History 103 Essay Chinese Revolution.docx
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History 103 Essay Chinese Revolution.docx
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History103EssayChineseRevolution
ChineseRevolution
by
HaoChen
History103
Dr.JeffGrischow
November29,2004
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Somepeopleredeemcommunistissortofevilbecausecommunistoftenisconnectedtoauthoritariangovernment,purgingwithoutfairtrial,deprivingprivatepropertyillegallyandfamine.AsforChineserevolution,theyarequiteright.DuringtheChineserevolution,theaboveanti-humanrightincidentsallhappenedinChina.However,whenwelookatthewholethousandsofyearhistoryof“pastChina”,thepresent“newChina”andthecoming“futureChina”,theconclusionistheChinesecommunistsarenottotallyevil.TheyhavebeenleadingthegreatChineserevolutionandtherevolutionissuccessfulasapoliticalandsocialrevolution.
Firstofall,whatissuccessfulpoliticalrevolutionandsuccessfulsocialrevolution?
Politicalrevolutionisoverthrowingtherulersbytheruled.Socialrevolutionisrapidtransformationofasociety’ssocialstructuresandrevoltpartlyfromthebelow.Successfulrevolutionmeansthatcomparingtothepre-revolution,thesocialcivilizationandeconomyhasbeenimproveddistinctlyinthepostrevolutionera.Inotherword,peoplehavemorefreedom,equalityanddemocracyandpropertyaftertherevolution.
Before1800,Chinawasoneofthemostpowerfulcountriesintheworld.Between1200BCto1200BC,Chinaevenwasthecentercivilizationintheworld.Chinesecivilizationwastotallybasedonagriculture.Peasantswerethemajorityofthepopulation.TheChinesesocialstructurewassimplebeforetherevolution.Thefirstclasswasthebureaucracy.Theywerealsobiglandlords.Thesecondclasswasmerchantsandsmalllandlords.Merchantswerevery
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fewandhadnoanypoliticalpoweralthoughtheymighthavelargeamountofproperty.Thebottomclasswasthepeasants.Peasantsnumberedoverninetypercentpopulationatthetime.Theynearlyhadnoownland.Theyhadtorentthelandfromthelandlord,paidhightaxtogovernment.Theynevervotedandtheyhadnorepresentativeinalllevelofthegovernment.
AftertheOpiumwarswithBritain(1839-1942).Chinawasforcedtoopentothewesternsuperpowers.Facingthemuchmoreadvancedtechnologyofwesternindustrialcountries,Chinawasdefeatedandcolonized.ThusChinesepatriotswerelookingforthewaytomaketheweakChinatobestrongandpowerfulagain.Theirgoalwastore-establishChina’sdominantplaceintheworld.Afterthepatriotscontactedtheadvancedtechnologyofthewesternpowerfulcounties,theybelievedtheonlywaytoachievetheirgoalwastowesternize.Chinesedynastytriedtwotimestoreformthegovernment.Oneofthereformhappenedinthe1860s.Itwascalled“theTongzhiRestoration”.Thisreformwasto“builtontheconceptofZiqiangorself-strengthening.”1However,thereformwasfailedbecausetheimperialsystemonlychangedsomespecificpoliciesinordertowardofftheimmediatethreatsandchallenges,andhopedtoreturntothegloriousdaysofthepast”.In1898,patriotsLiangQichaoandKangYouweiinstitutedanotherreformknownas“theHundredDaysofReform”.Thistimethepatriotswantedtohavemuchmoreradicalchanges.ThereformincludedabandoningtheConfucianexaminationinsteadofwesternlearning,radicalbureaucraticreformto
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supportnewwesternstyleeconomy,morefreedomallowedinthepoliticsandsociety.2ItwasfailedeventuallybecausethecoreleaderoftheChinesedynastyCixiwasafraidofthereformwouldthreatenthedynastyitself.Thus,arevolutioninChinawasinevitable.
InJapan,thestudentswhoweresentbytheimperialgovernmenttostudythewesternknowledgeestablishedtheChineseRevolutionaryAlliancein1905.Itwas“thefirstnationalpoliticalorganizationcommittedtooverthrowingtheempire”.3Laterin1912thisChineseRevolutionaryAlliancereformeditselftobetheNationalistParty.Thenationalistsweregoingtoleada“bourgeoisierevolution”toestablishanewChina.Theywantedtohavea“bourgeoisierevolution”becausetheylearnedfromthewestexperienceandbelievedonlythewesternliberalismcan“save”China.Theleaderofthenationalists,SunYatsen,createdthe“SanMingZhuYi”theorytobethegoaloftherevolution.ThetheorywasanideawhichwasinfluencedfromFrenchRevolutionandAmericanRevolution.Thecoreofthetheoryistoestablishagovernmentwhichiselectedbythepeopleandworkingforthepeople.4In1912,thenationalistssucceededtooverthrowtheimperialgovernmentwiththesupportbythemilitary.Althoughthefeudalgovernmentwasoverthrownbythenationalists,itwaslikeacoupbutnotarevolution.Onlytheimperialbureaucracywasreplacedbythemilitarycontrolledgovernment.Thelandlordsandpeasantsintheruralareastillwerethesameasbeforethe“revolution”.Inthecities,nothingwaschangedexceptthegovernment’s
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namewaschangedfromQingdynastygovernmenttothe“revolutiongovernment”.Localmilitaryleaderssimplyproclaimedtheyweresupportingtherevolutionandtookthepower.Atthetime,Chinawasdividedintoseveraldistrictsthatwereundercontrolledbydifferentwarlords.
