CIVIL WAR

1
CIVIL WAR COMMUNISM
CHINA
2
We will cover

• China at the beginning of 20th century
• Reform movement led by Sun Yat-sen
• How China became a republic in 1911 and came
  under control of warlords
• Rivalry between KMT and the Communists
• Civil war in 1920s and 1930s
• Why Communists won the civil war and came to
  power in 1949
• Chinas relations with other countries during
  these years

3
China at the beginning of the 20th Century

• China was ruled by a Manchu emperor
• Manchus (from Southern Manchuria) ruled China
  since 1636 over 250 years
• Adopted the Chinese dynastic name of Qing
• Govt was autocratic run by many civil servants
  MANDARINS
• Much of China was owned by landlords often rich
  people with large estates
• Also many with smaller estates
• In their own areas, these landlords were very
  powerful
• Most Chinese were peasants living in the country
  side and working on the land

4
China at the beginning of the 20th Century

• They were usually under the control of their
  local landlord
• They had to work for their landlords
• Many lived in great poverty
• Famines occurred frequently because of bad
  harvests
• Millions would die at times

5
China at the beginning of the 20th Century

• Chinese empire was one of the largest in the
  world
• Contained many different peoples speaking
  different languages and dialects
• During 19th century Europe and US were
  militarily more powerful than China
• Took advantage of Chinas military weakness to
  force it to trade with them and to hand over
  bases, such as HK, along its coast, as well as to
  grant them special trading rights and concessions
• China, as a result, came into contact with
  western ideas and ways of life

6
Sun Yat-sen and his Three Peoples Principles

• Some educated Chinese began to criticize the way
  the China was governed
• Angry that Manchu rulers were unable to stop
  interference of Chinas affairs by western powers
• They were influenced by western ideas but wanted
  to use these to help China become a strong nation
  again
• Others were keen to improve the peoples lives
  but felt that the Manchus were incapable of doing
  so

7
Sun Yat-sen and his Three Peoples Principles

• The leading figure in this group was SUN YAT-SEN
• He wanted change based on 3 principles
• NATIONALISM
• DEMOCRACY
• SOCIALISM

8
Sun Yat-sen and his Three Peoples Principles

• NATIONALISM
• Freeing China from Western control
• Involve taking back the bases and territories
  they had seized
• Cancelling special privileges given to some
  European countries
• However, to SYS, nationalism does not mean
  gaining new territories and imposing Chinese rule
  on other countries, unlike the Japanese

9
Sun Yat-sen and his Three Peoples Principles

• DEMOCRACY
• Allowing the people, at least some of the more
  educated people, a say in how the country was
  governed
• Involved getting rid of the Manchus and,
• Turning China into a Republic

10
Sun Yat-sen and his Three Peoples Principles

• 3. SOCIALISM
• Not in the sense of communism
• Meant that reforms are needed to improve the
  peoples way of life
• Eg he was concerned that the landlords should
  treat peasants better
• Wanted peasants to have more land of their own

11
THE 1911 REVOLUTION

• SYS believed that change could only come about
  through revolution
• SYS support was mostly in southern China
• Here attempts to overthrow the Manchus began
• After a number of unsuccessful attempts, an
  uprising on 10 Oct 1911 DOUBLE TENTH was
  successful
• SYS quickly returned from exile in the US and on
  1 Jan 1912 proclaimed the creation of the Chinese
  republic with himself as President
• Known as the 1911 Revolution

12
THE 1911 REVOLUTION

• But Manchus were still in control of northern
  China
• They turned to a powerful army leader, Yuan
  Shih-kai to help them remain in power
• YSK was a firm believer in autocratic rule
• Had very different views from SYS
• However, YSK was shrewd enough to see that Manchu
  rule would not last long
• When SYS approached him for help to overthrow the
  Manchus, he agreed to join SYS to overthrow the
  Manchus
• YSK condition? To be installed as the new
  President!
• SYS held the office of President for only 6 weeks
  before handing over to YSK

13
THE 1911 REVOLUTION

• SYS also agreed to step down as accept YSK as the
  President of the new Chinese republic
• In 1912, YSK managed to get Pu Yi, the last
  Manchu emperor REMEMBER HIM? to give up his
  throne
• This marked the end of Manchu rule in China
• The KMT NATIONALIST PARTY OF SYS was very
  disappointed as YSK was even more autocratic than
  the Manchus
• Declared KMT illegal, dissolved parliament and
  took steps to declare himself Emperor
• Little seemed to have been gained