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Republic of China and Peoples Republic
10 October 1911 New Army Officers revolt, set up independent province in Hubei
December 1911: all central and southern provinces declared independence from Qing
National Republic Declared, with Sun Yatsen as provisional president.
Qing court seeks help from military, but military backs the new republic.
New Republic from 1912-1916, afterwards, chaos and warlords until 1928
*May 4 Movement of 1919
*Communist Party formed 1921
*Reorganization of Guomingdang or Nationalist Party
*Unification of Nationalist and Communist Parties
*Split of Nationalist and Communist Parties 1927
*Fighting Between Nationalist and Communist Parties 1928-31
*Japanese Invasion of Manchuria 1931. Nationalists ignore, continue fight with Communists
*1934 Great Long March of Communist Party
*1936 Nationalists and Communists Unify to fight Japanese
*1945, Japan defeated, Communists split from Nationalist, become dominan
*October 1, 1949, Peoples Republic of China
Revolution pre 1911
1.Qing education system encouraged revolution through ill prepared teachers and lesson plans
2. Railroad Nationalization encourages social schism
3. Modernizing Military efforts of Qing after Sino-Japanese War creates smarter army, educated army, vulnerable to Nationalist sentiment. (modernizer sacked in 1909)
4. Many wealthy students study in Japan—learn Nationalism, militarism
5. Contract labor in cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou began to strike, revolt. Workers wore rings:
National Humiliation—sign of the Young China
Sun Yatsen manifesto: The Revolutionary Army (condemnation of the Manchus—Qing)
1905: Sun Yatsen forms Revolutionary Alliance
1908-11 Railroad Nationalization issue—capitalist investors angry, form Protection League in Sichuan
fighting between New China, Capitalists, Government
1911 New Youth publication attacks Confucianism (already examination system stopped by Qing.
1912 Qing’s agree to abdicate under good terms—Sun Yatsen’s Provisional Republic Presidency replaced with formal Republic, withYuan Shikai as president until his death in 1916
1916: Chen Duxiu publishes “The Way of Confucius and Modern Life.” Criticizises filial piety, subservience of women, called him a feudal holdover into modern times.
1916-1928—warlord chaos—collapse of central government—constant Chinese theme
1917 New Youth article called for “literary revolution” to stop classical style and write in the vernacular—no aristocratic literary expression.
1918 New Youth article “A Madman’s Diary” written in vernacular.
1919 May 4th Movement:
Western Ideas enter China through publications: Darwinism, Marxism, Science, Democracy, Pragmatism. China lost in 1918 Versaille Treaty, however, so China Youth lost faith in Democracy
1918 New Youth article “The Victory of Bolshevism” Next year, whole issue devoted to Marxism
General movement to re-create Chinese civilization
1921-23Labor Struggles:
120,000 workers strike in Shanghai
Communist Party grows strong
Lenin sends Comintern spies and promoters (Ho Chih Minh was one)
Western Capitalists abusing country
Local control by warlords leads to local laws, tyrryany
Guomingtang or Nationalist Party in hands of warlords after 1916, break up labor strikes militarily…but in 1921-2, Sun Yatsen and his Communist forces join Guomingdong, and the Nationalist Party turns Communist, bit by bit.
1925 Sun Yat Sen dies and labor riots, fighting with British, demonstrations everywhere
1926 United CCP and Guomingdang launch Northern Expedition to fight Japanese/Manchurians
rift between CCP and Guomingdang as a result of this expedition. Split between Nationalists and
Communist ideology—Stalin supporting CCP, 1926 Armed revolt of CCP in China.
1928 Japan responds militarily to continued Gujomingdang Northern Expedition Efforts, but Northern Peace treaty signed. 10 years later, Japan invaded China (1938)
1928-35: CCP Rises
CCP leader Mao Zedong advocated centrality of Communism in Country, not City
1930 CCP attempt to capture three cities: Changsha, Wuhan, Nanchang. (Changsdha attempt successful, but Nangsha fails, and Wuhan fails) Political infighting, Mao Zedong and others retreat to mountains—other fragments of CCP army join him.These forces form nucleus of Communist Red Army
1938-1945 Sino Japanese War and WWII
Communists and Nationalists join forces to fight Japanese
1938. Mao Zedong publishes “On the New Stage,” “The Chinese Revolution and the Chinese Commu7nist Party,” and On New Democracy,” calling for a sinifcation of Marxism, disregard of foreign models of governance, end of bourgeois-democratic rule, and a call for a joint revolutionary-democratic dictatorship modeled on communist principles.
1940: Nationalist generals see CCP operations in South as disobedient, begin fighting Communists again. United States enters picture in defense of Nationalists against Communists and Japanese
Chinese economic crisis
1942-3 Famine—5 million starve
1945 end of Japan, beginning of Chinese Civil War
October 1, 1949, Mnao Zedong inaugurates Peoples Republic of China