The Rise of Modern China

THE RISE OF MODERN CHINA

Douglas HowlandHIST 377-201 (#52774)

Office: Holton Hall 330Spring Semester 2018

Phone: 229-4361 (Hist. Dept. Office)ONLINE COURSE

E-mail:

This course examines the history of Chinese society from approximately the zenith of the Qing (Ch’ing) dynasty in the eighteenth century, through its decline in the nineteenth century, and the rise of nationalist and communist China in the twentieth century. Since the vast majority of Chinese people during this period lived in rural villages and market towns, much of our attention will focus on rural problems and the solutions proposed by a long series of political reformers. In addition, because Europe and the United States wanted to bring China within the global economy constructed in the nineteenth century, we will also examine Chinese programs of “Westernization,” which began to guide the direction of Chinese society and history.

As in any history course, much of our work here will include the reading and analysis of texts, and the interpreting of texts as an exercise in writing, with an emphasis on essay form and the adequate use of evidence to support our interpretations. Because this is an advanced undergraduate class, I assume that you have some familiarity with developments in modern East Asian history. Our primary goals are to develop a familiarity with trends in Chinese history; to develop some familiarity with Chinese historiography; and to develop our skills of analyzing primary and secondary sources. This, as I said, requires careful reading, thinking, and writing.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

1. Cheek, Timothy, ed. Mao Zedong and China’s Revolutions. Boston: Bedford, 2002.

(ISBN: 0312-25626-4)

2. De Bary, Wm. Theodore, and Richard Lufrano, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol. 2,

From 1600 through the Twentieth Century. 2d. ed. N.Y.: Columbia University Press, 2000.

(ISBN: 0231-11271-8)

3. Fairbank, John K. The Great Chinese Revolution, 1800-1985. N.Y.: Harper & Row, 1987.

(ISBN: 006-039076-X)

These are available for purchase at the UWM Bookstore in the Union, but you may find cheaper copies from an online source. They are also on reserve at the Golda Meir Library.

NOTE: Additional readings for the course are available at the D2L website for the course.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

1. D2L. Many of the course materials, including lectures, readings, and films will be accessible through the course D2L website. You must have access to a reliable computer and a high-speed internet connection to take this online course (a broadband connection such as Roadrunner or DSL, or a campus network connection to the web). If you do not have this at home, you can use computers on campus or in public libraries. You will upload your papers to the “Dropbox” on the D2L website, and quizzes, exams, and online discussions will also take place over D2L. You can access D2L by going to the UWM homepage ( and in the quick links at the top of the page select D2L and then click “go.” This takes you to the login screen where you will be asked to provide your Panther ID and password (these are the same as your UWM email username and password). As an alternative, go to the login page with the direct address for D2L: (d2l.uwm.edu). On the login page, notice the “For Students” link that offers several help files for dealing with various aspects of D2L. These help documents are indeed very helpful, so keep them in mind if you ever get stuck. If you need further assistance, contact the Information Management and Technology (IMT) Help Desk (open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week). You can visit the Help Desk in person at Bolton 225, call 414-229-4040 (toll free at 1-877-381-3459), or send an email to . Keep in mind that the personnel at the Help Desk are more knowledgeable about computers than the professor, so please turn to them for technical advice.

Note that in a standard history course, I would meet with you in a room two times a week, where I would present lectures and ask questions, and you would take quizzes and exams. This class is different in that we will never meet together in the same room or any place other than the “virtual space” of the internet. The portal to that space is the course website on D2L. An online course means that you have a greater responsibility to take charge of your own learning: It is up to you to make sure that you devote adequate time to read, analyze, and understand the course materials. An online class also means that you will be doing a lot of reading, because almost all of the content (except films) will be delivered via written text.

NOTE: a computer glitch, a lost file, or any other technical problem is not an excuse for turning work in late or not at all.

