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Period: 100 to
Confucianism created class inequalitites that eventually made the peasantry turn to communism Long Term Religion ( Youwei Grand Commonality)
Confucianism was around for thousands of years before Communism rose in China. The values instilled prevented peaseants from ever moving up in wealth, and women from being treated equally. Both eventually turned to communism as a way to finally become equal, but again, it takes time Conufcianism divided society, creating divisions where women shall not, "refuse to perform domestic duties whether easy or difficult" (Zhao Lessons for Women) and where there's,"division by noble and base" (Youwei). -
Period: 101 to
Confucian values part 2
Confucian values also made China opposed to trading with foreign countries. The result was the heavy restrictions on trade with "barabaric" western nations that created great conflict, whcih caused defeat after defat for China. If it wasn't for the Confucian belief system, China never would've subjected themselves to such punishnment by western nations, and consequently, never would've felt obligated to learn western ideologies. -
Period: to
China's view on westerners restricted development and causes militray defeats Long term imperialism
During this large timespan, the belief that western ideas were barbaraic didn't lead directly to the rise of communism, but it did allow China to eventually be defeated by Japan, which makes the country accept western ideas like communism
China restricted trade with western nations because they thoight of themselves as the center of the world. This made them vulnerable because they created conflicts via the Canton system with western nations that gave them excuses to wage war and guide China. -
Communism was created by westerners Karl Marx and others who would go on to greatly influence China Long Term Politics and economics
Communism's inception wasn't immediately embraced in China. It was only after China tried to accpet western ideas to catch up with the world did they accept communism.
Politics and economics: Once China eventually brings communism into its world, the idea takes traction due to the economic strcuture of the country. There was a large peasant class and house wives that could look to communism and see it as a chance at equality. The only way communism comes to China is if it's western. -
Marx part 2
If Communsim orgininated Africa, then China never would have become exposed to it through imperialism or studying aborad becasue they focused on Western ideologies and technologies, so it was important that Karl Marx was European. -
Losing the Shimonoseki War to Japan made China want to adopt western ideas Long term Imperialism
After the defeat in 1885, China wanted to undergo a westerinzation similar to the Meji Restoration in 1868, but members of the Empire, most notably Empress Cixi prevented China from completely accepting western ideas, until Sun Yat Sen took over in 1908, making this a long term cause. By retaliating when Japan claimedt he Liuqi islands in 1879, china gave Japan an excuse to wage war. China repsonded by people such as Zheng Guofan wanting reform, which led to the eventual acceptance of Communism -
The Shanghai Purge created a choice between fighting your country, or figting for your country in China, long term nationalism
The purge is a long term cause becasue, while not that far away from the meteoric rise, it didn't directly cause the CCP to rise. It did however, lead to citizens with a sense of Nationalism choose the CCP over the Guangmindang. If they were still united, it wouldnt have mattered that the CCP was closer to the front in Ya'nan in the near future. -
Period: to
The Communist party's promise of land and equality to the peasantry and women brought citzens running to join the CCP Short term Economics
When CCP officer's asked housewife Wang Quanyuan,"why do the landlords have so much land , while you have none?" she joined the party right then and there (Sun Drain the Pond 11). The same goes for the many who read Mao Zedong's "The Economy of New Democracy'" where he claims that," a rich peasant economy will be allowed in rural areas" (Mao New Democracy). The promises cause women and peasants alike to join immediately. The CCP offered economic prosperity for those who couldn't obtain it. -
The Guomindang weren’t focused on defeating the japanese, so Nationalists Chinese citizens joined the Red Army instead Short Term, Nationalism
By not focusing soley on erradicating the Japanese from Manchuria, the Guomindang army wasn't an attractive option for a person who wanted to fight for their country, so they turned to the CCP instead, resulting in a rapid rise in numbers.
Many Chinese citizens held a sense of Nationalism during the early-mid 1900's, eagerly wanting to untie against the Japanese, it was this sense of Nationalism that brought them to join the Red Army more than anything else -
Period: to
Yan'an was close to the frontline so people who wanted to fight Japan joined them Short Term Nationalism
Being close to the front line had both a direct and immediate result in the rise of the Communist party. Those who wanted to fight the Japanese had to join Mao, and the numbers reflect it:"membership in the party rose from 40,000 in 1937 to 1.2 million in 1945" (China since 1644 197). Citizens wanted to come together to fight as a nation against the Japanese and the only army offering that was the Communist party, causing the party size to increase dramatically.