Write 3. an essay comparing the Nationalists/ GMD and the Communists/CCP from the 1920s to 1950. What sorts of people (from what social strata) tended to support each side? Along what sorts of issues and policies did they align? What do you think explains the eventual defeat of the GMD by the CCP? CCP: * Lenin-Marxism style of teaching * Make use of the foreign invasion and the dismal rural poverty to convince peasants those radical changes was necessary and the CCP was best qualified to handle it. * Violent land reform where landlords were killed and the land redistribute to the peasants. Many landlords joined CCP some fearing of being killed. * Peasants supported CCP for they wanted equality among different classes. CCP successfully evoked the dissatisfaction of people about the rich becoming richer while the poor becoming poorer. * The sort of revolution that came to China was powerfully shaped by the ideas, experiences and personality of Mao Zedong and the policies for training cadres and mobilizing peasants that he succeeded in getting established. GMD: * Democratic style with the 3 Principles of the People (Ideology for Party, Principles was nationalism, Peoples live hood) * Many Nationalists military included firm anti-communists. * Many supports felt threatened by talks of class welfare. * Nationalist made efforts to revive and modernize the economy, battered by the disruption of the warlords, who, for instance, often took over railroad lines for their own purposes. * After Sun Zhongshan died, Jiang took over and launched the White Terror hoping much of CCP would be eliminated. Both: * Both parties wanted to unify China, making it a one party country, improving the lives of the people. However, under that circumstance CCP adopted a better way though helping the peasants and gaining their vast support. * In 1937, both parties worked together in defending against Japanese invasion. Jaing however at first thought of unifying China before fighting the Japanese, thinking it would be easy to defeat a country 1/5 the population of China. The defeat of GMD: * Supported mostly by the middle and upper class who consist of the minority. * The majority was the peasants who wanted equality and CCP was able to give them. * The widespread government corruption, spiraling inflation, the * Did little to build new political institutions in rural areas, giving CCP chances to free those peasants from the warlords, landlords, gaining their supports by redistribution of lands. * The failure of GMD was due to the superior strategy and organized methods
of CCP and GMD underestimating the enemy. * Nationalists efforts to build China into a strong and modern nation were focused on the cities, not the countryside losing many supports and confidence of the peasants who lived in countryside. * Jiang actually did not put great efforts in fighting Japanese, while CCP did. He thought that by retaining his elite troops behind, he would use them to eliminate CCP after the war. This loses the peoples confidence and supports. * CCP was fighting guerilla warfare tactic and was rather efficient in fighting the Japanese. GMD was stuck in the cities which were tough to defend. ** Describe CCP GMD 4. Write an essay explaining the following statement: The main political challenge China has faced over the last two centuries has involved the necessity of transforming imperial subjects into national citizens. * Why Do You Need Citizen to Imperial? * The failure of China to come off well in its nineteenth-century encounters with the western imperialist powers was at least as heavy a blow to Chinese self-confidence. Both in technology and in political organization China found itself at a disadvantage. * People were loyal to nation. However, family, clans came first. The loyalty was being divided. Many people joined clans during Ming and they all tried to expand the power of the clans first then think about the nation. People were not united enough! Though working together for the welfare of the country, they still favored their own clans. Selfish thoughts! * After Opium War, western nations posed more of a threat to China. Their armies and navies repeatedly proved themselves superior to Chinas, raising fundamental questions about what, if anything, China should copy from these aggressive foreigners. * Liang rise the idea of citizenship, the country actually own citizens. People are not subjects of country but are actually citizens whom should be protected by the country no matter where they are. * In order to transform, need educated citizens. Mass public education needed * Europeans described China as inferior to Europe because neither liberty nor progress was valued there. They contrasted Chinas antiquity with the modernity of Europe. That Chinese can be clansmen but cannot be citizens. (one of the Chineses falls) * Qings 5faces of rule. Although many talented officials of different races, they were not really loyal to the Qing empire. Many of them were still vowing their services and loyalty to their local tribes. * Ethics division. Different beliefs and rejecting others. * Government had tried to reform, implementing many policies that eliminate some of the imperialism old habits while adapting to the new citizenship. However government was inefficient and not convincing enough. Cixi gave GungXu the power to lead the country for only 3 months after his reform policy fearing her power be taken away.
