The Creation of Modern China, 18942008

Iain Robertson Scott

Description

A timely study exploring how China has transformed from an economic and political backwater to a world power in one hundred years

China preoccupies us; yet its recent past is still relatively unfamiliar. No country has undergone a greater period of sustained and turbulent change than China in the twentieth century, but it has emerged again as a leading global power. It is, therefore, more important than ever to understand the society it has become and its rise to such influence. This timely study uses recent research to explore how China has been transformed from an economic and political backwater at the start of the twentieth century to its current pre-eminent position one hundred years later.

During this convulsive period, China experienced a multitude of political systems: from the final years of the Qing dynasty, it entered a democratic phase in the 1920s when central government was weak and local warlords ruled supreme. As the Nationalist Government struggled to maintain control in the 1930s, the country was subject to invasion and partial occupation by Japan. At the end of the Second World War, the country was again torn apart in a struggle between the Nationalists and the Communists under Mao Zedong. Finally, a new People’s Republic of China was established in 1949, but early social and economic advances were thrown away as Mao initiated the Great Leap Forward and then the Cultural Revolution. These experiments brought the country to the brink of ruin. It was not until the death of Mao in 1976 and the subsequent reforms of Deng Xiaoping that the emphasis finally turned to practical change and the revival of the economy. Uniquely, subsequent success has been achieved through the adoption of capitalist enterprise in a one-party communist state – a fusion which has defied Western scepticism.

This study tackles all these major social, economic and political developments. In the process, it explores regional variation, cultural change and philosophy, as well as contrasting interpretations of Chinese history, the fluctuating role of women and the family and the challenges for the world’s most populous nation as it enters the twenty first century. It portrays a resilient people whom we must understand, for their future is also ours.

Chapter 1: The Last of the Emperors, 1894—1912; Chapter 2: Division, Deceit and New Directions, 1912—1937; Chapter 3: War and Civil War, 1937—1949; Chapter 4: Communism in Action, 1949—1957; Chapter 5: The Great Leap Forward, 1957-65; Chapter 6: The Cultural Revolution, 1966—1976; Chapter 7: Deng Xiaoping and the Boom Years, 1976—2008

Sujets

• HISTORY
• Revolutionary
• Modern history
• General officer
• History of Asia
• General
• Obermodern-Zutzendorf

Informations

• Publié par: Anthem Press
• Date de parution: 30 juin 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781783084982
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

