state bureaucracy"serfdom" for farmers, unable to leave landstate-led economic development, squeezing peasants through exports to promote industrialization in 1890s and 1900s.strong secret police.

6. Key Characteristics of Russian Case6. Key Characteristics of Russian Case

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b. Nature of Revolution

important role of foreign influences, loss of Russo-Japanese War (1905) leads to first revolution and failed effort at liberalization by Czarist regime

WWI leads to collapse of Czar in Feb 1917 and failure of bourgeois revolution

conspiratorial Bolsheviks take power through urban insurrection based on street protests, soldiers defect from army, peasants rebel.

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c. Nature of Post-Revolutionary Changes1917-21, War Communismperiod of reform, 1921-1927 ends over dispute over grain procurement1927-29, Stalin intensifies collectivization, kills 3 million rich peasants1931, huge famine – 10 million dead (like China)establishment of very powerful state, leading industrializationexecutions of top party and military leaders in 1934-1937

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Comparisons of Two Regimes

1. For national Revolution:1. For national Revolution:Lack of democratic alternative in both societies due to lack of strong bourgeois classstrong military forces in China -- KMT and CCP -- do not allow for serious third partyif Russian democrats in 1917 had withdrawn from WWI they might have succeeded.

2. Urban based insurrection in Russia allows for quick 2. Urban based insurrection in Russia allows for quick communist victory after collapse of traditional regimecommunist victory after collapse of traditional regimein China, 1911-1949, long period following national revolution allows central authority to decreaseweaker urban working class in China also leads to peasant revolution strategy

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3. Different path to power affects treatment of farmers an3. Different path to power affects treatment of farmers and strategy of collectivizationd strategy of collectivizationalso makes CCP (中共 ) more mass mobilization, combined with coercionCCP with stronger base in societyRussians favor revolution from above, with no experience governing before taking power, rely on secret policeChina more willing to respond to peasant demand for decollectivization in 1978

4. Role of Foreign Factors4. Role of Foreign Factorsgreat in both revolutions, bringing quick breakdown of traditional regime in Russia due to WWI, slower breakdown in China due to long period of foreign intrusion