Untitled spreadsheet - Sheet1 Flashcards
Confucianism
Obedience towards parents and elders
Emphasizes to love in Harmony
Emphasized that virtuous rulers were ones who governed in wisdom, benelelance and integrity
Justification to overthrow unjust rulers
Hierarchical society: Emperor at top then officials and then the common people
Collectivist mindset
Came under scrutiny in Qing Dynasty and REpublic Era→ May Fourth movement in 1919 to advocate for egalitarian and democratic ideals
Bureaucratic rule with Emperors at the apex
Emperor was on top and was considered the Son of heaven, possessing the MAndate of Heaven, divine right to rule
People that ruled went under an examination that they needed to demonstrate competence and moral integrity rather than hereditary privilege
The system faced issues with corruption and resistance to reforms and inefficiency
Overthrow of the system happened in 1911-1912 because the weakness of the bureaucracies were apparent in the Qing dynasty
Dynastic cycles
- Start with the Rise of a New Dynasty: which come to power by overthrowing the other dynasty (military conquest, political upheaval, or social revolution)
- Consolidation and Expansion: would try to establish an effective governance structure, centralizing authority and promoting social stability; they also tried to expand their land
- Peak of Power and Prosperity: peak of their power would experience high economic growth, technological innovation
- Decline and Challenges: Many Chinese dynasties ended up facing challenges (like internal corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency, natural disasters, external threats)
- Decline and Instability: As a dynasty entered a period of decline, it often experienced internal strife, rebellions, and revolts by disgruntled subjects seeking change or independence; The central government’s control over its territories weakened, leading to fragmentation, regionalism, and the rise of local warlords or rival factions vying for power.
- Overthrow and Succession: overthrow of the ruling dynasty, either through internal rebellion, foreign invasion, or a combination of both.
Tributary system
Referred to as the Sinocentric World Order
Diplomatic Framework that governed Chinas’ relations with neighboring East Asia (particularly during the Ming and Qing dynasty
China was known as the Middle Kingdom and was the most powerful
China Considered itself the rightful ruler of all under heaven and expected the neighboring states to understand their authority
Hierarchical Relationship and China was at the top
Wanted other countries to acknowledge China’s superiority
Tributary states were required to send periodic tribute missions to the Chinese court, bearing gifts and tokens of submission.
In return for tribute China provided Benefits like: trade opportunities, diplomatic recognition, military protection and cultural exchange
There were trade and diplomatic rules that China set
The Tributary System began to decline with the rise of Western imperialism, the weakening of China’s central authority, and the emergence of modern nation-states in the 19th century.
Treaties such as the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842, which marked the end of the First Opium War between China and Britain, undermined the Tributary System by establishing unequal treaties that eroded China’s sovereignty and extraterritorial rights.
Fall of last empire: efforts of different forces trying to save China.
Last Empire: Qing Dyansty
Many people inside the government wanted to maintain traditional confucian values and wanted to reject Western principles
Reformist Scholars pushed for modernization
Self- Strengthening Movement: advocated for selective borrowing of Western technology industry and military tactics while preserving traditional Chinese values adn institutions; Efforts were made to modernize China’s military, build industries, develop infrastructure, and establish modern educational institutions.
Xinhai Revolution: overthrew and established the Republic of China
Internal establity led to Forign influences trying to exploit china
Warlord
after the Collapse of the Qing Dyansty China was in Chaos and was dominated by Warlords
Warlords were military strongmen who controlled territories, amassed private armies, and often engaged in power struggles with each other for control over resources, territory, and influence.
They hindered national unity and contributed to economic stagnation
WarLord Era: 1916- 1928
KMT
Founded in 1912 by Sun Yat-sen with goal of modernizing china and ending foreign domination
Three Principles of th People: nationalism, Democracy and livelihood/ people’s Welfare
Mid 1920s when Sun yat sen died there was the Northern Expedition to reunify China and suppress warlords
Looked more for support in outside forces first US, they rejected, then USSR
Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
Founded in 1921 operated in underground urban areas,
Led by Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai wanted a communist state by revolutionary means
Focused on building rural bases, mobilizing peasants adn conducting guerilla warfare against warlords and KMT
Collaborated with KMT for a lil to fight against warlords but then conl;ficts arose and led to Chinese Civil WAr
“Bloc Within” big role in propoganda and mobilization of workers and peasants
Interaction between CCP & KMT?