On12February1912,theChineselastEmperorPuyiwasforcedtobeformallyabdicated.5InChinesecapitalPeking,China’sfirstnationalparliamentwasestablishedby“election”.But,infactthis“election”wasbynomeansanelectionbythepeopleorbyanyclassofthepeople.ItwasnotliketheAssemblyofNotables,theEstates-GeneralortheNationalAssemblyduringtheFrenchrevolution.Chinaneverhadacultureofvote.Forthousandsofyears,China’spoliticalandsocialcultureisloyaltyandobedience.Inthesmallestsocialunit,family,wifeshouldbeloyalandobedienttoherhusband,juniorshouldbeloyalandobedienttoeldership.Intheempire,allthepeopleshouldbeloyalandobediencetotheemperor.Theempirealwayswashighlypowercentralized.Noanyformsofelectionwereholdinthecentralgovernmentandlocalgovernment.So,theso-called“nationalparliamentaryelection”actuallywasholdbythemilitaryelites,politicalelitesandthepatriotelites.TheelectionresultwasthattheNationalistParty-theGuomindang-wontheelection.Sarcastically,thewarlordinPeking,YuanShikai,wasappointedasthePresidentofChinainsteadofSunYatsen,theleaderoftheGuomindang.Thereasonisverysimple,ifthePekingwarlordYuanShikaicouldnotbethepresident,hewouldnotsupporttheweak
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nationalparliamentatall.Afterafewmonths,YuanShikaisimplydismissedtheso-callednationalparliamentandproclaimedtorestoretheempireandhenamedhimselfastheemperor.Butasamatteroffact,the“emperor”wasonlyatitleatallbecauseheneversucceededtore-unitedChinaasawholecountry.Afterhediedbydisease,theso-called“empire”wascollapsednaturally.
LeadedbySunYatsen,GuomindanginitiatedcivilwartouniteChina.Afterfewyearseffort,Guomindangwassuccessfulbutonlynominally.LocalwarlordsproclaimedthattheyjoinedtheGuomindanggovernmentbuttheybasicallyhadunlimitedpowerintheirownregions.SunYatsentriedtoestablishanewChinaaccordingtothewesternpowers’model.Hewantedtoimportliberalism,democracyfromwesternworldtoChina.Hewassupportedbybourgeoisieclassandpatriotsatthetime.ThebourgeoisiewerenewbornclassinChina.Theirproportionofpopulationwasverysmall.Theywereveryweakandtheyhadtoocloseconnectionwiththewesternimperialismpower.Mostofthemhadbusinesswithwesterncompanies.Andsomeofthemevenweretheagentsofthewesterncompanies.Thusmostofthemhadthesameinterestsofthewesternpowers.Intermsoflonghistoryinvadedbywesternimperialcountries,thebourgeoisiecouldnotgetfirmlysupportedbypatriotsandpeople.
In1919,theWorldWarIwasended.AlthoughChinawasonthevictoryside,theGermancontroloflandinChinawasnotreturnedtoChinabuttotransfertoanotherimperialcountryJapan.WhenChinesegovernment
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acceptedtheunfairandhumiliatedtreaty,Chinesepatriotslaunchedthe“MayFourthMovement”toagainstthegovernment.6Thenhopethataccountedonthe“Revolutiongovernment”tostartanewbeginningofChinawascompletelydisappeared.Patriotswerebeginningtosearchforothersolutionsto“save”China.
ThesuccessfulRussianRevolutionin1917gaveanpositiveexampletoChinesepatriots.IfbourgeoisierevolutioncouldnotbesuccessfulinChina,theMarxismmightbethesolutiontoChineseills.Thus,manyeducatedpatriotswerebeginningtoacceptthetheoryofMarxismandLeninism.In1921,thefirstChineseCommunistPartynationalrepresentativesmeetingwasholdinShanghai.Fromthenon,theChineseCommunistPartybecamethemainplayertofurthertherevolution.Inthebeginning,ChinesecommuniststriedtofollowtheRussianRevolutionmodelthatrevoltfromthecities.However,atthetimetheurbanproletariatonly“numberedlessthan2percentofthetotalpopulation”.7In1923,withthesupportfromtheCominternofMoscow,theChineseCommunistPartyandtheGuomingdangwereunitedtobetheGuomindang-CCPalliance.8Thealliance’sgoalwastoeliminatethelocalwarlords’ruleandestablishanunifiedChina.In1927,theGuomingdanggovernmentsucceededtoestablishanewnationalgovernmentandreunifyChinanominally.Inpractice,theGuomingdanggovernmentwhichwasleadedbyChiangKaishekonly“unifiedthecountrybyenteringintoalliancewiththekeywarlordswherebythewarlordsretainedtheirlocalpowerinreturnfor
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acceptingthenationalauthorityoftheGuomindang”.9BecausetheGuomingdangandtheChineseCommunityPartyhadcompletelydifferentvisio
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