Richard Rogers
Chinese Revolution Paper
Social Revolutions
Due: 12-12-08
Conditions of China
Failing feudal-bureaucratic political system: fiscal crisis
of state (Manchu Government)
In 1644, the Manchu’s took over the Ming dynasty and became
the Manchu dynasty, which was to be the last dynasty in China
(Defronzo, 2007).
Imperialist intervention (Foreign concessions/enclaves)
In the 1830’s, Great Britain was giving so much of their
currency to China for goods like tea, silk and porcelains, that
they introduced Opium to the people of China to make some of
their lost money (Defronzo, 2007).
addicted to Opium.
The people of China became
China feared the Opium addiction, so the
Chinese destroyed a, Opium shipment.
Because of this, the
British sent the military and China was overrun.
China was
forced to agree to several terms, which allowed other Countries
such as France, Great Britain, German, Japan Russia and the
United States to carve up parts of China to control by means of
economics (Defronzo, 2007).
Because China had to pay
reparations, China had to raise taxes, because taxes were
raised, landlords raised rent, so the peasants ended up
suffering more than any others (Defronzo, 2007).
Predatory landlord/warlord structure
After Yuan Shikai (who was the new Emperor of the Chinese
Republic) died in 1916, no one had taken over power after Yuan’s
death, so the local landlords to power into their own hands.
They worked the people so hard and took so much from them, that
they became known as ‘warlords’ (Defronzo, 2007).
Mass of oppressed and exploited peasantry
Rising professional and bourgeois classes (Push for
“modernization”)
Rise of small, urban proletariat
According to the Natural History of Revolution written by
Crane Brinton, “Prior to a revolution, majority of intellectuals
(political commentators) cease to support the regime, and
instead openly condemn it and demand serious reforms (mostly
political).”
The peasants were angry because of the whatever
money they had, had to be given to their landlords or the
Country, so intern there were to large peasant revolts called
Nian Rebellion and the Taiping Rebellion.
Both rebellions
advocated for the redistribution of wealth in China (Defronzo,
2007).
Both rebellions were squashed, but showed many parallels
between them and the Communist Revolution in China.
China spent
a lot of money trying to squash these rebellions, just like
France did with all its wars, and squashing these rebellions
really drained China’s finances (Defronzo, 2007).
Japanese invasion of Manchuria
War broke out between China and Japan in 1894 and China’s
Navy was easily defeated.
Rise of the Nationalist Movement and Republican Revolution
Emergence of Dr. Sun Yat-sen
In 1905, like most other Chinese people at this time, were
fed up with the Manchu dynasty, so the formed a group called the
United Revolutionary Society (Defronzo, 2007).
riots started breaking out.
In October 1911,
They were made up of both soldiers
and peasants, and they were speaking out against the Manchu
dynasty (Defronzo, 2007).
After several more mutinies by
soldiers, military commanders and or their successors declared
their independence of the Manchu dynasty.
Sun Yat-sen took this opportunity to speak with the leaders
of the Manchu dynasty, and persuade them to step down for fear
of death might ensue if they continued their reign.
The leaders
of the Manchu dynasty abdicated on February 12th, 1912.
Sun Yat-
sen was now declared provisional president of the Republic of
China, but stepped down fifteen days later and excepted Yuan
Skikai as president as long as he supported the republic.
This
is why Sun Yat-sen is known as the “Father of the Chinese
Republic” (Defronzo, 2007).
Support of a republic and modernization
According to James Defronzo, the Chinese people realized
that China needed to modernize and industrialize, but throughout
China, large landowners were not in favor of this because they
would lose money because it would shift China economy toward
industry and commerce.
Formation of the Guomindang (GMD)
Sun Yat-sen republic party formed itself into the
Guomindang in 1912.
But shortly after the new Yuan led republic
started, the Guomindang found that they did not agree with Yuan
on many issues.
Yuan had the leader of the Guomindangs
assonated, Sun Yat-sen fled China, and the Guomindang party was
outlawed (Defronzo, 2007).
Yuan declared himself Emperor of
China in 1915, only to die in 1916.
Sun Yat-sen returned back
to China asked for military aide to eliminate the warlords, but
only received support from the Soviet Union (Defronzo, 2007).
Sun’s ‘Three Principles of the People’ were independence (from
foreign imperialists), a centralized central democracy and
people’s livelihood.
Sun later died in 1925 due to cancer
(Defronzo, 2007).
Alliance with Communists
According to the Natural History of Revolution by Crane
Brinton, “States just prior to a fall or an old regime, proposes
reforms as appeasement.”
The Soviet Union urged the Chinese
Communist party to join forces with the Guomindang, and they did
in January 1924, even though Sun’s right hand man Chiang Kaishek disagreed.