5. Provide a brief description of the history of China from the Ming dynasty to the present with the premise that the most important determinant in this period of Chinese history has been the relationship between (limited) environmental resources and (growing) population. What key factors or changes over these six centuries have influenced the resources-to-population relationship? How has this relationship shaped key events in modern Chinese history? Choose 3 or 4 key events, policies or phenomena from these 7 centuries and describe how each of them in some basic way were caused by this central environmental problem. ** New crops Population increase Resource restrains (Relationship of People and Resources!) Ming Trade: * The expanding maritime trade brought in new goods and ideas. Zheng Hes expedition helped in broadening the view of China. Much new information was able to reach China. * Due to blooming of maritime trade, new world plants entering China, including sweet potatoes, maize and peanuts that increase the food production and facilitated growth. They could be grown on lands previously left uncultivated such as hilly, sandy soils. More land was exploited. This caused an increase in the food production of the country. * With sufficient food supply, population of the country increased steadily. Local societies become less isolated. The distance between market and towns were shrinking, tying villages more tightly into nationwide marketing system. This resulted in more flexibility of resource transportation. Ming Downfall: * Taxed was increased. Flood, drought and diseases like smallpox (spreading of diseases easily) * Government spending increased as population grew. Government became less efficient; revenue did not keep up due to the tendencies for peasants to lose their lands and rich landlords finding ways to evade from paying tax (or pay less tax). With insufficient, government was not able to respond effectively to natural disaster. The "little ice age" during 17 century caused a drop in temperature. This shortened growing season, leading to poor harvest and famine which result in population decrease. Qing: * Population increased due to global warming lengthening growing season, new crop increase production. Advance in state organization which improves the delivery of relief in times of natural disasters. CCP: * 5 Year Plan implemented to increase the production of steel industry. Due to its success, Mao introduced the Great Leap Forward where focus more on agricultural industry, in increase the production of resources due to population increase. * People gathered together for collective agricultural activities, hoping that with intense labor, efficiency would increase resulting in food increase. * Harvest was wildly exaggerated with much of them rotting in field. Famine struck and huge shortage of food. 30 million died.
* To control population, Household Registration was implemented, aiming to have easy control and easy redistribution of population as well as labor resources. Those who work in cities whose resources were subsidized by government which initially contributed from farmers of rural areas. Those without permit was unable to exchange for food and education. * One Child Policy: Since Maos death, the government has worked hard to promote the one-child family. Targets have been set for the total numbers of births in each place, and quotas then assigned to smaller units. Young people have needed permission from their work units to get married, then permission to have a child. Women, who become pregnant outside the plan, if they do not manage to hide, face often unrelenting pressure from birth control workers and local cadres to have an abortion. 6. Write an essay in which you describe and compare how Chinese governments from the Ming to the present have attempted to both use and control elites. Focus your comparison on the late imperial system (the centerpiece of which was, of course, the civil service exam) and the PRC's policies. What are some of the key mechanisms by which these states tried to recruit, indoctrinated, benefit, and tame elites? Touch on strong points, weak points, similarities and differences. Ming: * The civil service examination system play a major role in literati life. Many would study just to pass the exam and obtain a official posts in government. * In giving everyone equal opportunity; examination was notable for their great social and geographical breath to prevent the education advanced region from monopolizing the civil services. It also helped dissatisfaction of other regions. * Ming added new tier to the degree system, government students (shengyuan) who qualified by passing a local examination, thus greatly expanding the numbers of degree-holders. * They were able to wear capes and sashes and were exempt from labor services. The titles gave them standing as community leaders and entry into educated circles. * Local elites were called for services in helping the small area locals. Building bridges, providing educations and even the safety of the areas. This gave them a sense of and achievements belonging to the areas that they served. Qing: *Kangxi patronized Chinese literati and made efforts to induce scholars to join the government, but also saw to it that bannermen dominated the government. * Each of the six boards was to have both a Chinese and a Manchu minister, and half the grand secretaries were to be Manchus. Regular provincial posts went mostly to Chinese, but the higher supervisory level, the governor-general positions, was filled by Manchus. *In 1898 when the empress dowager allowed her nephew, Guangxu emperor, to rule on his own, he called on Kang to help him step up reform. The emperor was soon issuing edict after edict ordering reforms in education, commerce,