KMT and CCP had alliance in Northern Expedition
Chiang Kai-shek wanted to consolidate power and try to suppress communist influence→ led to Civil War from 1927-1949
Japan, seeking to expand its influence in East Asia, invaded China in 1937, leading to the Second Sino-Japanese War. The KMT and CCP temporarily suspended their civil war to form a united front against the Japanese invasion.
May 4th movement in 1919
May 4th thousands of students and intellectuals gathered in tiananmen square to protest and it spread to other cities in china
Protestos denounced imperialism, militarism and feudalism calling for national unity democracy and cultural renewal
Demands:
No acceptance of Treaty of Versailles and 21 Demands
Assertion of China’s right to sovereignty, territorial integrity, and self determination
Advocacy of democracy, political reform and the rule of law
Promotion of Science, reason and modernization
Critiques of Confusion values and social norms
impact of may 4th?
New Cultural and literary movements such as the New Culture Movement which advocated for vernacular language, women’s rights, individualism
from traditionalism to modernity
Laid groundwork for other chinese movement
First United Front (1924-1927)
Assisted by Soviet Union to strengthen nationalism in China
Alliance between KMT and CCP
alliance was based on the “First United Front Manifesto,” which outlined common objectives, including the end of warlord rule, national reunification, and modernization of China.
North Expedition (1926-1928) aimed to suppress warlord factions
Was fairly successful
Second United Front ( 1937-1945)
KMT and CCP halted civil war
In response to Japanese invasion of China ( second Sino Japanese WAr)
Chianf Kai Shek (KMT) and MAo Zedong (CCP) were leaders
characterized by joint military operations, coordinated resistance efforts, and cooperation in areas such as intelligence gathering, guerrilla warfare, and propaganda.
a series of incidents related to Japanese invasio
How CCP developed and finally took power in 1949
CCP originally took the approach by organizing peasants and workers, builded rural bases, and conducted guerilla warfare to warlord
The Long March (1934-1936)
The Long March transformed the Red Army into a legendary symbol of resilience, determination, and revolutionary spirit in Chinese history.
Became a staple in CCP propaganda
The Yan’an Era (mid 1930s to mid 1940s)
Yan’an served as a laboratory for revolutionary experimentation, where the CCP implemented land reform, social welfare programs, and mass campaigns to mobilize the rural population.led groundwork for CCP
Russia helped (help ccp)
Soviets provided military training equipment and other support
Helped with guerilla war tactics, military organization and logical capabilites
Gave tactics for alliance-building, united fronts, and propaganda
Also provided financial aid
However China was more of a Peasant revolution than an elitist one like Russia
Mao’s Ideology and Mao’s role
Status: Great leader, great teacher, great supreme commander, Great Helmsman
Wanted mass mobilization
Structure of Authority: Party-state and military
Maoism
Right thinking → right conduct
Voluntarism: Motivated people can overcome material obstacles (campaigns)
Contradictions: Identifying and solving major contradictions.
Class Struggle: political attitudes determine class
Mass line and Anti-intellectualism
Self Reliance
one hundred flowers;
Encouraged intellectuals and other members fo society to express their opinions freely– Mao thought it would help recongize weakness in the party
Anti-rightists campaigns;
1957 to 1959
Aimed at suppressing dissent, especially the ones who voiced their opinions in the 100 flowers campaign
Rightists” were broadly defined as those who criticized or questioned the policies of the CCP, advocated for political reforms, or expressed dissatisfaction with the party’s leadership.
campaign also resulted in the loss of talent and expertise as many intellectuals were purged from their positions, leading to setbacks in various fields such as academia, literature, and the arts
Showed that Mao wanted as much power as possible for the party
