Unit 8: Two Revolutions in China: Liberalism and Marxism in a New Context
China experienced two revolutions in the 20th century which dramatically reshaped its social and political institutions. In 1911, nationalist forces overthrew the Qing Dynasty and established a republican government. Their experiment with democracy did not last long and the nation soon fell into anarchy.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the revolutionary Chinese Communist Party battled the Chinese nationalists for political control over major regions of the country. While they established a truce to respond to the Japanese invasion of China in the late 1930s, they resumed their civil war when World War II ended in 1945.
In 1949, Mao Zedong's communist forces defeated the nationalist forces and formed a communist government in China. As in Russia, the government imposed large-scale land reforms and dramatic industrial development. While these policies contributed to China's remarkable economic development, they also caused widespread suffering and the death of millions of Chinese citizens.
In this unit, we investigate how China's 20th-century revolutions altered the nation politically, economically, and socially. We also evaluate the international consequences of these revolutions for global history.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 7 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- provide a concise narrative of the republican and communist revolutions in China;
- analyze similarities and differences between the Marxist revolutions in Russia and China;
- compare the mechanisms of revolutionary violence which took place during the French, Russian, and Chinese Revolutions; and
- identify the ways in which the Chinese Revolution continues to shape global realities.
- provide a concise narrative of the republican and communist revolutions in China;
8.1: China: Social, Historical, and Political Background
Read this page, and carefully study the chronology at the bottom of the page.
Listen to this lecture. O'Brien provides the historical background necessary to understand political transformations that took place in China in the twentieth century. As you listen, focus on the following questions: what were the most important attempts to centralize China's government? How did the agrarian nature of Chinese society influence the forms of government that developed over time?
8.2: Xinhai Revolution and Its Failure: 1911-1927
Watch this lecture. Note that the lectures for this course have been moved to edX, so you will have to create an account there if you wish to view this lecture. If you do not wish to do so, you may skip this lecture. This lecture explains what models of government were of interest to Chinese politicians and political activists in the early twentieth century.
Listen to this lecture, focusing on the origins of the conflict between the nationalists and the communists.
Read this text to better understand the conflicts between the communists and the nationalists.
Read the introduction and the "Longer Selection" part of this 1918 text starting on p.3. How does Sun Yat-sen define various stages of a revolution?
Read both the introduction and the primary texts provided on this page. What were the most important goals and ideals of the cultural movement that came in the wake of the failed liberal revolution?
Read both the introduction and the primary texts provided on this page. What do these texts tell you about the experiences and mentality of Chinese Communists?
Read this article to learn more about the Japanese Invasion of China.
Read this article to learn about the final phase of hostilities between the Nationalists and the Communists.
8.3: Establishment of the People's Republic of China
Read these two articles. They provide the historical context of the establishment of the People's Republic of China and describe its early years.
Read this text to better understand Mao Zedong's personal background and his most important political goals.
Read the four selections from Mao Zedong's writings. How do the values in these texts compare with values expressed in Marxist texts you read while studying the Russian Revolution in Unit 7?
Read this page, focusing on the ways in which religious and secular worldviews came into conflict during the Chinese Revolution.
8.4: Consequences and Legacies of the Chinese Revolution
Read this essay. What is the main argument proposed here regarding the breakdown of Soviet and Chinese in 1966? What historical sources does the author analyze to support his argument?
Read this article. How was violence used by the Chinese government? How did Mao Zedong justify the use of violence against the Chinese people? How was his justification of violence different from that of other revolutionaries you studied in this course?
Read this text. What differences and similarities do you perceive between Chinese and Soviet versions of planned economy?
Read this article to better understand how Communism came into conflict with traditional Chinese culture.
Read this article. What is its main argument? What evidence is offered in support of this argument? Do you find the argument convincing?
Unit 8 Assessment
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.
- This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
- You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
- You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.