Topic 3 - Chronology, General Trend and Initial Conditions Flashcards
What was the Western Challenge and Chinese Response framework?
The idea that the challenge posed by Western imperialism was fundamental as the modern history of China was characterized by a search for an ideological and institutional response to this challenge
What were Cohen’s critiques of the Western Challenge and Chinese response framework?
1) It often ignored internal dynamism in China and overestimated Western influence
2) Some of the Chinese response may have been due to economic reasons rather than ideological or institutional
3) Western influence had huge regional variation
What were the 3 stages of the Challenge and Response framework noted by Liang Qichao?
1) Technological reform (particularly military technology)
2) Institutional reform (introducing western-style government, law, banking and corporation
3) Cultural reform (negation of Confucian ideology)
When was the Taiping Rebellion? Who lead it and why?
The Taiping Rebellion was from 1850-1864. It was led by Hong Xiuquan - a disappointed civil service candidate - who had a dream that he was Jesus’ brother and wanted to bring change to China.
What was the Self-Strengthening Movement?
The Self-Strengthening Movement was a direct response to losses to western powers in the opium wars. It lasted from 1861-1895 and was split into 3 stages:
1) The adoption of western technology (military technology in particular
2) The expansion of the agricultural and commerce industries. Government-supervised merchant undertakings such as the Kaiping Mines
3) The expansion of the textile industry
What was the Tongzhi Restoration?
This was a direct result of the Self-Strengthening Movement. It was an attempt to stop the decline of the Qing dynasty by reinstating traditional order from 1860 - 1874.
What was the First Sino-Japanese War?
A war mainly over the influence of Korea. It lasted from 1894-1895. It was a battle that pitted Japan’s Meiji Restoration against China’s Self-Strengthening Movement. The Japanese proved to be superior and this led to the Treaty of Shimonoseki.
What did the Treaty of Shimonoseki entail?
The Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed in 1895. In exchange for peace, China agreed to:
1) Recognise Korea as its own separate entity and cease all tributes to China from Korea
2) Surrender land to Japan (Including Taiwan)
3) Pay a large war indemnity to Japan
4) Give Japan access to several regions
5) Give Japan favoured nation trade status
What was the Hundred Days’ Reform?
This was an attempt by the Guangxu Emporer in 1898 to bring about rapid reform to China in the form of cultural, political and educational change. It was inspired by Meiji Japan after the loss in the First Sino-Japanese War. It failed because many opposed it and believed it was too radical. The end of the reform was brought about by a coup supported by Empress Dowager Cixi, the Emporer’s Regent.
What was the Boxer Rebellion?
It was an anti-Western and anti-Christian uprising that spanned from 1898-1901. It was supported by Empress Dowager Cixi but was unsuccessful. The opposing sides were 8 nation states against the Boxers and the Qing Dynasty. It ended with the westerners receiving a large war reparation from the Qing dynasty. The Japanese received a monetary base large enough to join the global Gold Standard.
What was the Late Qing Constitutional Reform?
It was a set of changes in China to keep the Dynasty in power after the failure of the Boxer Rebellion. It was initiated by the Empress Dowager Cixi even though she opposed some of the same ideas in the Hundred Days’ Reform. Schools were to be westernized, the civil service exams were to be abolished in 1905 and modern parliament and law were to be introduced.
What was the Warlord Era?
The Warlord Era was a period of decentralization and fragmentation from 1911-1927 after the collapse of the Qing dynasty in 1911. The government largely existed in name only as there were no funds. It was the heyday of Shanghai though.
What was the Nanjing Government Era?
This was some semblance of a national government based in Nanjing form 1927-1937. It saw the introduction of a national economic policy, restoration of tariffs and monetary reform.
What was the Second Sino-Japanese War?
It was a war that lasted from 1937-1945 which initially started because the Chinese refused the Japanese entry to look for a soldier on their territory. It saw a full-scalle invasion by the Japanese into China. It ended with the end of WW2.
What was the Chinese Civil War?
This was a war between the Kuomintag-led government (KMT) and the Communist Party of China (CPC). Fighting subsided with the CPC being regarded as victors. Mao declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
