A BRIEF History of
China
Perth High School Confucius Classroom
Introductory Presentation 2
A Brief History of China
In the Beginning…
• China is a very ancient
civilisation
• The kingdom from which
China grew was
established for many
centuries BC
• The first emperor, Shi
Huangdi, established the
Qn Empire in 221 BC
Ancient Dynasties
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Shang: c.1600 - c.1100 BC
Zhou: c.1100 BC - 256 BC
Qin: 256 BC - 206 BC
Han: 206 BC - 220 AD
3 Kingdoms: 220 - 265
Six dynasties: 265 - 589
Sui: 589 - 618
Tang: 618 - 907
5 dynasties & 10 kingdoms: 907980
• Song: 980 - 1279
Later Dynasties
• Yuan: 1279 - 1368
(the Mongol Empire)
• Ming: 1368 - 1644
(the first Ming emperor drove out the
Mongols and re-established the
Chinese Empire)
• Qing: 1644 - 1912
The Chinese Empire survived for 2133
years. In comparison, the Roman
Empire survived for about 500 years
and the British Empire for about 350.
The Modern Era
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The Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901: against
European and US control of China) is defeated in
1901.
Chinese Republic proclaimed in 1912 after the
abdication of the child-emperor
Yuan Shikai (a warlord) seizes power from 1912
to 1916
Dr Sun Yat-Sen, leader of the Kuomintang Party,
attempts to establish the republic despite feuding
warlords but dies in 1925
In 1928 Chang Kai-shek seizes Beijing for the
Kuomintang
Civil war with Mao Zedong’s Communist Party
begins in 1929.
The 6000-mile Long March sees Mao’s army
escape the Kuomintang forces in 1934-35 (Mao
Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping are all
comrades on the March)
The 2nd Sino-Japanese War
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The Empire of Japan begins attacks on China in
1937 and quickly seizes many northern and
coastal areas
The US gunboat Panay is sunk by Japanese
bombers whilst peace still exists between the US
and Japan
With the attack on Pearl Harbour on Dec. 7, 1941,
Japan captures European and US territories in
China e.g. Hong Kong and Macau
The Chinese capital is moved far up the Yangzi
river to Chongqing but comes under attack
Chinese, US and British forces fight back from
western and central China, with supplies carried
by the Burma Road to Kunming
The Japanese are eventually defeated in 1945
but many areas of northern, southern and eastern
China are devastated by the war
The Civil War and Revolution
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Despite partial alliances against the
Japanese, a state of war exists between the
Kuomintang and Communist forces for over
20 years from 1926
The Civil War fully breaks out in 1946
The Communist Party of China seizes
power on October 1st, 1949 (although some
parts of China are not captured until 1950)
Various offshore islands stay loyal to the
Kuomintang and Chang Kai-Shek reestablishes the Chinese Republic on Taiwan
Several offshore islands are captured by the
Communists between 1949 and 1960
Leaps Forward (and Back)
• The Great Leap Forward (1958-60) saw
Mao attempt to turn China from an
agrarian economy to an industrialised
society. Between 14 and 43 million
Chinese starved to death.
• The Cultural Revolution (1966-69) saw
Mao Zedong unleash the Red Guards
to stamp out liberal economic and
political thought.
• Death of Mao Zedong in September
1976
• In October 1976, The pro-Mao Gang of
Four - led by Mao’s wife, Jiang Qing were arrested by the new Party
chairman, Hua Guofeng.
The Making of Modern China
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Deng Xiaoping was restored to Party
positions he had lost during the Cultural
Revolution. He quickly removed Hua
Guofeng from power but allowed him to
retire peacefully. Deng stayed as the most
influential Chinese leader until the mid 90s.
The Tiananmen Square protests in 1989
highlighted China’s growing clamour for
liberalisation
Third Generation leaders, under President
Jiang Zemin, took power in the 90s and
introduced economic liberalisation.
Fourth Generation leaders, under President
Hu Jintao, took power early in the 21st
century and now control China.