Modern Chinese History - Essay Example

Modern Chinese History Part I Moa advocated for a strong state ruled by brutal and somehow aggressive leadership. Mao emphasized on legalism to attract strong leadership, strict centralism, rigid authoritarian controls and structured system of punishment and laws. In this perspective, legalism that he introduced in the government aids to increase state control over its people through strict punishment to maintain law and order. The perspective increased the collective wealth and the wellbeing of the Chinese. In his essay, in 1912, Mao appreciated that to overcome darkness and ignorance in China, a willful, heroic, strong, and violent leadership has to be integrated in the definition of governance (Schell 203). In 1917, Mao, through his writing in Chen Duxiu’s New Youth magazine, acknowledged and enhanced personal strength through physical exercise as a critical element to realize national strength. According to him, self-strengthening programs that advocated for training led to the introduction of modern schools and arsenal. To achieve National and personal strength, he acknowledged that it does not only arise from physical effort, but also the will to acquire and preserve. He argued that a strong leadership and physical prowess merely depend on the will of the individuals to act heroically (Schell 205). These notions intertwined with Confucius teachings help to shape the beliefs and behavior of the nation. Although some individuals despised his concepts and ideas, he demonstrated, taught, and inspired Chinese through his writing through his publications. These writings were effective in cultivating moral standard inspired by truth. This resulted to eruption of May Fourth Incident in 1919, where individuals demonstrated. A movement by the name May Fourth movement emerged with a collective desire to liberate China and cultivate a new Chinese culture (Schell 207). It targeted to change the political system of the country to make it flexible to accommodate further changes that may occur in the future. Although the movement did not have a clear objective, they opted to attract good governance even though it shall be through violent and harsh manner. The group appreciated the concepts that Mao taught in Chen Duxius, New Youth. According to the movement, direct violent among other political actions are fundamental ingredients for revolutionary action. After working for a longer time in the university library, Mao Zedong returned home in 1920 to form a study group. The group discussed Marxism and socialism ideologies. Within the group, he emphasized on the concept of Marxism especially the historical materialism that described history and dynamics of developing history. In this perspective, they understood how history moves from one stage to another, “from slave to feudal to capitalist to socialist to communist propelled from stage to stage by classes struggling for control of the means of production” (Schoppa 184). Mao and May Fourth incident encouraged cultural changes as a foundation of meaningful political changes. Chen, Li and other objected to attract political changes through creation of a strong political party as a revolutionary tool. Masses of poor peasants in china understood and appreciated Mao’s words of “overthrow the feudal power." With the support from indigenous people and communist revolution, Mao began a new political life. This movement, according to Mao focused on turning the China’s greatest weakness, Chinese poor individuals, into the crucial strength. In the forty-pages report, “Report on an investigation of the peasant movement in Hunan” that was submitted to the Chinese Communist Party, Mao appreciated the strength of peasant movement in attracting revolution. Mao headed the revolutionary movement. He created a cognitive image of revolution in people’s mind in order to help them understand the impending struggle. He appreciated that a revolution is characterized with violence and an uprising whereby one group attempt to overthrow the existing body of power. He developed views on the need for totalistic and violent uprooting of the traditional culture and society of Chinese. According to him, the stagnation of the Chinese political movement and success of the political party created to oversee revolution was due to traditional culture. Creative destruction was, therefore, an ingenious perception to eradicate unnatural and unhealthy economic structure. The traditionalists in their own capacity have denied China a healthy and dynamic state. He, therefore, disrupted the established order with his most celebrated philosophy of creative destruction. With the main thrust of Russian support, Mao together with other communists formed a political party army by the name Red Army in 1911 (Schoppa 175). The army repelled over both Nationalist forces and invaded Japanese troops. With the inaccessibility and remoteness of Yan’an, Mao resulted in political triumph and military viability. After returning to Changsha, Mao took an active role on May fourth activities and founded his own journal by the name the Xiang River Review in the summer 1919. Although the authority including institutions frustrated him, Mao advanced his political goodwill through writing. Mao turned Chinese into a reading culture in order to attract modernization and revolution. In an attempt to inspire youths in his hometown, he organized a branch of the Socialist Youth Corps in January 1921. The mandate of the group was to enrich each other on the Marxist ideologies of the economy social and political aspects. He was one of the two Hunan representatives chosen to participate in the first party congress of CCP in July 1921 (Schoppa 224). In the preceding years, he participated in numerous reformist activities in the communist party including organizing labor strikes in Hunan. The party provided grounds