2. READINGS. Because the readings are the centerpiece of the course, and because they will inform your writing, quizzes, and discussions, you must do the readings promptly in preparation for the week’s work. Readings for the week are to be completed by Monday of the week. By “read,” I mean critically read: this means more than a cursory examination of words on the page. You should be reading for the author’s argument, for a sense of context for the pages read, for an awareness of how one reading relates to our other readings, and for the ability to share your reactions with your colleagues. Many of the course readings will require that you reread them multiple times.

If you have a questionabout the course or any of the course material—readings, discussion questions, or something regarding the quizzes or essays—I ask you to post that question to our “Questions” discussion forum instead of emailing it to me. In that way, all of the students can benefit from seeing the question and my answer. If you have a question about something, I am confident that someone else in the class has the same question.

3. DISCUSSIONS. You will be asked to participate in four online discussions during the semester. The dates for these discussions and projects are listed in the schedule below. You will be divided randomly into groups and asked to respond both to specific questions that I prepare and to your classmates’ responses. You will be graded on your thoughtfulness, clarity, and the degree to which you are able to integrate class readings and materials. In order to receive the maximum grade, you must cite specific readings (and films). See the additional handout on “D2L Discussion Guidelines” on the “Content” page of our course website. (30% of your final grade)

5. SHORT ESSAYS. There will be two short (3-page) essays during the first half of the course, the dates for which are in the schedule below. These assignments involve the skills of both interpretation, in which you interpret primary sources, and historiography, in which you examine secondary sources. That is, these “essays” (and the midterm and final exams below) will ask you to synthesize themes in a set of documents so as to describe some general issue(s) or point(s) in common; or they will ask you to “condense” an argument, as when I ask you to tell me the thesis (the main point) of some author’s work. All written work will be uploaded to the “Dropbox” function within D2L; instructions are posted under D2L “Content” and “Instructions for Paper Submissions.” NOTE: To be officially turned in, your work must be submitted to the D2L Dropbox. If you send your work to me directly as an e-mail attachment, it is not “turned in,” because I cannot submit your work to D2L on your behalf. (30% of your final grade)

Keep in mind that in grading writing, I consider four factors: the quality of your thesis (major point); the quality of your argument (a structure of paragraphs, each of which makes a point); the accuracy and quality of your evidence; and the quality of your writing (grammar, punctuation, and diction). Thus an excellent essay (for the grade of A) will include the following: (1) a clearly stated theme or issue at the beginning, in an introductory sentence or paragraph (often this introduction will contain your thesis); (2) a clearly developed argument in one or more paragraphs, each of which specifies the issue of the paragraph and the point of the paragraph, and expresses the relation of the paragraph to the other paragraphs in the essay; (3) evidence gathered from the readings, either quoted or paraphrased (and footnoted), which supports the points of your paragraphs and the thesis of your essay; (4) a concluding statement that “wraps up,” so to speak, your essay, in a final sentence or paragraph (sometimes this conclusion will contain your thesis); and (5) flawless footnotes and punctuation, and ideally no grammatical or typing errors. A good (grade-B) essay will be missing one or two of these five qualities; an average (grade-C) essay will be missing a few of these qualities; but average essays generally err with qualities (2) and (3). A poor (grade-D) essay will be missing several of these qualities; and an unacceptable (grade-F) essay will be missing many of these qualities.

6. MID-TERM AND FINAL EXAMS. There will be both a mid-term and a final exam during the course. The purpose of the exams is to test your skills with reading primary sources, and to synthesize and integrate your analyses of the course materials in essay form. Specific guidelines will be given in due course out of consideration for student preparation. (2 x 20% of your final grade = 40%)

Form:

•The "Chicago style" is our guide to all matters of format (e.g., footnotes / endnotes and bibliography); purchase or refer to The Chicago Manual of Style (13th edition) or Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (6th edition). There is also a short guide to Chicago style available in the “Syllabus” materials for the course.