The purpose of this alliance was to achieve
common goals set by both parties, freeing China from foreign
control, and to establish some sort of Western style
parliamentary democracy (Defronzo, 2007).
Rise of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
Founded by Li Dazhao
According to the Natural History of Revolution by Crane
Brinton, “revolutionary forces succeed and divisions within
these forces appear, also known as factionalism.”
The
republican revolutionary elite were deeply divided, which led to
a rise in the Communist party.
China’s Communist Party started
in the New Youth movement between the years 1915-1919.
In July
1921, the China’s Communist party was officially created in
Shanghai (Defronzo, 2007).
Students/works join CCP
The New Students movement called for a radical shift in
education for technology and research.
They also called for a
democratically elected parliament (Defronzo, 2007).
Mao joins CCP
Mao travelled to Shanghai in 1921 to help form the
Communist Congress.
Mao favored a peasant based revolution
because of his knowledge of the Taiping Rebellion and the
popularity of that rebellion in his home village.
While in
Shanghai, Mao was ordered to fight with the other Communist
soldiers, even some Nationalist soldiers sided with the
Communists, but when the Guomindang overwhelmed the Communist
forces, they were forced to retreat to outside the city and
eventually retreat to Kiangsi Province in Southeast China
(Defronzo, 2007).
While Mao was in Kiangsi Province, he came up with the idea
that the Nationalists wanted to control the cities, so they
would try and control the country side and cut off the
Nationalist support and supplies (Defronzo, 2007).
In 1934,
Shang Kai-shek brought seven 700,000 Nationalist troops to wipe
out the Communist forces in Kiangsi Province.
Many Communist
forces escaped out of Kiangsi Province and started the Long
March (Defronzo, 2007).
Party moves to Shanghai (headquarters)
National Alliance of GMD and CCP
Northern Campaign to unite China (defeat warlords)
The Northern Expedition started in the summer of 1926 by
the Guomindang and was lead by famous general Chiang Kai-shek.
The goal of this expedition was to eliminate the warlords and
unite China under on its rule (Defronzo, 2007).
Once the
Northern Expedition reached Shanghai, Chiang Kai0shek turned on
the Communist soldiers.
Since the Communist head quarters were
in Shanghai, Chiang Kai-shek went after the head quarters and
they killed all the communists they could.
Chiang Kai-shek took
control of both the military and the government (Defronzo,
2007).
Rise of Chiang Kai-shek (death of Sun Yat-sen)
According to the Natural History of Revolution by Crane
Brinton, “moderates take control/dominate the early period of
the newly formed state.”
According to the Natural History of Revolution by Crane
Brinton, “moderates attempt reforms and radical opposition
develops, which intern the class interests divide the
revolution.”
Military rule under Generalisimo
According to the Natural History of Revolution by Crane
Brinton, “radicals displace moderates and institute structural
changes throughout society.”
Betrayal of CCP and Civil War (1927)
Long March (Hunan to Yenan)
After the Communists escaped from Kiangsi Province, they
travelled for ever a year being chased and attacked by the
Guomindang and warlords along the way, until the reached Yenan
in 1935.
Only about 20,000 people survived the 6,000 mile walk
(Defronzo, 2007).
CCP rebuilds at Yenan
After the Communists arrived in Yenan in 1934, Mao set made
some reforms.
One of the reforms was that the land was to be
taken from the landlords and divided between the people, even
the landlords were supposed to have land to live and work on
(Defronzo, 2007).
Maoist strategy to build “peasant revolution”
World War II
Just before the start of World War II, in 1937, the
Japanese attacked in the South of China.
The Communists propose
to Chiang Kai-shek that they should join forces to eliminate
Japan’s presence in China.
Chiang Kai-shek agrees to join
forces against Japan (Defronzo, 2007).
Civil War Renewed and the Communist Party Revolution
Maoist/CCP strategy
According to the Natural History of Revolution by Crane
Brinton, “radical changes antagonize conservatives and moderates
and oppositions intensify against radicals.
Struggle (civil
war) breaks out among various revolutionary forces and
reactionary groups.
Often external forces take advantage of
civil war and intervene to overthrow revolution.
Civil war
conditions provide opportunity for military takeover, by force
or invitation.”
The Civil war between the Communist party and
the Guomindang, resumed in 1947.
Campaign from north to south
CCP Triumph (1949)
According to the Natural History of Revolution by Crane
Brinton, “revolution succumbs to moderate forces with pragmatic
agendas.
Often this is part of the ascendancy of a new dominant
class and the generation of new class conflicts.”
With popular
support from the people of the country side and the defecting
Guomindang soldier, the Communist party established the People’s
Republic of China in Beijing on October 1st, 1949.
Chiang Kai-
shek and the rest of the Guomindang army fled to Taiwan
(Defronzo, 2007).