The Chinese Communist Revolution   Term Paper ID:27391 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Discusses the structural factors from the late 19th century through the mid 20th century that laid the foundation for the Communist Revolution in China.... More...

5 Pages / 1125 Words 1 sources, 4 Citations, MLA Format $20.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Discusses the structural factors from the late 19th century through the mid 20th century that laid the foundation for the Communist Revolution in China. Paper Introduction: The Chinese Revolution in 1949 altered the structure of Chinese society both in the immediate by shifting from the previous regime to a Communist system and in the long term in efforts to alter the degree to which Chinese traditions would be followed or changed. The long term change included modernization of the economy and a shift. The effort to change Chinese society began before the Revolution, with the efforts of the Communists first to attract people to their cause and second to make that cause understandable as a force which would empower the people and lead them to revolution. After the Revolution, efforts at changing society were undertaken in a more methodical and all-inclusive manner, and many traditional institutions were either dismantled, prohibited, or downgraded in the effort to modernize and to bring about a new political and social attitude on the part of the peopl Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. This was one of the reasons for Mao's developing hisrural strategy for the Chinese revolution. Sources of Chinese Tradition: Volume II. Protestant missions opened animpressive number of intermediate and high schools and colleges. After the Revolution, efforts at changing society wereundertaken in a more methodical and all-inclusive manner, and manytraditional institutions were either dismantled, prohibited, or downgradedin the effort to modernize and to bring about a new political and socialattitude on the part of the people. The Russian revolution was a model, and Mao attended thefounding of the CCP in Shanghai in 1921 and organized the Hunan branch.Two parties developed in the 192 s, the CCP and the KMT (Kuomintang). Wang calls for a complete revision of society and not merelythe adoption of Western ways. The new schoolsalso faced competition from Christian missionary schools. (De Bary, Chan, and Tan 279)Mao does accept those aspects of the past that he finds admirable butstructured his new rule on specific ideas of Communist thought. This involved more thansurrounding the cities from the countryside, and instead it became acomplex and interdependent synthesis of military, political, and economicelements, utilizing techniques of guerrilla warfare. The new intellectual class would become part of theeffort to change. Schools came and went during this period. He also supported a new orthodoxy that rejectedmuch of Chinese tradition, and there is little concern about this breakwith the past: As Mao puts it, the past is of little concern; the important thing for Chinese Communists is to look to the future. It also favored decentralization to stimulate local growth andinitiative and to direct the transferral of resources. This let in new blood while retaining the essentialform of the old system, at least in the final step. TheChinese model as scholars have identified it is really a Maoist model withthe following elements. These examinations led to power and socialrecognition, and all formal education would be determined by theirrequirements. As thedynasty decayed, it became apparent that new leadership was needed. A new system was indeed developed in terms of how to train and selectleaders, one that was a compromise to effect the changes wanted whileassuaging the old guard. The key to revolutionary success for Mao was absoluteideological commitment to the collectivist, egalitarian, participatorysociety. Second, the model sought all around development with anemphasis on the agricultural sector, in keeping with the rural policies ofMao. Work CitedDe Bary, Wm., Wing-Tsit Chan, and Chester Tan. (De Bary, Chan, and Tan 61)The slow shift of reform produced the environment that would later beseized by revolutionaries leading to the Chinese revolution of 1911, andagain Western influences would be strong. Mao showed great hostility for Confucianism and a contempt forreligious superstition. The long termchange included modernization of the economy and a shift. He finds that the mental life of China was then in greater fluxthan at any other time since the era of the Chou. Added to the concern over Western ideas was the defeat of China in theSino-Japanese War. The Chinese Revolution in 1949 altered the structure of Chinesesociety both in the immediate by shifting from the previous regime to aCommunist system and in the long term in efforts to alter the degree towhich Chinese traditions would be followed or changed. It was necessary to train thousands of teachers for thesenew schools, and there were costs in terms not only of training but ofequipping the facilities. Change had been institutedfor some time as Chinese society moved away from the Confucianism of theManchu era to the revolutionary period beginning in the early 193 s. TheKMT-CCP United Front had formed first and then divided into the twoseparate units. After 1895, this Western