🏓History of Modern China Unit 7 – Qing Dynasty's Fall and the 1911 Revolution

Key Events Leading to Qing's Decline

• Opium Wars (1839-1842, 1856-1860) exposed Qing's military weakness and led to unequal treaties with Western powers
• Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864) was a massive uprising that challenged Qing authority and devastated the economy
  • Led by Hong Xiuquan, who claimed to be the brother of Jesus Christ
  • Established the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in Nanjing
• Dungan Revolt (1862-1877) and Panthay Rebellion (1856-1873) were Muslim uprisings in western China that further weakened Qing control
• Self-Strengthening Movement (1861-1895) aimed to modernize China's military and industry but achieved limited success
• First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) resulted in China's defeat and the loss of Taiwan and Korea as tributaries
• Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901) was an anti-foreign uprising that led to foreign intervention and further concessions

Major Reform Attempts

• Hundred Days' Reform (1898) was a failed attempt by Emperor Guangxu and reformist intellectuals to implement sweeping political and social changes
  • Supported by Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao
  • Opposed by conservative officials led by Empress Dowager Cixi
• New Policies (1901-1911) were a series of reforms implemented after the Boxer Rebellion to modernize education, military, and government
  • Abolished the civil service examination system in 1905
  • Established modern schools and sent students abroad for education
• Constitutional Reform (1905-1911) aimed to transform China into a constitutional monarchy
  • Provincial assemblies were elected in 1909
  • National assembly convened in 1910 but had limited power
• Military modernization efforts included establishing the New Army and naval academies
• Economic reforms encouraged private enterprise, railway construction, and modern banking

Foreign Influences and Pressures

• Unequal treaties signed after the Opium Wars gave foreign powers extraterritorial rights, trade privileges, and control over tariffs
• Spheres of influence divided China into regions dominated by foreign powers (Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Japan)
• Missionary activity increased, leading to cultural tensions and anti-Christian sentiment
• Western ideas of nationalism, democracy, and science spread through translated works and study abroad programs
  • Influential intellectuals included Yan Fu, who translated works by Darwin and Huxley
  • Students who studied in Japan were exposed to revolutionary ideas
• Foreign loans and investments led to growing debt and economic dependence
• Demands for railway concessions and mining rights undermined Chinese sovereignty

Revolutionary Movements and Leaders

• Sun Yat-sen emerged as a leading revolutionary figure and founded the Revive China Society in 1894
  • Developed the Three Principles of the People: nationalism, democracy, and people's livelihood
  • Organized uprisings against the Qing in 1895 and 1900
• Tongmenghui (Revolutionary Alliance) was formed by Sun Yat-sen in 1905 to unite anti-Qing groups
  • Included members from secret societies, overseas Chinese communities, and the New Army
  • Staged several unsuccessful uprisings, including the Huanghuagang Uprising in 1911
• Anarchist and socialist ideas spread among intellectuals, influencing figures like Liu Shipei and Zhang Binglin
• Assassination attempts on Qing officials and collaborators, such as the 1905 assassination of five ministers in Beijing
• Revolutionary literature and newspapers, such as Min Bao (People's Journal), spread anti-Qing propaganda

The 1911 Revolution: Causes and Course

• Railway Protection Movement in Sichuan sparked widespread opposition to Qing rule
  • Protests erupted against the nationalization of local railway projects
  • Qing suppression of the movement fueled anti-government sentiment
• Wuchang Uprising on October 10, 1911, marked the beginning of the revolution
  • New Army units mutinied in Wuhan and declared independence from the Qing
  • Revolutionary forces quickly gained control of the city
• Revolutionaries established the Hubei Military Government and issued a declaration calling for the overthrow of the Qing
• Provincial assemblies and military leaders declared independence, forming local revolutionary governments
• Qing court recalled Yuan Shikai to lead the Beiyang Army against the revolutionaries
  • Yuan negotiated with the revolutionaries and forced the Qing emperor to abdicate
• Nanjing Provisional Government was established in December 1911, with Sun Yat-sen as the provisional president

Aftermath and Establishment of the Republic

• Qing Emperor Puyi abdicated on February 12, 1912, ending over 2,000 years of imperial rule in China
• Republic of China was formally established, with Yuan Shikai as the provisional president
  • Tongmenghui and other revolutionary groups formed the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party)
  • Sun Yat-sen stepped down as president in favor of Yuan to ensure a peaceful transition
• Yuan Shikai's presidency was marked by political maneuvering and attempts to centralize power
  • Dissolved the Kuomintang and the National Assembly in 1913
  • Attempted to restore the monarchy with himself as emperor in 1915
• Warlord era (1916-1928) followed Yuan's death, with regional military leaders vying for power
• May Fourth Movement in 1919 marked a turning point in intellectual and political thought
  • Advocated for science, democracy, and cultural renewal
  • Gave rise to the New Culture Movement and the spread of Marxism

Legacy and Historical Significance

• 1911 Revolution ended the Qing Dynasty and over 2,000 years of imperial rule in China
  • Marked the beginning of China's republican era and the search for a new political system
  • Inspired by ideas of nationalism, democracy, and modernization
• Revolution was incomplete and failed to address underlying social and economic issues
  • Warlordism and political fragmentation continued for decades
  • Gap between urban intellectuals and the rural masses widened
• Paved the way for the May Fourth Movement and the rise of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party
  • Kuomintang, led by Sun Yat-sen and later Chiang Kai-shek, sought to unify China and implement political reforms
  • Communist Party, founded in 1921, advocated for socialist revolution and peasant mobilization
• Debates over the meaning and legacy of the revolution continue to shape Chinese politics and historiography
  • Official narrative emphasizes the role of the Communist Party in carrying out the revolution's goals
  • Alternative interpretations highlight the contributions of other groups and individuals

Key Figures and Their Roles

• Sun Yat-sen: Founder of the Kuomintang and the provisional president of the Republic of China
  • Developed the Three Principles of the People and led the revolutionary movement
  • Considered the "Father of the Nation" in both mainland China and Taiwan
• Empress Dowager Cixi: De facto ruler of the Qing Dynasty from 1861 to 1908
  • Supported the Self-Strengthening Movement but also suppressed reform efforts
  • Backed the Boxer Rebellion and resisted foreign influence
• Kang Youwei: Leader of the Hundred Days' Reform movement in 1898
  • Advocated for constitutional monarchy and Confucian reform
  • Fled to Japan after the failure of the reform movement
• Liang Qichao: Journalist, historian, and reformist thinker
  • Supported the Hundred Days' Reform and later advocated for constitutional monarchy
  • Influenced by Western ideas and promoted the "New Citizen" concept
• Yuan Shikai: Military leader and first president of the Republic of China
  • Commanded the Beiyang Army and played a key role in the Qing Dynasty's downfall
  • Attempted to centralize power and restore the monarchy
• Puyi: Last emperor of the Qing Dynasty
  • Abdicated in 1912 at the age of six, ending imperial rule in China
  • Later served as the puppet emperor of Manchukuo under Japanese rule