Imperial rule in China collapsed and resulted in civil war for a multitude of reasons. These include the unstable financial and economic situation and the opposing values and beliefs between those with different views. After the Revolutionary alliance (later known as the KMT or Kuomintang) overthrew the Qing Dynasty, Sun Yixian hoped to establish a modern government based on “The 3 Principles of the People”. These principles encompassed nationalism, people’s rights, and people’s livelihood. Unfortunately, Sun lacked the necessary military support and authority to secure national unity.
Imperialism Over Asia and Its Impact Shirley Hughes HIS: 351 Asia in Age of Decolonization & Globalization Professor, Holly Heatley November 7, 2011 Imperialism Over Asia and its Impact The advances in technology, agriculture, transportation, communication and more importantly military weapons gave Europeans the power to impose on other countries either by force or the threat of force. China suffered from unbalanced treaties after rebellions failed due to the Unification of European forces along with Japanese forces. China was forced into signing, while India suffered through the methods of divide and conquer, pitting the indigenous Hindu’s and Muslims against one another leaving the door open for British control. Japan with its military might and its aid in fighting with the allies during WWI was viewed as a great power. Japan’s industrialized economy needed resources, which Japan believed they could obtain through the same methods of imperialism.
Under these precarious conditions, the empires borders were left less guarded. Another similar internal factor was the corruption in both Rome and Han China. The government in Rome was an Emperor and a senate which was like a dictator and a law making body. Many of the emperors of Rome like Marcus Aurielius who spent more money than he had for military campaigns. The Han had very similar political corruption with the Han Dynasty.A further similarity between the fall of the Romans and the Chinese was externally.
Tang and Song Dynasty The Han Dynasty declines in the A.D 200’s and china separates. In 600’s a young general names Tang Taizong came to power and created the Tang Dynasty, which lasted from 618-907. The Dynasty built a vast empire very quickly. Tang rulers forced Vietnam, Korea, and Tibet to be their tribute countries. They stayed independent, but in order to do that they had to pay tribute or extra tax money.
Principles of Warfare HS215 Great Commanders Principles of Warfare The Chinese Nationalist party took a very hard line against the communists, and went on a campaign of eradication starting in 1927. The Communist movement was almost extinguished, if not for the spectacular military leadership of Mao Zedong. He developed an army that could be loved and relied upon by the people. The innovative battlefield decisions he made kept the Red army not just alive but successful against a much better equipped and larger force. I believe that if Zedong had commanded the Confederate troops during the American Civil War, Sherman would not have stood a chance.
Anonymous Person Mongol Essay Following the invasion of Mongols into Song China in 1260 CE, many aspects of traditional Chinese culture, such as the reordering of the social hierarchy and challenge to the Confucian way of thought, had been radically altered by the end of the Yuan Dynasty. The Mongol’s century-long interlude brought about many changes to China’s centuries-old social structure. Traditionally, artisans and merchants were looked down upon and placed at the bottom of the hierarchy simply because they conflicted with the Confucian way of thought with the aristocracy and the scholar-gentry resting at the top. When Kubilai Khan overtook the government, he promoted commerce and the arts, pushing the merchants and artisans to the top of the social structure, thus resulting in a loss of power for the scholar-gentry. His refusal, despite many Chinese officials’ futile efforts, to reinstate the examination system to administrative office, further weakened the scholars’ power by restraining their political involvement and keeping them below the Mongols in the social order.
The Sui Empire was not able to maintain their authority in China because they could not support the massive undertakings in military expansion and public works that was required. This overextension led to the transition to the Tang Empire. The changes in this period of Chinese history was the reunification of China, and the massive public works projects that they undertook including the Grand Canal, irrigation projects and improvements to the Great Wall. The continuity that took place during this era was a return to the Confucian state philosophy and the strong political influence of the Buddhist philosophy. In 618 the powerful Li family ended Sui rule and created the Tang Empire.
Monsterbuffalo Professor James Brooks Jessup History 116D 20 November 2011 New Money Acts Funny Having been left behind by the rest of the industrializing world, China in the late nineteenth century quickly saw the need to position itself once again in the realm of world powers. Following a long period of struggle against foreign powers, differing governing parties and ideologies, and even against its own classes, China finally began its road to becoming a leading world power through the capitalistic reforms that took place after the end of the Great Cultural Revolution in 1976. While the Gross National Product and the standards of living saw incredible leaps, the gap between the wealthiest percentage of the population and the average poor remained the same, if not further widened. On top of this booming economic progression, China's society as a whole experienced the clash of technological advancement and an evolving social standard. As a result of the capitalistic economic reforms, the change of the social norm could not keep up with the pace of quickly advancing technology, resulting in a society rich with capability and resources, but lacking the social progression to realize its potential.
The British government retaliated with much force, resulting in Chinese defeat, which then forth became the Treaty of Nanking. The Treaty of Nanking is labeled as one of the “Unequal Treaties” for many reasons. When Britain implemented the Treaty of Nanking, much of the life that China knew would soon be no more, the island of Hong Kong was forced over to British ownership and control, rights were taken away, tariffs implemented, and the destruction of Opium by Lin caused a six million dollar “refund” to England. Since China was a closed nation, with an old-fashioned way of life and military technology, this caused a great disadvantage for them, trying to fight against what British was doing to their country. China had no say or control to what Britain was doing to them, and no way of fighting back or retaliating.
What if foreign armies had decided not to involve themselves in the Taiping Rebellion? The Taiping Rebellion was a huge rebel group organized mainly by Hong Xiuquan that was initiated to rebel against the Qing dynasty Chinese government. This rebellion was the largest peasant revolt in Chinese history (BGE). It began in the province of Guangxi and was led by millenarian Christian leader Hong Xiuquan (Taiping Rebellion). After several victories and captures of cities by the Taipings the Chinese government eventually got tired of it and sent out for help from the west.