CCCH9009 Exam

1. How do you perceive the role of students and intellectuals in facilitating and
mobilizing rebellions and revolutions in China?
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1.
2.
3.

In the past, the core forces of the rebellions are secret society or underground
religions,
Students and intellectuals Confucianism, respect upper class like the emperor
mostly
Started of the beginning of 20th century Student and intellectuals movements
Exposure to western, students and intellectuals are dominating power
Special features
students special class : they dont have concrete concern about themselves
Energetic : younger generation, and willing to commit
Solidarity : high because they share common ideology
Tough : due to the above factor
Intellectuals charisma to public
Ability to organize
May forth : successful case
Host by the intellectuals

In 1989 movement, showed some problems of the student movement

High level of goal, not practical, lack of pragmatism
Too much passion, but not rational, weakest part of the student movement
Self-isolation, they didnt actively involve other classes of society, a successful
movement of be inclusive
4. Lack of organization or leadership

2. How has the communication and contact between China and the West generated
dynamics for Chinas revolutions and rebellions in the 20th century?
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China is the middle kingdom is Chinese, in the past they thought they were the
only civilization and refuse to trade.
After the opium war, china was the loser and had to pay
From that point, Chinese started to know about the western world.
Rich people send their children to receive foreign education and then came back,
being the core forces, rise of new classes, they gained freedom
Education system changed also
Introduction of western ideologies like - democracy , imperial system old
fashion Concept of abolishing old system
Started to learn from the west
New form of media provide flow of transparent information
Above are External factors of the 1911 revolution
Indirect influence : Superiority of western power to china in technology,
institution and culture
ratification of Unequal treaties stimulate rebellions(nationalism), may fourth,
suppressed and humiliated
people recognize the weakness of china
May fourth complete westernization
Trace back to taiping, doing similar things
Aim of the rebellion : build a democratic state, rather than overthrow the
imperial government and build another one but maintain the old system

4. To what extent the May Fourth Movement is a turning point in modern Chinese
history? How would you evaluate the impact of the May Fourth Movement on
Chinas social movement and political culture? How is it related to the Chinese
Communist Revolution?
a)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

reawaking movement spread to all classes

Rise of women rights, institution
The spirit of those students should be the model for youngster at all time
Anti-tradition movement, , eliminate Confucianism
Changed the way that we talk pai hua
One stage of collection of changes
patriotic movement - Anti-japan
from capitalism to Marxism ,from paris peace con., perceive the failure of
capitalism
democracy and science

b)
1. Organized by students and intellectuals successful case and watershed
2. Great effect to political culture, it turned a new page of political ideology.
3. Put New Culture Movement to the peak, discarding the old and taking on the new,
to the peak.
4. humiliation received in Paris Peace Conference, seek for methods to change the
current chaotic political situation.
5. Complete westernization from Confucianism tradition - Learning from the west
was one of the methods proposed by some young intellectuals, leaders of the
May Fourth Movement, most of them were from western-style or had studied
abroad. They tended to be more acceptable towards western ideology, such as
democracy and communism.
c)
1. Communist party appreciate may fourth a lot, follow the violence
2. Very first Workers revolution
3. Wide spread of Marxism, foster the establishment of CCP
4. Intellectuals and workers combined
5. Predecessor of CR anti-tradition

5. Why is nationalism on the rise in Mainland China today? Is the rising nationalism in
Mainland China threatening or strengthening the rule of the communist regime?
Explain your answer.
a)
- Reason:
1. historical roots
(always important) accumulated sense which china have been humiliated by the
western power for a long time, so Chinese take chances to express their anger/
victimhood/power and equality in the international level
(unequal treaties, trading relationship, didnt get respect).
2. new attention to patriotic education after Tiananmen
deng claim: the reason of june forth movement is the lack of ideology education in
younger generation, the revolutionary material is then used as material, started to
explain the importance of the national flag and symbol rather than the symbol of the
party, yuan ming yuan as site of historical education, strengthening education of
national identity or symbolism
3. the partys ideological transformation
old ideologies patriotism and nationalism
revised constitution, the communist party of china is the vanguard both of the
Chinese working class and of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation.
The party official use nationalism, which can be perceived as an official
encouragement
4. new political environment faced by the younger generation of china(contra
argument to the 2nd point)
high exposure of internet a big challenges to the CCP
human rights problem,
5. chinas changing position in world politics(contra-argument to the 1st point)
due to the rapid development, other countries started to recognize the position of
china and gain respect
japan, diaoyu dao problem, historical issue, slaughter of nanking
G-2, a term used by the Chinese and American media , sino-america cooperation in
the political issue
stimulate the rising of nationalism
b)
- Two-edge sword: foreign power will not stand by the regime all the time, dissolve
the supportive role and do harm the stability of the regime when it is out of
control or when it develops at one point