government and the military. => After three months of this, Empress Dowager Cixi had had enough, fearing that the reforms would undermine the position of the Manchus, she locked up Guangxu and captured and executed those of the reformers she could find => direct control and oppression * In 1907, the Qing government approved a national system of womens education * Civil service examination was opened to women * Civil Service Examination was abolished in the later due to influence of western about everyone having rights to have education. * The changes made did not satisfied elites. Many think of more extreme reform as the Qing was not doing enough to rebuild the country with modern and suitable policies. * Elites became wild after influence from the western education and thoughts. They were not satisfied with the situation of the imperialism. They wanted for citizen equality. * Government was not able to control elites who help Nationalist overthrowing the Qing in 1911. PRC: *Many elites became the core members of the CCP. * At first violent land reform was adopted with communists killing landlords and elites, taking their land and redistribute them to the peasants. Many of elites were either brain-washed or afraid of being killed, gave up their lands and joined the party. * Great Leap Forward, government tried to gather the people for centralized labor. Giving them the sense of achievements and belonging by working together, making them to feel about being part of a nig family; be presence and participate in the honorable building of nation foundations. * Intellectuals were among the most enthusiastic supporters of socialism, seeing in it a way to rid China of poverty and injustice => brainwashed? * Enthusiastically volunteered to serve the new government in whatever capacity they could, and thousands who were studying abroad hurried home to se how they could help. * 1956 Mao called on the intellectuals to help him identify problems within the party, such as party members who had lost touch with the people or behaved like tyrants. Although most intellectuals were wary when they first heard Maos call to ,,Let a hundred flowers bloom, they lost their inhibitions as praise was lavished on those who came forward with criticisms. => The outpouring of criticism that followed apparently took Mao by surprise; he abruptly reversed course and angrily accused the critics of harboring rightist ideology and opposing the party * In the massive anti-rightist campaign that followed, half or more of Chinas tiny educated elite were stigmatized, ostensibly because of something anti-party they said during the "Hundred Flowers period, but actually often for no other reason than that unit leaders felt compelled to discover their quota of rightists. Red Guard was formed. They called those with peasants backgrounds as pure
while those of landlords as impure. * Old China had been dominated, culturally at least, by an elite defined by lengthy education; Mao refused to let that happen to new China. Those with higher educations had been put in their place: they were employees of the state, hired to instruct the children of the laboring people or provide technical assistance; they were not to have ideas of their own separate from those of the party of a cultural life distinct form that of the masses 7. The most important problem in Chinese history since the Ming dynasty (if not earlier) has been the struggle between the rich and the poor (and the closely related issue of the urban vs. the rural). Write a brief essay either agreeing or disagreeing with this proposition. Ming Dynasty Local officials found that legal sources of revenue were so limited that they had had no choice but to levy extra-legal ones to keep basic services going, leading to just the sort of abuses Taizu had wanted to prevent. Ordinary households, for their part, were often devastated by the burden of uncompensated responsibility for delivering taxes or maintaining local hostels for government travelers. Reforms eventually had to be introduced, which converted most obligations into a monetary tax. Guangzong let eunuchs collect taxes in the provinces, unconcerned with how they might tyrannize wealthy families By the mid Ming, lineages in some areas of the country were introducing elaborate systems to control and discipline members. Peasants lose their land and rich landlords find ways to minimize their tax payments Qing Dynasty Taiping Rebellion: great peasant uprisings in Chinese history. It was the conflict between the locals and the Hakka. The charismatic religious leader who mobilized the discontented