•All writing that is submitted in this course must be submitted in standard 12-point (elite) font. Anything in smaller fonts will be considered late work. (N. B. You are looking at elite type: nothing smaller than this.) I do not accept written assignments by fax or e-mail.

•Let it be known that in the event of plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty in this course, my policy is to fail the offending student(s). If you are unsure as to the nature of plagiarism, consult your current student handbook. Allowing someone to copy your work is as reprehensible as copying yourself: both parties will fail the course.

University Policies:

Students with disabilities.Verification of disability, class standards, the policy on the use of alternate materials and test accommodations can be found at the following:

Religious observances. Policies regarding accommodations for absences due to religious observance are found at the following:

Students called to active military duty. Accommodations for absences due to call-up of reserves to active military duty should be noted.

Incompletes. The conditions for awarding an incomplete to graduate and undergraduate students can be found at the following:

Discriminatory conduct (such as sexual harassment).Definitions of discrimination. Harassment, abuse of power, and the reporting requirements of discriminatory conduct are found at the following:

Academic misconduct. Policies for addressing students cheating on exams or plagiarism can be found at the following:

Complaint procedures. Students may direct complaints to the head of the academic unit or department in which the complaint occurs. If the complaint allegedly violates a specific university policy, it may be directed to the head of the department or academic unit in which the complaint occurred.

Grade appeal procedures. Procedures for student grade appeal appear at the following:

Final examination policy.Policies regarding final examinations can be found at the following:

Schedule of Topics and Readings

PART I. THE END OF IMPERIAL CHINA

Week 1 (Monday 1/22 – Friday 1/26):

The Geography of China

Read carefully Week 1 “Lecture Notes”

Readings: **Hucker, “Introduction”

The Qing (Ch’ing) Dynasty by 1800: (a) Imperial Government

Readings: Fairbank, 1-45; **Spence, ix-58

Film: “Genius that was China” (2a)

N.B. Readings marked with a double asterisk (**) are in D2L ”Content.”

Week 2 (Monday 1/29 – Friday 2/2): The Qing (Ch’ing) Dynasty by 1800, cont.

(b) Confucianism as Imperial Ideology

Read carefully Week 2 “Lecture Notes”

Readings: de BaryLufrano, 3-17, 34-41, 66-72, 155-172; **Spence, 59-76

(c) Society

Readings: **Eastman, Ch. 1 & 2; de BaryLufrano, 75-80, 85-92; **Spence, 99-139

Week 3 (Monday 2/5 – Friday 2/9): The Qing (Ch’ing) Dynasty by 1800, cont.

(d) Economy

Read carefully Week 3 “Lecture Notes”

Readings: **Eastman, Ch. 4 & 6; Fairbank, 46-83; de BaryLufrano, 184-198

*Group Discussion #1*

Week 4 (Monday 2/12 – Friday 2/16):

The Canton System and the Opium War

Read carefully Week 4 “Lecture Notes”

Readings: de BaryLufrano, 198-212; Fairbank, 84-99

The Taiping Rebellion

Readings: de BaryLufrano, 213-230; **Eastman, Ch. 10

Film: “Genius that was China” (2b) – “Empires in Collision”

Week 5 (Monday 2/19 – Friday 2/23): Self-Strengthening, Restoration, and Reform

(a) The Military Origins of Self-Strengthening and Reform

Read carefully Week 5 “Lecture Notes”

Readings: de BaryLufrano, 231-241; Fairbank, 100-121

(b) “Restoration” and the Limits of Traditional Understanding

Readings: de BaryLufrano, 242-260

*Essay #1*

Week 6 (Monday 2/26 – Friday 3/2):

(c) Radical Reform and Conservative Reaction

Read carefully Week 6 “Lecture Notes”