invasion increased and became more a part ofthe scene in China, with the establishment of new schools that combinedboth Western and Chinese subjects. (Sun 113) Mao's thought developed during the early years of this decade, aperiod of great turmoil, with growing conflict between traditional Chinesethought and new ideas from the West. During the last decade of the dynasty,however, massive changes were made leading to new beginnings. A hierarchy of schools was created at all theterritorial levels of government parallel to and feeding into the oldexamination system. Theold leadership was failing, and a new system was instituted to assure thatleaders were adequately trained. The period of the Late Ching dynasty was a period of change. Theconsequence was that students who had been made to feel a need forincreased education sought it in Japan or the West, frustrated with thefailures of the system in their own country. Such concerns are expressed by Hsueh Fu-Ch'eng and Wang T'ao, both of whom are concerned with reform, clearly areaction to the perceived failure of the existing system. The generation in charge at the turn of the century hadhad its confidence shaken by these and other events, and this may haveprovided the opportunity for change in the Hundred Days of Reform in 1898: Yet it also created a deeply felt need among educated Chinese somehow to be reassured that China's cultural identity would not be wholly lost amid these changes--a need which the reformers themselves felt more acutely even than those who opposed them. It is clear that between 1894 and 1945, great changes took place ingovernment, the economy, religious life, and education, literature, andlanguage. He wrote in support of the idea of popular sovereignty, forinstance, with direct reference to the American system: Such a government will be the most complete and the finest in the world, and a state with such a government will indeed be of the people, by the people and for the people. New York: Columbia University Press, 196 . Sun Yat-Sen was not whollyWesternized, but he did derive ideas from earlier Western revolutionarymovements. TheChing dynasty had been in collapse for some time, and the efforts of noneof the traditional realms was managing to support the dying system or evengive it a new sense of life. In particular, this meantthere was no interest in the thought or attitudes of other intellectuals inother countries, particularly those in the West, so when Western ideasinvaded China, the intellectuals were not equipped to handle it. This indicatesone of the major influences that was becoming more and more a part ofChina, and that was the Western influence. The system naturally produced elites because it was gearedto do so, the incentives were for admission into the elite class, and thesystem was maintained by existing elites for the replenishment of theirnumber. The system did notwork as planned because it was cheaper to take the traditional route tooffice than to take the new route of years of schooling. The old civil service examinations wereabolished in 19 5, and this ended the structure that had molded Chinesethought for so long. China's intellectuallife up to 1895 was shaped almost entirely by the civil serviceexamination, further evidence that intellectuals were seeking governmentposts and little else. Mao became an active local leader inthe May Fourth Movement of 1919, and he retained his revolutionary fervor.However, he also became convinced that what was needed was more than massenthusiasm, and also required was an organization of dedicatedrevolutionaries. It is alsoevident from the writings of Hsueh Fu-Ch'eng that one of the sources ofdiscontent was the recent arrival of Western forces and Western influences,and Hsueh sees a reason for adopting some Western ideas in order for Chinato compete: Western nations rely on intelligence and energy to compete with one another. Some traditional institutionspersisted in spite of Communist efforts to stamp them out, while otherareas of the society were changed completely. The KIT was allied with the warlords andwas thus stronger militarily than the CCP, leaving the CCP struggling inthe rural areas. The effort tochange Chinese society began before the Revolution, with the efforts of theCommunists first to attract people to their cause and second to make thatcause understandable as a force which would empower the people and leadthem to revolution. These efforts had varying results andwere of varying degrees of effectiveness. (Fu-Ch'eng 53)Wang T'ao makes some of the same points and calls for change under the nameof Confucius. To come abreast of them, China should plan to promote commerce and open mines; until we change, the Westerners will be rich and we poor. First, the model aimed at national independenceand self-reliance. Mao had encouraged peasant activities against landlords,and this had hastened the split. The system produced people who thought alike and behaved alike andwho had little time to develop on their own. Third, the modelemphasized the use of mass mobilization and participation as techniques forachieving social, economic, and political goals, the "mass line" approach.Fourth, the model insists on continuing the revolution, arguing thatrepeated and possibly violent struggles are necessary to avoid restorationof capitalism. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.