China post World War 1

• 1899 Boxer Rebellion had revealed the depths of strangling imperialism in China
  • Germany- Shautung
  • Britain- Yangtze
  • France- Indochina
  • Russia and Japan- Manchuria and Korea
  • US- anywhere we could find an "open door," which the Chinese see as an expression of imperialism
• The Xinhai Revolution
  • Problems with China
    • The Chinese see the Qing Dynasty as Manchurian interlopers.
    • After the Boxer Rebellion, the Manchus had attempted to modernize China on the Japanese model, but only succeeded in increasing China 's debt in imperialism.
    • China, plagued by foreign debt, had decentralized with the advent of imperialism.
  • The Kuomintang (KMT)
    • Russian influence in China is severely limited by the Russo-Japanese war in 1905. The Chinese secret society nationalists have been coalesced into a primary organization called the Kuomintang.
  • Dr. Sun Yat-sen
    • The founder of the Kuomintang is considered the father of modern in China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen from Hong Kong (on the Cantonese side of the Cantonese South vs Mandarin North)
    • Dr. Sun is educated in an American School in Hawaii and a Western POV. He graduates from Med School in Hong Kong, but eschews Medicine for politics.
    • Dr. Sun goes on a world tour and becomes the voice for China. In the US Sun is involved with Chautauqua and speaks about China while raising money for Chinese freedom from imperialism. He is the fundraiser for the KMT.
    • He will soon publish his lecture series under the title the Three People's Principles.
      • Livelihood
        • social welfare and economic self sufficiency since China is impoverished by imperialism.
        • China has little native capitalism and there is a need to remove foreign economic influence and allow the wealth of China to be reinvested domestically
      • Nationalism
        • Dr. Sun claimed that China is an ancient and advanced civilization but they are stuck in the past.
        • The Confucian values do not serve China well in the modern world
        • The Chinese have lived too long in the family and in the clan. They need to develop a national outlook. In other words, the Chinese people are all "a loose sheet of sand" that "needs to become a solid unit."
      • Democracy
        • UMS, but leadership by the oligarchy, like the Philosopher-Kings
        • He favors a Republic but sees some value in Marxist, but is not a doctrinare Leninist.
        • Sun also thinks that there are positive elements in capitalism outside of Imperialism, but China has its own Volksgeist and will develop a unique form of Democracy.
  • In 1911, the KMT will overthrown the last Manchu emperor, Pu-yi (5 years old) in what is called the Xinhai Rebellion
• Dr. Sun is proclaimed the President of the Republic of China, but is faced with many problems
  • Warlordism
    • local power brokers with private armies who collect and keep traditional taxes.
    • they fight other war lords for territory and defy the central government.
    • Dr. Sun feels China would be better served if he resigned in favor of a military leader.
  • North South tension
  • China also faced increasing threat of a strong militaristic Japan.
    • Dr. Sun sees that perhaps he is not best suited to unify China, so he turns the Presidency over to General Yuan Shih-Kai who is a Mandarin authority in Army.
    • The Mandarin ex imperial General Yuan Shih Kai has eyes on the Emperor's throne
• World War 1
  • The advent of World War 1 greatly decreases the influence of Europeans such as the British, French, Russians, and Germans in China, but increase the power of Japan and the US who rush in to capture the Chinese markets.
  • Japan, entering WW1 as the ally of Great Britain, seeks only to conquer and possess German colonies in the Pacific and most importantly the large German concession (exclusive market) on the Shantung Peninsula.
  • Japan has already has a large sphere of influence in Manchuria and a formal colony in Korea, both from the Russo-Japanese War in 1905.
  • By Early 1915 Japan has conquered and defeated the Germans on Shandong.
  • Japan wants to keep Shantung and takes advantage of Europe's preoccupation with World War 1 to expand their position in China.
  • In early 1915, Japan issues an ultimatum to China called the 21 Demands. 5 groups of demands were placed before China who is still shaky from the 1911 government change.
    • Japan wants China's recognition of their control of Shantung, in addition Japan demands further economic and sphere of influence position on the peninsula.
    • The South Manchurian Railway that goes to Manchuria and natural resources lease extended for 99 years. Japan wants an expanded right of way around the railway with the ability to protect with Japanese troops.
    • They also want an expanded sphere of influence in Manchuria that goes beyond the treaty of Portsmouth as well as a sphere of influence in adjoining Inner Mongolia
    • They demand settlement rights with extraterritoriality
    • Bans China from granting further concessions without Japanese approval
    • Control or ownership of Hanyeping industrial/ mining complex in lieu of Chinese debt to Japan
    • China must hire Japanese consultants to oversee China's finances and police force. Japan gets the right to build/own 3 more railways.
    • Japan is also allowed to build Shinto and Buddhist temples and schools in China
    • DAYUM
  • Yuan Shih-Kai (who might be collaborative with Japan?) agrees to the first 4, much to the chagrin of Dr. Sun, who establishes a rival government to Beijing in Canton. Southern China devolves into a civil war.
  • Both the British and the US are unhappy with Japan's power grab in China. The US negotiates the Lansing-Ishii Agreement in 1917, which confirms Japans expanded position in Manchuria while re-affirming the Open Door Policy.
  • Japan's continued or growing imperialism further destabilizes China.
• Growing mistrust of Japan by the US and their ally GB after 21 demands
  • Treaty of Versailles will divest Germany of Asian concessions and island colonies
  • China at Paris in 1919 pleas for an end to concessions, unequal treaties etc, citing Wilsonian Idealism.
  • Treaty of Versailles will confirm Japan's control of Shantung Peninsula and refuse to end economic imperialism due to high British and French foreign debt to the US.
  • When news of Versailles reaches China, there is a series of bloodshed and violent breakout called the May 4th Rebellion, intensifying the civil war.
  • At the same time Lenin and the Soviets renounce all imperialist treaties and concessions between China and the old Tsarist regime, "Who's your friend?"
  • The Soviets aid the KMT and Dr. Sun. Yuan Shih-Kai is associated with imperialism rival Japan.
  • Lenin sends a veteran Revolutionary and long time friend of Dr. Sun to China whose name is Borodin.
  • He is the front man for Comintern and aids China financially and militarily in 1921/ The Chinese Communist Party forms. In 1923 the KMT and the CCP merge