China in Transformation: 1900-1949

✍ Scribed by Colin Mackerras

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2015
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 217
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

In the first half of the twentieth century, China moved from a millennium of imperial rule to the Communist Party-led People's Republic of China which remains today. China in Transformation argues that this enormously significant period in Chinese history saw wrenching change throughout Chinese society amounting to a social, cultural and political transformation. This new, fully revised and updated edition takes full advantage of new research and formerly unavailable material to analyse the fascinating processes of revolution, reform, reaction and change in China during the period. Mackerras: · Discusses the wars, occupations and uprisings that marked the period, including the Boxer Rebellion and the Japanese occupation and includes a new chapter on postwar China and the Civil War · Examines nation-building and revolutions, including the successful communist movement that has led to the rise of today's state · Acknowledges the prevalence of poverty and famine in the period but also gives space to the areas in which there was progress: the introduction of mass, secular education, improvements in the status of women, and in a new chapter, details significant developments in culture, literature and theatre Written in an accessible style, with a rich collection of Documents, Chronology, Glossary, a Guide to Further Reading,and a Who's Who summarising the careers and contributions of the main figures, this new edition is essential for all those interested in understanding China's modern history.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
China in Transformation 1900–1949
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Preface
Publisher’s acknowledgements
Chronology
Who’s who
Glossary
Maps
Part One Introduction
1 Introduction, Framework and Definitions
Themes in Chinese history, 1900–49
Revolution, reform, change and reaction
Nationalism and imperialism
Modernization and tradition
Foreign impact and internal dynamic
2 Nineteenth-Century Background
Society, economy and population
Rebellion
The Western impact and the unequal treaties
The Sino-Japanese War ends the tribute system
The beginnings of reform and modernization
Part Two China in Transformation:
Chronological Treatment
3 The End of The Qing Period, 1900–11
The Boxer Rebellion and reaction
Post-Boxer nationalism and reform
The Russo-Japanese War
Constitutional reform
4 The Revolution of Sun Yat-Sen
Sun Yat-sen’s early career and revolutionary activities
The United League and Revolution of 1911
Yuan Shikai betrays the revolution
Reasons for the success of the 1911 Revolution
5 Warlords, New Culture, 1916–28
The warlord period
Features of warlords and their rule
The May Fourth Incident and aftermath
The New Culture or May Fourth Movement
6 The Nationalist Movement and Revolution
The Guangzhou regimes
The First Congress of the Nationalist Party; Sun’s three principles of the people
The rise of Chiang Kai-shek; the Northern Expedition begins
The split in the revolution; Chiang Kai-shek’s Shanghai coup
7 The Nanjing Decade, 1927–37
Politics and the struggle against opposition
Government, party
Corruption, Chiang Kai-shek’s power base
Population
The economy
8 The Chinese Communist Party
The early period
The end of the united front and aftermath
The Chinese Soviet Republic
The Long March
The Yan’an decade
9 The War Against Japan
The Xi’an Incident and the Second United Front
The War Against Japan: early stages, 1937–40
The War Against Japan: later stages, 1941–5
10 Postwar China, The Civil War
Between wars: from the victory over Japan to the outbreak of civil war
The Civil War and the victory of the CCP
Part Three Themes of Change
11 Aspects of Social Change: Family and Women,
Religion and Secular Ideology
Family life
The position of women, 1900–27
The position of women, 1927–49
Religion
Secular ideology
12 Education and The Student Movement
The education system
The student movement
13 Literature and Theatre
Some background
Theory of the arts
Fiction
Theatre
Part Four Conclusion
14 Conclusion and Evaluation
Significance of the period 1900–49
Evaluation of the achievements and leaders of the period
Reasons for the defeat of the Nationalist Party
Part Five Documents
1 The Republican period
2 Reasons for war against Japan
3 The year 1900 and the rise of nationalism
4 The court’s flight to Xi’an
5 Predictions of the future
6 China’s neutrality in the Russo-Japanese War
7 Promoting nationalism
8 Manifesto of the Chinese United League
9 Anti-Manchu feeling
10 Manifesto of Zhang Xun
11 Manifesto of All the Students of Beijing
12 New Youth’s answer to the traditionalists
13 Joint Manifesto of Sun Yat-sen and A. A. Joffe
14 The three principles of the people
15 The three principles of the people: nationalism
16 The three principles of the people: democracy
17 The three principles of the people: people’s livelihood
18 Chiang Kai-shek endorses the three principles of the people
19 Plans for reconstruction
20 The Nanjing decade
21 Population figures
22 An early appeal from Mao
23 Peasant revolution
24 Mao comments on the Long March
25 Hierarchy within the CCP
26 Significance of the War Against Japan
27 The Nanjing Massacre
28 Verdict of the International Military Tribunal
29 The Henan famine
30 The Civil War
31 Troop morale
32 The mood of the people
33 Choosing a marriage partner
34 The Chinese family system
35 Christianity and the status of women
36 Two very different young women
37 The maternal instinct
38 The student movement and nationalism
39 The student movement and opposition to Japan
40 Aims of education
41 The impact of popular literature
42 A new literary style
43 Literature and art as propaganda
44 Mass art
45 Spoken drama
46 The White-Haired Girl: A Revolutionary Opera
Guide to Further Reading
References
Index
Plates