Western Imperialism of China

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Western Imperialism of China
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Background

• Manchu Dynasty
• Conservative
• Empress Dowager
• Resistant to change
• Feared W. influence
• Civil Service System
• Fostered corruption
• Economically behind west

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Opium War (1839-42)

• Factors leading to war
• West saw in trade w/ China
• 1700s trade benefits China
• 1800s Euro trade increases
• transformed into economy
• replace Indian cotton w/opium
• Hurts Chinas economy

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Opium War (1839-42)

• 1836 China bans use of opium
• 1839 20,000 chests of opium destroyed
• Chinese ships clash w/ British

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Treaty of Nanking 1842

• Ends Opium War
• forces China to pay war costs
• Britain obtains Hong Kong
• est. 5 treaty ports (14 by 1900)
• most favored nation
• low tariffs
• difficult for China to compete

Treaty Port of Canton
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Taiping Rebellion (1850-73)

• Series of rebellions against tradition
• goal remove European influence
• Rebels
• combined Christianity w/ancient Chinese texts
• promoted end to vice immorality
• gained control over large areas of China

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Taiping Rebellion (1850-73)

• Ultimately fails
• Leaders
• Poorly educated
• Unable to redistribute land
• Unable to broaden support
• Secret societies
• Western assistance of Manchu (post-1860)
• 20-30 million perished

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Reconstruction Self-Strengthening

• Rebuilding period post-rebellion
• destruction of irrigation
• mulberry trees (silk)
• Regional governors
• Used army local gentry
• est. soup kitchens
• lower taxes
• rebuild agriculture

Li Huang-chang
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Reconstruction Self-Strengthening

• Regional governors (cont.)
• Modernization process
• Industry ? establish
• shipping
• communication
• refining
• textiles
• Military ? bolsters
• training equipment
• compete w/Russia Japan

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Reconstruction Self-Strengthening

• Result
• Cant compete w/ Western goods
• Lower tariffs
• Corruption
• Reform fails due to conservative resistance in
  govt.

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Open Door Policy (1899)

• U.S. response to
• European encroachment into Chinas interior
• fears that China would be closed to trade
• Purposeensure free trade for all

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Boxer Rebellion (1900)

• Religious society
• rebel against foreigners
• fed up w/ missionaries
• lack of respect for Chinese culture
• destroying Chinese society
• defeated by foreign troops
• Result
• Chinese leaders realize must reform