East Asian Studies – Spring 2013

China in the Twentieth Century

Anti-foreign, proto-nationalist Society of the Righteous & Harmonious Fists Anti-Imperialist clash between 1898 to 1901 Set to a backdrop of economic disruption

Drought led to famine across countryside Foreign “Spheres of Influence” suffocated

economies surrounding port cities Christian Missionaries viewed as hostile

Seen not merely cultural threat; church practices entered political, economic realms

Extra-territorial status of missionaries used to grant favor to converts, steal from others

Members of secret society dubbed “Boxers” Most had lost livelihood to natural disasters Through exercise, discipline, and mysticism

believed themselves invincible to foreigners Lay siege to Beijing embassy for 55 days Imperial court divided over support of Boxers Defeated by Eight-Nation Alliance, those who

supported Boxers executed, China plundered

The Boxer Rebellion

The influence of Empress Dowager Cixi Former concubine of Xianfeng Emperor Rose to power in Xinyou coup (1861), ruled

from “behind the curtain” for next 2 emperors Fled with emperor after failed Boxer Rebellion

Cixi: “transition to constitutional monarchy” Emperor and Cixi dead (poison?) in Nov. 1908 Puyi, emperor’s 2-year-old nephew, named

successor, his father Zaifeng ruled as regent Zaifeng failed to address pressures to modernize Puyi considered China’s last emperor

Chinese Revolution / Revolution of 1911 Culmination of long growing popular unrest

Resentment against ruling Manchu minority Calls for republican gov’t unheard by Zaifeng,

instead forms cabinet dominated by Manchu Dr. Sun Yatsen became the face of revolution

Long history of revolutionary leadership Battled Qing military strongman Yuan Shikai Established Republic of China (1912-1948)

The Last Emperor

1926: Chiang Kia-Shek became leader of Sun’s Kuomintang nationalist party (KMT) KMT had been destroyed during Shikai’s reign Party used as leverage during Era of Warlords Chiang led Northern Expedition with aims of

defeating and unifying China once again Initially aided by Soviets, evolved into civil war

between nationalists & communists Sun: KMT to rebuild China in 3 phases

Military force would unite China by force Chiang successful in unifying China (on paper) China still plagued by warlordism, factions

Followed by a phase of political tutelage Accused of totalitarianism, early 1930’s did

expand education, women’s rights, economy Culminating in a constitutional democracy

Chiang much more conservative than Sun, preferred authoritarianism to demo. socialism

Growing tension with Communist Party of China (CPC) made civil war unavoidable

The Nanking Decade of Chiang Kai-Shek

WWII-era military conflict between Rep. of China & Empire of Japan (1937-1941) China fought with some aid of GER, USSR, USA War merged into WWII after Pearl Harbor attack

Conflict rooted in Japanese Imperialism Japanese industrialization/militarization effort

hinged on acquisition of Chinese food and labor China militarily divided during Era of Warlords Series of “incidents” between Japanese &

Chinese beginning in Manchuria in 1931 Japanese full-scale invasion in 1937

Marco Polo Bridge incident, fall of Beijing Battle of Shanghai hard-fought win for Japan Japanese atrocities after capturing Nanking Stalemate after Chinese gov’t relocated and

Chinese victories at Changsha and Guangxi “United Front” of KMT & Communists

Manchurian leader kidnapped Chiang Kai-Shek to force truce between KMT & CPC in 1936; back into open armed conflict by 1941

The Second Sino-Japanese War

Roots of Communism in post-Qing China May Fourth Movement (1919): protests against

Treaty of Versailles energized populist bases Marxist-Leninist ideals grew among intellectuals

Including university librarian Mao Zedong, who held meetings of what would become CPC

Communist involvement in Northern Campaign led to CPC fleeing south to build the Red Army

The Long March: Red Army pursued 8000k thru western China, trained peasant guerilla forces

United Front: truce between KMT & CPC (1936) KMT & CPC resumed civil war in 1940

CPC’s People’s Liberation Army led by Mao War culminated with 5-month CPC siege of KMT-

held city of Changchun; 160K civilians starved 1949: Chiang Kia-Shek moved his gov’t to Taiwan

The People’s Republic of China Founded Mao served as CPC party chairman (1943-1976) Land reform, attacks upon rural landlords and

urban capitalists consolidated CPC power

The Rise of Chairman Mao Zedong

1958-1961: The Great Leap Forward The second of Mao’s five-year plans to advance

Chinese economy in terms of steel production People’s Communes: collective agricultural

administrative units, typically 4k-5k households Over-reporting of harvest yields led party cadres to

take disproportionately high share for state use Led to massive famine throughout China ‘59-’62

1966-1976: The Cultural Revolution Figurehead Mao worried that those in power

estranged from those they were supposed to serve He asserted that bourgeoisie elements had

infiltrated society hoping to restore capitalism Urged Chinese youth to revolt against them &

“revisionists”, form Red Guards across China Millions persecuted, forcibly moved to rural

regions in Down to the Countryside movement Devoted following grew into cult of personality

Mao died in 1971, but many continued his campaign of attacks against Chinese elite

Mao’s Leadership of Red China

Cultural Revolution-era poster urging China to “destroy the Old World, forge the New World.”

CPC would become less about class struggle, more about economic growth “Gang of Four”, including Mao’s wife, arrested &

blamed for excesses of Cultural Revolution Deng Xiaoping, whose policies were key in the

post-Great Leap recovery but often at odds with Mao, led the Communist Party from 1978-1992

Educational reforms to enhance popular opinion and avoid the extremism of Cultural Revolution

Westerners teaching English, Christianity, etc. Modernization led to Western Influences

Increased technology brought CPC less control Educated youth more interested in Western ways

Youth disenchantment culminated in massive protests in Tiananmen Square, crushed by CPC

Restructuring the Chinese Economy “Responsibility system” revived rural economies Foreign investors & manufacturing provided work CPC shrunk the state-sector & grew private-sector Rise of consumer culture add to economic boom

China Since Mao (1976-Present)