Readings: de BaryLufrano, 260-298; Fairbank, 125-140

Film: “Genius that Was China” (3c): China vs. Japan

*Group Discussion #2*

PART II. NATIONALIST CHINA, 1912-1949

Week 7 (Monday 3/5 – Friday 3/9): Nationalism and the Revolution of 1911

Read carefully Week 7 “Lecture Notes”

Readings: Fairbank, 141-163;de BaryLufrano, 314-330; **Lu, “Call to Arms,”

A Madman’s Diary,” and “The True Story of Ah Q”

Week 8 (Monday 3/12 – Friday 3/16):

The Anarchy of Warlords

Read carefully Week 8 “Lecture Notes”

Readings: **Eastman, Ch. 5 & 9; Fairbank, 167-181; **Lu, “Medicine” and “Storm in a

Teacup”

Mass Movements (a) The New Culture Movement

Readings: de BaryLufrano, 351-360, 366-377, 379-386, 389-395; **Lu, “My Old Home”

and “Soap”

[3/18 – 3/25: Week of Spring Break]

Week 9 (Monday 3/26 – Friday 3/30):

Mass Movements (b) The May Fourth Movement

Read carefully Week 9 “Lecture Notes”

Readings: Fairbank, 182-203; **Lu, “In the Wineshop” and“The Misanthrope”

Film: “China Through Mao’s Eyes” -1a

*Group Discussion #3*

Week 10 (Monday 4/2 – Friday 4/6):

The Resurgent KMT (Kuomintang) / GMD (Guomindang) and “National Unification”

Read carefully Week 10 “Lecture Notes”

Readings: Fairbank, 204-216, 217-239; de BaryLufrano, 330-347, 396-412

*Midterm Exam*

Week 11 (Monday 4/9 – Friday 4/13):

Mao Zedong in Hunan (The Chinese Communist Party, Phase 1: Rural Soviets)

Read carefully Week 11 “Lecture Notes”

Readings: Cheek, 1-36

The Yan’an Period and Land Reform (The CCP, Phase 2: New Democracy)

Readings: Cheek, 76-112, 183-197; de BaryLufrano, 412-418, 432-449

Week 12 (Monday 4/16 – Friday 4/20):

The Long Years of War, 1937-1949 (The Second Sino-Japanese War and Civil War)

Read carefully Week 12 “Lecture Notes”

Readings: Fairbank, 240-269

PART III. THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

The People’s Republic Under Mao Zedong, 1949-1956

Readings: Fairbank, 273-295; Cheek, 125-27; de BaryLufrano, 450-459

Film: “China Through Mao’s Eyes” – 2a

*Essay #2*

Week 13 Monday 4/23 – Friday 4/27):

The “Hundred Flowers Movement” and the Great Leap Forward

Read carefully Week 13 “Lecture Notes”

Readings: Cheek, 127-159, 204-209; de BaryLufrano, 465-468; Fairbank, 296-315

*Group Discussion #4*

Week 14 (Monday 4/30 – Friday 5/4):

The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution

Read carefully Week 14 “Lecture Notes”

Readings: de BaryLufrano, 474-481; Cheek, 210-215; Fairbank, 316-341

Week 15 (Monday 5/7 – Thursday 5/10):

Deng Xiaoping and Reform: The Four Modernizations

Read carefully Week 15 “Lecture Notes”

Readings: Cheek, 216-219; de BaryLufrano, 485-512; Fairbank, 342-368

Film: “China From the Inside” – 1

The Final Exam will be held between May 12 and 18. Instructions to follow.

**ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

The readings marked with a double asterisk (**) are available to download at our D2L course site. The readings are taken from the following works:

Eastman, Lloyd E. Family, Fields, and Ancestors (N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 1988).

Hucker, Charles O. China’s Imperial Past (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1975).

[Lu Xun] Lu Hsun.Selected Stories of Lu Hsun (Peking: Foreign Languages Press, 1972).

Spence, Jonathan. The Death of Woman Wang (N.Y.: Penguin, 1978).

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