THE CREATION OF MODERN CHINA, 1894-2008
Anthem Perspectives in History
Titles in the Anthem Perspectives in History series combine a thematic overview with analyses of key areas, topics or personalities in history. The series is targeted at high-achieving A Level, International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement pupils, first-year undergraduates and an intellectually curious audience.
A History of Ireland, 1800-1922
Theatres of Disorder?
Hilary Larkin
Britain in India, 1858-1947
Lionel Knight
Disraeli and the Art of Victorian Politics
Second Edition
Ian St John
Disraeli and the Art of Victorian Politics
Ian St John
Gladstone and the Logic of Victorian Politics
Ian St John
King John
An Underrated King
Graham E. Seel
The Creation of Modern China, 1894-2008
The Rise of a World Power
Iain Robertson Scott
THE CREATION OF MODERN CHINA, 1894-2008
THE RISE OF A WORLD POWER
Iain Robertson Scott
Anthem Press
An imprint of Wimbledon Publishing Company
www.anthempress.com
This edition first published in UK and USA 2016
by ANTHEM PRESS
75-76 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8HA, UK
or PO Box 9779, London SW19 7ZG, UK
and
244 Madison Ave #116, New York, NY 10016, USA
Copyright Iain Robertson Scott 2016
The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Scott, Iain Robertson, author.
Title: The creation of modern China, 1894-2008 : the rise of a world power /
Iain Robertson Scott.
Description: New York, NY : Anthem Press, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016001350| ISBN 9781783084975 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN
1783084979
Subjects: LCSH: China-History-1861-1912. | China-History-Republic, 1912-1949. | China-History-1949-
Classification: LCC DS755 .S295 2016 | DDC 951.05-dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016001350
ISBN-13: 978 1 78308 499 9
ISBN-10: 1 78308 499 5
CONTENTS
Preface
Timeline of Modern Chinese History
Maps
1. The Last of the Emperors, 1894-1912
1.1 The Crisis of China in the Late Qing Era
1.2 External Threats: Foreign Intervention, 1840s-90s
1.3 Internal Threats: Revolts and Reforms, 1850s-90s
1.4 A Reformist Agenda, 1898-1900
1.5 The Boxer Rising, 1900
1.6 The National Momentum for Change, 1900-1910
1.7 The End of the Imperial System: The Events of 1911
1.7.1 Railways
1.7.2 Changes in the army
1.7.3 Economic hardship
1.7.4 The uprising
1.8 The Significance of the Revolution
2. Division, Deceit and New Directions, 1912-37
2.1 Overview
2.2 The New Republic, 1912-17
2.2.1 The constitutional experiment
2.2.2 The reign of Yuan Shikai
2.3 The Era of the Warlords, 1917-27
2.3.1 Warlord rule
2.3.2 The May Fourth Movement
2.3.3 Early Communists
2.3.4 The United Front, 1923-27
2.4 The Nanjing Decade, 1927-37
2.4.1 Internal and external opposition
2.4.2 Nanjing s government
2.4.3 The Chinese Communist Party during the Nanjing decade
2.4.4 The Long March and the Yan an years
3. War and Civil War, 1937-49
3.1 Sino-Japanese Relations
3.2 Manchukuo, 1931-37
3.3 War with Japan, 1937-45
3.3.1 The Xi an Incident
3.3.2 The first phase of the war, 1937-41
3.3.3 China, Japan and the Second World War, 1941-45
3.4 Yan an during the War Years
3.5 The Civil War, 1946-49
3.5.1 Northern Manchuria, 1946-47
3.5.2 The struggle for the northeast, 1947-48
3.5.3 The final campaigns, 1948-49
3.6 Why Did Communism Triumph?
3.6.1 Nationalist shortcomings
3.6.2 Communist strengths
4. Communism in Action, 1949-57
4.1 Expectations
4.2 The System of Government in the People s Republic of China
4.3 Mao s Enforcement of Power
4.3.1 Economic priorities
4.3.2 Regional struggles
4.3.3 Political and domestic control
4.4 The Korean War, 1950-53
4.5 The First Five-Year Plan
4.5.1 Industrialization
4.5.2 Collectivization
4.6 The Hundred Flowers Campaign
5. The Great Leap Forward, 1957-65
5.1 The Cult of Certainty
5.2 The Great Leap Forward, 1957-62
5.2.1 Relations with the USSR
5.2.2 Agriculture
5.2.3 Industry
5.2.4 Women in the years of collectivization
5.2.5 Tibet
5.3 Mao Resurgent, 1962-66
6. The Cultural Revolution, 1966-76
6.1 A Swimming Lesson
6.2 A Revolution of the Young
6.3 The Aims of the Cultural Revolution
6.4 The Red Guards Unrestrained, 1966-67
6.5 The Cultural Cost of the Revolution
6.6 Retrenchment, 1967-76
6.6.1 The Red Guards replaced
6.6.2 The Lin Biao Incident
6.6.3 The death of leaders
6.7 Mao s Legacy
7. Deng Xiaoping and the Boom Years, 1976-2008
7.1 The Transition of Power to Deng, 1976-81
7.2 The Reform of Agriculture
7.3 The Reform of Industry
7.4 Political Reform Stalled
7.4.1 Change and stasis
7.4.2 The Democracy Movement
7.5 The Extension of Economic Reform
7.6 China as a Global Player
7.7 The Challenges and Achievements of China s New Society, 1980s-2008
7.8 Conclusion
Notes
Select Bibliography
Index
PREFACE
It should be noted that, in China, the surname comes first followed by the given name. In this volume, the pinyin system of transliteration has been used for all Chinese names (e.g., Mao Zedong), except in passages from primary sources where the original author has used an older form of spelling.
In writing this book, I have accumulated many debts of gratitude, the first and foremost being to my editor Dr Helen Pike, who has been an unfailing source of wisdom and good advice and has been a great support during the composition process. I would also like to thank everyone at Anthem Press, particularly Brian Stone and Tej P. S. Sood, for their encouragement, guidance and professionalism in the production of the completed text. Finally I thank my friends, who have had to endure years of enforced discussion and endless progress reports on the state of the book; they have done so uncomplainingly and have provided much enthusiastic support. Needless to say, any mistakes are entirely my own.
The greatest influence on my decision to read history and political philosophy was Professor H. T. Dickinson at Edinburgh University, who continues to be a great mentor and inspiration. I dedicate this book to the memory of my parents.
Iain Robertson Scott
April 2015
TIMELINE OF MODERN CHINESE HISTORY
1839:
Start of First Opium War
1842:
Treaty of Nanjing
1850-64:
Taiping Rebellion
1851-68:
Nian Rebellion
1856-60:
Second Opium War
1860s-90s:
Self-Strengthening Movement
1893:
Birth of Mao Zedong
1894-95:
Sino-Japanese War
1898:
Hundred Days Reform
1899-1900:
Boxer Rebellion
1905:
Sun Yat-sen establishes the Revolutionary Alliance ( Tongmenghui )
1908:
Death of Emperor Guangxu and Dowager Empress Cixi

Accession of child emperor Puyi
1911:
Republican Revolution; Sun Yat-sen becomes provisional president
1912:
Proclamation of the Republic of China (ROC)

Abdication of Emperor Puyi; Sun Yat-sen founds Chinese Nationalist Party (GMD)
1912-16:
Rule of General Yuan Shikai
1917:
China enters First World War against Germany
1919:
Versailles Peace Conference transfers German interests in Shandong to Japan
Student demos against the treatment of China lead to the May Fourth Movement
1921:
Sun Yat-sen becomes president of ROC, with its capital at Guangzhou
Foundation of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at its first congress in Shanghai
1924:
Start of United Front between GMD and CCP
1925:
Death of Sun Yat-sen; Chiang Kai-shek becomes Nationalists leader
1926:
Northern Expedition to attack warlords and restore order and unity
1927:
Chiang turns against the CCP and large-scale slaughter begins
1927-37:
Nanjing Decade; Chiang is leader of Republican China with the capital in Nanjing
1928-34:
CCP establishes bases in Central China, which become the Jiangxi Soviet
1930:
Chiang Kai-shek wins war against the warlords
1931:
Japan begins attacks, taking Manchuria, later renamed Manchukuo
1933:
Tanggu Truce ceding control of northeastern provinces to Japan
1934-35:
The Long March; CCP transfer their base to Yan an (lasts until 1945)
1936:
Xi an Incident; Chiang arrested by his own generals because of ineffective opposition to Japan
1937:
Japan invades China; Chiang moves capital to Chongqing
The Rape of Nanjing - Japanese carry out atrocities against Chinese civilians