Ideological Reorganisation of China 19121921

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Ideological Reorganisation of China 1912-1921

• Intellectual and Political Changes

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Origins of the Three Principles of the People

• Proposed by Sun Yat-sen 1905
• Broad political, social and economic
  programsNationalism, Democracy and Peoples
  Livelihood
• Purpose was both to-attract more people to the
  anti-Manchu revolutionary movement- prepare for
  national re-construction after revolutionary
  success.

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Merits of theThree Principles of the People

• Weapon for effective propaganda
• Guideline for future reform
• Simple, complete and flexible solutions
• Moral authority of the Guomindang (GMD)
• Growing attention paid to social and economic
  problems

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Weaknesses of The Three Principles of the People

• Lack of effective methods to put ideas into
  practice
• General neglect of the countryside
• Dangers of delayed democracy
• Some illogical and inconsistent ideas

5
Failure of Republican Form of Government

• Harmful effects of Yuan Shikais dictatorial
  policies
• Chinas lack of democratic tradition
• Selfishness of local provincial gentry and
  militarists
• Political inexperience and disunity of
  progressive forces
• Parties lack of popular support
• Nationalism over democracy

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Yuan Shikai and Early Republic

• Dictatorial policies
• Assassination of Song Chiao-jen disbanded the
  parliament in 1913
• 1914 Constitutional Compact effective
  dictatorship
• 1915 Peace Planning Society return to monarchy
  - plan to become Emperor
• Badly misjudged public sentiment and level of
  support
• 1916 died of natural causes

http//www.view images.com/viewimage/?imageid7610
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Background of Warlord Period

• Influence of Chinas geography and history
• Decline and fall of Qing Dynasty
• Political decentralization and rise of regional
  military forces
• Effects of late Qing provincial and local
  self-rule
• Gradual disappearance of traditional prejudice
  against military profession
• Failure of 1911 Revolution to achieve real
  unification
• Death of Yuan Shikai (Father of the Chinese
  Warlords)

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Division of China by Warlord Conflicts
http//users.erols.com/mwhite28/chin-cw1.htm
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Effects of the Warlord Period

• Economic
• Agricultural production declined
• Trade restricted
• Industry donations required lack of
  long-term investment commitment

• Intellectual
• Growth of Nationalism
• Rise of propaganda slogans
• Rise of willingness of intellectuals to save
  China from warlords
• No single national ideology experimentation
• Many intellectuals lost touch with common people
• Rise of Mao Zedong and Communists

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Effects of the Warlord Period

• Social
• Common people exploited heavy taxes
• Loss of life
• Secret societies formed for self-protection
• Decline of Confucian leadership role of
  scholar-gentry
• Open to new ideas
• Loyalty - Regionalism
• Rise of reward/benefit as basis of human
  relationships decline of Confucianism

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Effects of the Warlord Period

• Political
• Parliamentary republic based on Western model a
  failure - willingness to consider alternatives
• Need for military backing Guomindang and CCP
  became more realistic and practical
• Leaders emerging had strong military backgrounds
• Political decentralization Guomindang attempts
  at reform weakened in fighting Communists
• Political disunity encouraged increase in foreign
  imperialism Japanese aggression 1930s

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A Diagrammatic Summary of Intellectual Changes
Disillusionment With West
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Foreign Educated Leaders of the New Culture
Movement
Hu Shi Professor of Philosophy Beijing
University Introduced baihua (plain writing) to
replace classical wen yen
Lu Xun Famous for short stories which savagely
attacked old China. Used baihua style of writing.
Cai Yuanpei While in France he organized work
study programs for poorer Chinese As Beijing
University Chancellor which he reformed into a
renown seat of learning and guaranteed academic
freedom for staff.
Chen Duxiu Editor of New Youth magazine Encouraged
youth to be Independent, progressive,
cosmopolitan, utilitarian, scientific
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Characteristics of New Culture Movement

• Ideas and political activism by
  Western-educated, politically aware youth of the
  urban centres including
• attacks on Chinas past, especially Confucianism
• popularization of the baihua style of writing
• intense concern about future of China fierce
  nationalism
• belief in equal rights for women
• intense interest in the West.

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Effects of First World War

• China contributed to Allied labour battalions
• Treaty of Versailles - allowed Allied powers
  to keep concessions in China - Japan to take
  over German concessions in China - Chinese
  denied principle of self-determination granted
  to other nations
• January 1915 Japans Twenty One Demands
• Nationwide anti-Japanese rallies and boycott of
  Japanese goods
• Rise in support of Guomindang

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May 4 Movement (1919)

• Spontaneous demonstrations against Japanese by
  Beijing students
• Death to the Traitors Abolish the 21
  Demands Reclaim Tsingtao China belongs to the
  Chinese
• Rapidly spread to other cities despite govt
  attempts to repress
• Enduring legacy of national expression
• Chinese delegates did not sign Treaty of
  Versailles

From an exhibit which includes images of major
historical events, such as the May 4, 1919
student demonstrations in Tiananmen Square
against the unfair World War I armistice treaty.
http//www.beijingscene.com/V05I027/feature/featur
e.html
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Embracing New Ideas
Oil Painting Jiawei 1988
http//deall.ohio-state.edu/denton.2/images/histor
y/may4.jpg
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Significance of May Fourth Movement

• Elevated role of youth in influencing govt action
• GMD emerged as leader of nationalist movement
• Rise of appeal of Communism (Marxism)
• Comintern members aided establishment of Chinese
  Communist Party (CCP) 1921 in Shanghai
• Involved at most 10 million intellectuals 90
  population who were illiterate and peasants were
  hardly affected
• Millions of Confucian educated conservatives
  opposed the new leaders

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So What?

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