Nationalism in China & Japan

I. Appeal of Communism in Asia

A. Many in Asia felt that Marxism was irrelevant b/c it was based on an overthrowing of capitalism and they supported nationalism and religion

B. Lenin and the Bolshevik rise to power proved to Asians that a corrupt system could be overthrown and replaced by a Marxism

I. Appeal of Communism in Asia

C. 1920, Lenin began a program of spreading Communism to non-Western countries

1. Remove colonies from capitalist powers to weaken imperialist power – raw resources/material goods kept capitalism alive

2. Many of the nationalist leaders in colonial countries were against possible egalitarianism

3. Working with nationalists, Communist parties established with help of nationalist & middle-class - overthrow capitalist imperialist powers and traditional leaders– afterwards Communists takes power

I. Appeal of Communism in Asia

4. 1919- Lenin formed the Communist International, or Comintern, to spread Communism – trained agents from around the world and then sent them back to their countries

D. Lower middle class/intellectuals attracted to Communism - felt Marxism could modernize society and remove the colonial powers, and provided a “here and now” secular ideology – many tried to adapt it to traditional thinking

II. China

A. After Sun Yat-Sen’s failed Revolution of 1911, the president of the new Chinese republic was Yuan Shikai, a man who had the support of the military – Yuan was a dictator

B. Yuan Shikai and Sun’s party, the Guomingdang (Nationalist Party) split – Nationalists launched a failed rebellion

Primary Source: Yuan Shikai

II. China

C. Peking University intellectuals studied Western models and writers because they believed that change could not come until Chinese shed tradition and brought in Western values and institutions

1. New Culture Movement – stress on Mr. Science and Mr. Democracy

2. No real support outside of urban areas

II. China

D. Japan attempted 21 Demands (Japanese expansion into China)– at Paris Peace Conference, former German territory in China given to Japan for supporting the Allies in WWI

1. 21 Demands rejected – reduced to 13 and accepted

2. May 4, 1919- May 4th Movement – Protest of students and urbanites in Beijing over China’s acceptance of the Paris Peace Conference terms

Primary Source: May 4th Movement

II. China

E. Two Political forces in China1. Nationalist Party of Sun Yat-Sen allied with

Guangdong (Kwangtung)2. Chinese Communist Party, CCP, formed in 1921,

supported by the Comintern

F. Nationalist Party and CCP joined together to defeated Westerners and drive out colonizers and stop warlords in China

1. Joined together for the Northern Expedition of 1926 to seize Chinese land

II. China

2. Sun Yat-Sen died in 1925 - Chiang Kai-shek came to control the Nationalist Party and tried to destroy the Communists in 1927, breaking their alliance and sending the CCP into hiding in Shanghai and in the mountains of Southern China

a. Young Communist Mao Zedong led Communists into hiding in the mountains

b. Mao gained the support of the peasants and believed in peasant revolution

Chiang Kai-shekChiang Kai-shek Mao ZedongMao Zedong

Primary Source: Chiang Kai-shek & Mao Zedong

II. China

G. The Nanjing Republic1. Founded in 1928 in Nanjing by Chiang Kai-shek

a. Based on Sun Yat-Sen’s Three People’s Principles (nationalism, democracy, livelihood)

b. Wanted to take China to the final stage of constitutional government

c. Appealed to Westernized middle class, not peasants – programs like land reform that would appeal to peasants weak

II. China

2. New Life Movement, 1934, championed Confucian values of integrity, propriety, righteousness, and hard work; also rejected Communism and individualism/Western greed

A. Confucian ideas no longer appealing to many – traditional system had failed

B. Founded an underground fascist style society of personal followers called the Blue Shirts

II. China

3. Programs challenged by Japanese and Great Depression4. Industrialization slow, a lot of money going to the

military, most of the money in the hands of the elitea. Mechanization began to replace manual laborb. Textile industry growing

H. The Long March1. 1934-1935- Chiang Kai-shek surrounded Communists in

southern China, including Mao’s People’s Liberation Army

2. Communists sent on a long march 200 miles north to Yan’an with Nationalists chasing them – of 90,000, 10,000 survived

Map- The Long March

II. China

I. Social changes1. Rejected of Confucian filial piety and subordination

of women2. Women demanded right to choose mates and careers3. Progressives wanted to end the hold of traditional

‘duty’4. Western literature, fashion, and culture become

popular in urban areas

5. Little changed in villages where women stayed largely subordinate, duty was emphasized, and marriages were arranged – conservatives wanted to retain tradition

III. Japan

A. Taisho Democracy1. Health of Emperor Taisho Yoshihito was poor – shift

from genro to the Diet and democratic parties2. Beginning of military control in Japan – army and

navy outside of the Diet, answered directly to Emperor – if they did not get what they wanted for the military, they’d resign from the cabinet (headed by the Prime Minister) and it would collapse

a. Privy Council, the advisory board of the Emperor, made of up genro/oligarchs

III. Japan

b. Emperor sacred and public expected him to be ‘apart’ from politics

3. 1925- Universal male suffrage granted and labor laws begun – military budget reduced

4. Marxist labor movements and militant nationalists who wanted to reject Western models of development caused trouble

Primary Source: Emperor Taisho

III. Japan

B. Zaibatsu Economy1. Economy strong – rich in exports2. Zaibatsu were financial cliques, essential

monopolies, made up of already existing companies and enterprising samurai

3. Economic dichotomy- modern industry vs. traditional small scale manufacturing

4. Zaibatsu supported political parties and political representation – tension between zaibatsu and military

III. Japan

C. Shidehara Democracy1. Pre-WWI- To find markets and raw materials, Japan

seized territory in Taiwan, Korea and Manchuria – West concerned by Japanese aggression

2. Washington Conference, 1922- “Four Power Pact” and the “Nine Power Pact,” Open Door Policy in China, Naval Limitation Treaty of 5 : 5 : 3 : 1.75 : 1.75

3. Increasing demand for resources from industry – China seen as a solution – Kwantung Army stationed in China became more aggressive

4. Japanese government more military and ultranationalist

Primary Source: Washington Conference

Traditional JapanTraditional Japan New JapanNew Japan

Primary Source: Japan in Transition