6. Why did Chinas imperial system collapse in 1911? What are the major
achievements of the 1911 Revolution? Has China been fundamentally changed after
the 1911 Revolution? Why or why not? How do your perceive Dr. Sun Yat-sens role in
this revolution?
a)
The major causes of the 1911 Revolution could be divided into two categories:
internal and external.
Reason:
Form external to internal
The introduction of new western ideologies was essential external influences gained
by the public. In the old days, there were very few or even no political information
broadcasted to the public. The sources of this kind of information were very few as
well. For instance, people could know more about the government form the imperial
abdict, but the frequency of the publication was quite low. However, during the late
Qing, wealthy families or merchants was sending their children to study abroad.
These students then returned and started to publish political journals. The
appearance of new mass media disclosed more political information towards the
public. They started to discuss and also perceived the weakness of the government.
General publics knowledge levels were higher than before.
Recognize the weakness of the imperial government and the problem of the old
system build a new state( democratic society)
Those student received western education and ideologies
there was rising of new elites due to the collapse of the traditional civic examination
system dominate in spreading new ideologies
Another important factor is the failure of the constitutional movement. It was
initiated by the imperial court. They wanted to re-strengthen the power by reform,
adopt a new system. Nevertheless, the result of this movement was the other way
round to the original goal. It made people feel desperate and hopeless due to the
fake promise. Therefore, internally, the government even lost more supports, being
more isolated than before.
b)
Major achievement:
1) Overthrown the imperial system which had been lasted for over 2000 years,
established the very first democratic republic of china,

2) Spread the ideology of democracy, people received democratic education

3) People perceived the importance of modernization,
c)
Yes , but it was a fragile republic. Because:
1. Military weakness the new republic was soon controlled by Yuen and soon
declared himself as new emperor, but soon failed due to the spread of
democratic ideologies
2. radical revolutionary was suppressed
3. Seek for new mandate(crisis of legitimacy)(contra argument of the first)
4. Short of public support
5. Refomist gentry didnt rally and help, show the weakness and fragmentation
d)
Dr. sun
1. Leader of 1911 revolution
2. Leader of revolutionary organization and some former revolution before wuchan
one
3. indeed the founder of the ROC, introduced three people principle, nationalism,
democracy and livelihood, five power constitution, those were the backbones,
ideological design for a new china
4. fund raising for movements
5. contra argument: dr sun was irrelevant in the revolution, he was not is china , not
participated in important events in the 1911, but he had led 3 out of 5 main
stages of the 1911 revolution

7. Why did the Tiananmen Movement take place in 1989? Why is the movement
eventually ended in such a tragic way?
a)
- Background(situation of china during eve of Tiananmen):
Economic reform and problems:
The return of Deng: believer of traditional Marxism and liberal minded, get rid of
socialist limitation, open-minded in economic but conservative in political
Capitalist development
Youth generation were polluted by new western ideologies which would
challenge the legitimacy (e.g. : democracy wall , post letter outside central
organsation to address grievances)
Source of grievances:
De-controlling : the reform of commodity price control regime
Originally, supply is limited (central planning economy), quota, allocate
After de-controlling, prices rose rapidly, a serious issue
Big gap between the income of poor and rich
The party encouraged people to get rich
Vendors earn much more than a professor
Two landscape: capable to free market and get rich very fast or cannot get the
chance and keep on being poor
New party leaders : Hu very liberal minded
refused to fight spiritual pollution( new mass movement) , this only lasted for 83
days, he questioned the feasibility of it
why the movement was suggested? Division of new and old leaders (deficient)
He didnt want to bring back china to maos period
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Triggering point: death of Hu

He then removed from leadership in 1987 by old revolutionaries
Got sick and suddenly died
Immediately triggered anger

b)
1. Students first request : reissued the verdict of Hu, gradually become the whole
political reform , there were rumors that Peng Li would meet them but finally no
2. Harsh editorial by Peoples daily: turning point , students were claimed to be
criminal that generate chaos

3. Improper response and bad communication, the party kept on ignoring the
request from students, even the students held a hunger strike
4. There are internal conflicts on how to deal with students too
5. Zhao friendly warning students should return to the campus , and military
movement were going to take place soon, students ignored
6. Radical vs rational, not practical, too ideal, should do it gradually
7. Self-isolation vs inclusiveness