Early 20th Century Revolution: China

(1911-1949)
 Why 1911 – 1949?
• The Manchu Dynasty was finally overthrown in 1911.

• The Chinese Revolution continued until 1949 because China remained

unstable and went through many political evolutions due to unsatisfied
Chinese peoples.

• The Chinese Revolution ended in 1949 because 1949 Mao’s Red Army took
over.
 Causes of the Revolution
1. Foreign intervention: The intervention of the West, especially Britain caused
significant resentment amongst the Chinese because of their trading restrictions and
their intrusions brought by the loss of the Opium Wars.

2. The lack of governmental action and unsuccessful reforms (abolishing the civil
service exams) to help resolve this crisis caused Chinese to become disgruntled with
the weak leadership under the Manchu Dynasty.

3. Increased corruption caused a significant loss of money for the Manchu dynasty.
The government attempted to fix this by instating new, harsh taxes on their subjects,
sparking revolts and leading people to find ways to avoid paying.
 Stage 1: 1911
• 1911: Manchu Dynasty is overthrown and collapses.

• It collapsed due to unsuccessful reforms, weak governmental rulers, and

citizen revolts. Yuan si kai became president

• Sun Yat-sen came to power as a president and established a new government

with three principles: Nationalism, Democracy, and Peoples’ Livelihood.

• Yat-sen aimed to establish a republic based on European democracy and

equality in hopes to modernize China.

• Yat-sen also established the KMT in 1912, which was the Chinese Nationalist
Party.
 Stage 2: 1916
• Beginning in 1916-1926: Warlord Decade

• Military zones were set up with a military leader governing and, sometimes,
terrorizing their zone.

• Oppression of the lower class (peasants) grew and the amount of land they
owned decreased.

• Caused rapid distribution of Western political, social, and artistic ideas in

urban centers.
 Stage 3: 1919
• May 4th, 1919: May 4th Movement
• After WWI, the Treaty of Versailles was signed by
the Allied powers, acknowledging Japanese
territorial claims in China, which angered the
Chinese who refused to sign the Treaty.
• Due to this, about 5,000 students from Peking
University crowded the streets to demonstrate
against the Versailles Treaty, leading to the May 4th
Movement.
• Became a National Movement in China; Protestors
believed that Confucianism and imperialism were
old-fashioned and China needed to be modernized.
 Stage 4: 1921
• 1921: Chinese Communist Party was formed by Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao.
Mao Zedong was an early member.

• Born out of ideas of Marxism. The CCP argued that capitalism sponsored
aggression between people and countries.

• Peasantry supported Marxism  increase their status and standard of living.

• Mao Zedong soon became the leader of the CCP and adopted the ideas of
Lenin (who staged a revolution in Russia). He also created a communist army.
 Stage 5: 1923
• 1923: “The First United Front”  The KMT and CCP form an alliance.

• Joined together in attempts to end Warlords’ power. Tried to Spread

Communism together through the formation of the National Revolutionary
Army.

• This leads to Lenin sending supplies and resources for allowing the CCP to
join the KMT.
 Stage 6: 1927
• 1927: The KMT purge the CCP out of fear

• After a combined successful defeat of the

warlords the KMT decide to split from the CCP
and “purge” them.

• Execution of CCP members and followers ensues

and many go into hiding.

• Chiang Kai-shek consolidates power within KMT.

 Stage 7: 1928
• 1928: Chiang Kai-shek emerges as the
President of China

• This is because his “Northern Expedition”

finally succeeded in removing the CCP from
the government and rose to power.

• He rejected Western ideas and democracy and

instead promoted conservative, traditional
Chinese Culture.
 Stage 8: 1928- 1937
• 1928- 1937: “Nanjing Decade”  Chiang Kai-shek establishes the Nationalist
Republic of China; moves the capital to Nanjing.

• The United States and Britain officially recognize the Republic

• KMT's "New Life" movement combines Confucian and Fascist ideas.

• However, the government becomes corrupt and harsh; dictator-like.

• The KMT ignored the peasants and their quality of life remains stagnant
unlike Mao, who fought for them.
 Stage 9: 1934
• 1934-1935: The Long March

• The nationalists imposed a blockade on the

Communists and Mao Zedong decided to evacuate
the area and establish a new stronghold in
northwest China.

• Around 100,000 men headed west through

mountainous areas and experienced terrible
hardships along the journey.

• An estimated 30,000 survived due to the terrible

conditions and harsh mountainous terrain.
 Stage 10 : 1937-45
• A united front was established in 1937 to counter Japan.

• Both parties abandoned their war against each other.

• Ccp emerged as hero – showed as true patriots whose prime concern was to
defeat Japan.

• During second ww USA tried to solve out the problems between ccp and kmt.
 Stage 11: 1949
• 1949: Era of Communism begins

• Mao Zedung’s Red Army takes over China’s

major cities and assumes control over entire
country after successfully defeating the KMT
in the Chinese Civil War (1946-1949).

• Mao creates a more stable Chinese

government, ending the revolution.

• The opposition, Chiang Kai-shek and KMT,

escape to Taiwan.
 SUN YAT SEN
• Headed the Revolutionary Alliance, which toppled the Qing Dynasty

• Claimed mandate to rule China

• Founder and first president of the Republic of China

• Abdicated power in 1912 to Yuan

• Head of Nationalist Party from 1911 to 1925

 Yuan shikai
• Warlord after fall of Qing Dynasty

• Hoped to seize vacated Manchu throne and rule a new

dynasty

• Became President in 1912 with the goal to unify China

under a single government in Beijing

• Resigned in 1916 in the face of Japanese invasion

because refused to accept or reject the Japanese’s Twenty-
One Demands
 Allowed rival, who was hostile to Japan, to gain
support
 Li dazhao
• Most influential thinker who called for
modification of Marxism to suit China

• Saw the peasants as the vanguard for

revolutionary change, different from Lenin’s view

• Justified this view from the orthodox Marxist

emphasis on working class by saying that China
was proletarian

• Influenced Mao Zedong greatly

 CHIANG KAI-SHEK
• First head of the Whampoa Military Academy

• Not pleased by communist alliance

• Seized control of Nationalist Party (KMT) in 1925, after

Sun’s death

• Rejected Western ideals and wanted to preserve

traditional Chinese culture.

• Recognized as new president of China after campaigns

that captured Shanghai and Beijing

• Fled to Taiwan when Beijing was seized in 1949

 MAO ZE DONG
• Influenced by Li Dazhao, shared modified Marxism
ideology

• Communist leader in revolutionary China,

• Advocated authoritarian state, extensive government

intervention

• Fought against Guomingdang (KMT) and spearheaded

a Long March to escape Hunan

• Gains control of China in 1949

 Results of the revolution
• Ideals of the revolution definitely changed as the leaders changed.

Sun-Yat sen  Yuan Shikai  Chiang kai-shek  Mao Zedong

At first, democratic ideals modeled from Western Europe. Then switched to communism.

• China was unified under one government by 1949.

Probably the only prominent goal that was achieved. Many of Sun’s democratic aspirations
were abandoned.

• Lower classes—specifically peasant class—gained the most. The wealthy and upper middle
class lost.

Democratic ideas were not ideal in a society whose majority was a starving, destitute peasant
class. Thus, Mao championed reforms and policies that implemented great government
intervention in industry and welfare.
 Results of the revolution
• Ideas that once dictated the Ancien Regime were abandoned completely.

May Fourth Movement  new youth opposition against elders, promotion of

Western ideals and almost transformed China into a liberal democracy

Recognized that these of Confucian principles prevented Chinese society from

improving and modernizing.