to advance his understanding to as many Chinese including peasants and political party leaders. In 1923, he joined the Guomindang and was elected as a substitute affiliate of the central executive committee at its First party congress. In 1925 and 1926, Mao organized local Chinese peasants into associations. He served in Canton positioning himself as the director of the significant Farmers’ Movement Training Institute (Schoppa 224). The movement was effective in assembling the potential and efforts of peasants in encouraging and advocating for the revolution. In the late 1927, he went back to Hunan to determine the potential of the revolution by peasants. Although Mao was not in the party’s military decision-making hierarchy, he headed as the chair of the Soviet Republic’s government when the Red Army was defeated in 1933. Mao’s rise to power was characterized with bloody and harsh conflict. In the early stage of Mao’s political struggle was “an ideological crusade of sort." Mao Zedong and his troop engaged in several conflicts, which included imprisonment and sometime massacre of hundreds of Chinese. In this perspective, Mao was action-oriented and did not only preach the gospel about liberty and revolution but also exercised his ideologies and concepts. In 1927, he worked closely with Zhu De who was passionate about doing the right things to making people happy. Mao Zedong was one of the giants in the 20th century in both hometown, Hunan province, and nationally. Since the enactment of CCP, Mao has worked in different capacities and exercised his leadership traits and intellectual competence in numerous leadership positions. He was a commander of Red army and owned the Xiang River Review magazine in 1919 (Schoppa 227). All this efforts contributed to nationalization and modernization of the Chinese culture and government. Part II Modern nationalism adopted in China was accelerated by publications and revolutionary literatures taught in schools among other social institutions. In this perspective, nationalism actively promoted was not necessarily the state patriotism as the Qing planned it but also is focused on loyalty to the dynasty. Syllabus was, therefore, altered to define monarch known as an emperor in china, as the head of the country. Nationalism and patriotism were major topics taught to students in different levels of education including first-year primary school and tertiary level (Schoppa 92). Nationalism created distinction between foreign people and Chinese people. The code of dressing demonstrated this difference. Chinese men wear a long gown, and queue while foreigners used to wear Japanese and European dress. In 1912, the government declared western clothes with height of fashion as the official dress for the country. Western dresses were adopted as the appropriate clothes to be used for formal public occasions. The government encouraged the republican activities to be conducted with prime respects including the code of dressing (Schoppa 93). Students and teachers wear western attires such as western-style jacket and trousers when bowing to the national flag. In an attempt to enhance nationalism, a patriotic song was composed and was periodically run in schools. The song emphasized on empire and dynasty. It continued to be used under the republic since it was cohesive and appreciated one state governed and ruled by structured government and constitution. In order to enhance nationalism, the government encouraged students to read in order to save China. According to various writers, nationalism objected to safeguard and nurture national wealth to ensure it profits local individuals. The translation and adoption of Mandarin Chinese in schools increased the understanding of local students on various national issues. Nationalism concept led to convergence of languages in China into a common national language under one dynasty. The international and national laws were taught in schools and other institution in Chinese. National language was a sense of unity and enhanced the relations within the country. Authors and publishers adopted the move by the national government and led to formation of the new schools (Schoppa 151). The structure of the government and constitution, which governed the behavior of both rulers at provincial and national level as well as individuals was in Mandarin Chinese. Although the central government considered it problematic, the sense of civic responsibility and sense of belonging was realized. Nationalism through the new education system therefore increased the participation of students into the affairs of the government. However, students among other young people exploited the education and abandoned other work to learn the management of public affairs. Some argue that young people used to flock at newspaper vendors and almost block others from participating in the national affairs, as the law requires them such as paying taxes. Nationalism encouraged inclusive participation of the national development and in the creation of solid governance. After the 1911 revolution, women became fundamental participants in the creation of republic. Shanghai women donated jewellery for revolutionary cause in numerous public meetings. Women were no longer excluded from actively engaging in politics (Schoppa 161). Just like men, women marked themselves as citizen of the new republic nation. It reversed the symbolism of status. They were not restricted to traditional concepts including restriction in the domestic sphere. Conversely, the modern customs that created republican citizens were restricted to urban elites. Work cited Schoppa, Robert K. The Columbia Guide to Modern Chinese History. New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 2000. Print. Schell, Orville, and John Delury. Wealth and Power: China's Long March to the Twenty-First Century. N.p., 2013. Print. Read More