of south China was a Hakka who had failed the civil service examinations, Hong Xiuquan, who interpreted himself to be Jesus younger brother after reading a Christian tract. PRC Typical struggle between Nationalists and Communists Rich VS. Poor. Chinese peasants lives were soon to be radically altered by the progressive collectiviaation of land and the creation of a new local elite of rural cadres. As the Communist Party took control of new areas it taught peasants a new way to look on the old order. Social and economic inequalities were not natural, but a perversion caused by the institution of private property; the old literati elite were not scholars, who acted according to elevated moral principles, but the cruelest of exploiters, content to pressure their tenants to the point where they had to sell their children. To replace that antiquated ,,feudal order, the party brought a vision of a communal order where all would work together unselfishly for common goals. For twenty years, the party had been redistributing land wherever it established. The party would send in a small team of cadres and students to a village to cultivate relations with the poor, organize a peasant association, identify potential leaders from among the poor peasants, compile lists of grievances, and organize struggles against those most resented. Eventually the team would supervise the classification
of the inhabitants as landlords. At times terror tactics were employed, especially to try to get those labeled landlords or rich peasants to reveal where they had buried their gold. Landlords and rich peasants faced not only loss of their land, but also punishment for past offences. Class struggle stage of land reform was the creation of a caste-like system in the countryside. Cultural Revolution was also having an impact in rural areas. In a manner reminiscent of the Great Leap Forward, those with bad-class labels again became scapegoats and extreme collectivism was pushed.
8. Finally, your last task in making sweeping generalizations with limited knowledge!! Compare the lives and status of women in 19th century China to their lives and status today. Why did 20th century politicians and governments try to change women's social and political status? Briefly discuss 3 key policies, movements, or historical trends that changed women's status or situation. Finally, do you think women's lives have overall, improved or gotten worse over the last 100 years in China? Of the many social changes of the early twentieth century, the most fundamental may be the changes in the family and womens roles in society. Assumptions about womens lace in society that had gone unquestioned for centuries came under concerted attack in the early decades of the century, and women began to participate in society in ways never before imagined. Political and intellectual revolutionaries of the early twentieth century all spoke out on the need to change ways of thinking about women and their social roles. Early in the century the key issues were footbinding and womens education. Womens seclusion and tiny feet went from being a source of price, a basis for asserting the superiority of Chinese culture, to a source of embarrassment. That foreigners pointed to footbinding as proof of the barbarity of Chinese civilization undoubtedly made modernizers even more determined to get Chinese to give up the practice. Opponents of footbinding described it as a gruesome custom that stood in the way of modernization by crippling a large part of the Chinese population => anti-footbinding societies were composed of men who would agree not only not to bind their daughters feet, but even more crucially not to marry their sons to women with bound feet. Female political activists even began to appear => Qiu Jin, a woman who became an ardent nationalist after witnessing the Boxer Rebellion and the imperialist occupation of Beijing. She left her husband and went to Japan, enrolling in a girls vocational school but devoting most of her time in Japan to revolutionary politics, even learning to make bombs. She also took up feminist issues. Schools for women were growing more and more common in this period. After 1920 opportunities for women in higher education rapidly expanded, and by 1935 there were more than 6,000 colleges, universities, and teachers colleges admitting women, resulting in a substantial supply of women as teachers, nurses, and civil servants in the larger cities Great Leap Forward: women had the opportunity to work for the family while their husbands worked in the ,,backyard steel furnaces. Due to Marxisms teaching, everyones equal. Intellectuals concerned with Chinas military weakness often suspected that its roots lay deep in Chinas culture and social customs. In their desire to strengthen China, many campaigned to bring an end to customs which, when compared to Western customs, seemed uncivilized and debilitating. At the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century, three of the customs that attracted particular reformist zeal were footbinding, opium smoking, and the sale of girls as bondservants. Compare women status in Qing/ current time. Personal opinion on the last question.