Modern China: Tribulations & Resistance

Chapter 1: The Chinese Nation's Tribulations and Resistance After Entering Modern Times

• Focuses on the decline of Chinese feudal society and the rise of world capitalism
• Highlights the Opium War's significance as the start of modern Chinese history

Key Concepts

• Decline of Chinese Feudal Society: Characteristics and contributing factors
• Development of World Capitalism and Colonial Expansion: Impact on global power dynamics
• The Opium War: Turning point, leading to the opening of modern Chinese history
• Nature of Modern Chinese Society: Shift towards semi-colonial and semi-feudal status
• Class Relations in Modern China: Changes in social structure and emergence of new classes
• Main Social Contradictions and Historical Tasks: Internal and external challenges facing China
• Western Powers' Aggression Against China: Methods and consequences of foreign intrusion
• Struggles Against Foreign Armed Aggression: Resistance movements and their outcomes
• Reasons for the Failure of Anti-Aggression Wars and Lessons Learned: Analysis of shortcomings and historical insights
• Awakening of National Consciousness: Growth of patriotic sentiments and movements

Important Figures/Events

• Lin Zexu: Pioneer of modern China who advocated learning from the West
• Wei Yuan: Compiled "Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms"
• The "Learn from the strengths of foreigners to counter foreigners" idea, proposed due to China's situation
• Unequal Treaties: Treaty of Nanjing as the first in a series of agreements that granted concessions to foreign powers

19th Century China

• The United Kingdom rose as the dominant power with their powerful naval forces, gaining control over the seas
• China gradually descended into a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society, becoming a distorted appendage of the capitalist world system
• The basic economic structure of Chinese feudal society was a small-peasant economy
• The primary feature of Chinese feudal politics was a highly centralized autocratic monarchy
• The Opium War was triggered by the British colonists' widespread opium smuggling into China, aiming both to gain huge profits and reverse trade imbalances, poison the chinese people
• The initial establishment of a concession by Western invaders in China occurred in Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Tianjin.
• The signing of the Treaty of Nanjing opened up treaty ports such as Guangzhou, Fuzhou, and Ningbo

Key Treaties and Their Implications

• The Treaty of Shimonoseki permitted foreign investment in China, furthering economic control
• The Boxer Protocol allowed foreign troops to be stationed in the Beijing Legation Quarter and along the route from Beijing to Dagukou, solidifying military control

Impacts of Imperialism

• Massive outflow of silver, creating fiscal problems & monetary hardships for the people
• Rise of a proletarian class and a national bourgeoisie
• China's historical tasks now included both national independence and the people's liberation, with national independence as a focus
• The Russian Empire exploited situations to take Chinese territory (over 1.44 million sq km) via treaties like the Treaty of Aigun and the Supplementary Treaty of Beijing
• The concept of "natural selection" and "survival of the fittest" was introduced to China.

Early Resistance Movements

• The Taiping Rebellion opposed the Qing Dynasty with the goal of overthrowing the emperor
• Despite demonstrating their power, the revolutionaries failed as they were surpressed.
• The Self-Strengthening Movement sought to adopt Western technologies, but it would ultimately fail because it was confined.
• The establishment of the Society for Naval Studies occurred due to the Self-Strengthening Movement.

Chapter 2: Early Exploration of National Roads by Different Social Forces

• Emphasis on the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and its revolutionary program, along with subsequent events
• Analysis of the Self-Strengthening Movement and early reformist ideas

Taiping Revolution Highlights

• "The Land System of the Heavenly Dynasty": Early program with egalitarian elements.
• Hong Xiuquan and Yang Xiuqing emerged during the Taiping Revolution.
• The Taiping Revolution had a major historic meaning and served as a revolution to support the peasants
• Peasant revolts expressed desires for land and challenged traditional authority, weakened the Qing dynasty

Self-Strengthening Movement (1860s-1890s)

• Launched by officials to modernize military and industry to strengthen China
• Introduced Western technology but did not change China's political and social structure

Early Reformist Ideas

• Wang Tao, Xue Fucheng, Ma Jianzhong, and Zheng Guanying advocated Western-style political and economic reforms
• Failed and did not challenge Qing rule

Emergence of New Social Classes

• China's defeat in the Sino-Japanese War intensified calls for broader changes