Continuity and Change in China 1911-1976
Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: Regional History or Period History
Forum Name: East Asia
Forum Discription: The Far East: China, Korea, Japan and other nearby civilizations
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=30691
Printed Date: 27-Apr-2024 at 21:13
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.56a - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Continuity and Change in China 1911-1976
Posted By: madengineer
Subject: Continuity and Change in China 1911-1976
Date Posted: 25-Nov-2011 at 23:30
Hey all, new member here, and i'm in abit of a pickle.
I'm doing an essay on Continuity and Change in China from 1911-1976 and i
cant seem to find much on continuity for that time period. I thought of
Communism as one, which i suppose is a big topic, but i need atleast 2.
For change, i have:
laws and regulations regarding peasants and landlords which i suppose is also communism.
the abolishment of foreign exploitation
change in traditions and social order meaning marriages, structure of the home etc.
Declining class structure (poverty)
and equality between men and woman
If anybody could point me in the right direction of even just a single topic that would be continuity, that would be great!
Thanks!
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Replies:
Posted By: Nick1986
Date Posted: 26-Nov-2011 at 17:25
Hang in there. Do you have access to online journals like JStor?
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Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains!
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Posted By: Nick1986
Date Posted: 26-Nov-2011 at 19:05
One "continuity" is China's patterns of growth, stagnation, decline and rebirth. It was a nation shaped by frequent revolutions, the last of which occurred just 50 years ago. Like Russia's Stalin, a strong leader like Chang Kai-shek or Mao Zedong was needed to unify the people, put an end to the internal conflicts, and drag China into the 20th century. At the popular-level, however, most peasants clung to their ancient beliefs, even after the Cultural Revolution:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6-9FSrYgpgYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=cultural+revolution&hl=en&ei=-GjRTuyaIMKmhAfhtrmqDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=cultural%20revolution&f=false - Cultural Revolution
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AjBX_gBhnI0C&pg=PR8&dq=china+revolutions&hl=en&ei=kGjRTpndN8Gx8QPtkP3YDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CFkQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q&f=false - Modernisation and Revolution in China
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Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains!
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Posted By: Nick1986
Date Posted: 26-Nov-2011 at 20:55
Here's something else i've found that could be considered a continuity. Mao, like Stalin, admired the early Chinese emperors and modelled himself on them.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=sAOHE8xK4OEC&pg=PA122&dq=mao+emperor&hl=en&ei=-JfRTpX7B4HV8QOTwrX3Dw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CD0Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=mao%20emperor&f=false - Private life of Chairman Mao
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Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains!
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Posted By: Nick1986
Date Posted: 26-Nov-2011 at 21:01
Tell me Madengineer, what other periods of history interest you? One thing i've always found helpful is to look at well-researched topics with clear trends and attempt to identify similar patterns in my own research. If you can get hold of any Chinese primary sources translated into English you can use them to prove your point
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Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains!
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Posted By: madengineer
Date Posted: 27-Nov-2011 at 03:56
I've got a pretty big fascination with ancient histor, (Aztecs atc)
With this topic i didnt get the choice. Its for an assignment (which i'm currently failing) :S
Hence the help needed. I've read the Private Life of Chairman Mao. I used it as a strong reference point for my first essay (Maos role as an Individual in china) which i got quite high marks on. The only problem that i'm having with this Continuity and Change essay is trying to find Continuity. :(
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Posted By: madengineer
Date Posted: 27-Nov-2011 at 04:02
Some of my other reference material includes
The cambridge Companion to Modern China ( Overall useful)
Analysing the Chinese Revolution (Big part of first essay) Trevor Sowdon
Revolution by K.J Mason and F.J Marriner ( very usefull for overall info)
A History of Asia N & V Rajendra (Usefull over all info)
More refined materials include Mao: The unknown Story, Was quite a good read focusing on what Mao was about (To some extent) and the Private Life of Chairman Mao. Both those references i used to form my argument about Mao, showing the pro/con side from both books. (They were both biased to an extent)
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Posted By: Nick1986
Date Posted: 27-Nov-2011 at 19:15
It's a pity i don't know more about the subject, but maybe someone like Lirelou can help? Stick around and keep an eye on our latest topics. Something useful is bound to come up
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Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains!
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Posted By: madengineer
Date Posted: 28-Nov-2011 at 00:38
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Well i'm hoping somebody else can help out asap. I've gotta sit the exam on Thursday :(
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Posted By: Nick1986
Date Posted: 28-Nov-2011 at 19:01
I don't know if this is of any use to you, but you could say ordinary people continued to follow traditional beleifs, in spite of the cultural revolution. Some even worshipped Mao as a god, similar to earlier deified heros like Guan-Yu, Confucius or Buddha
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jwauBJ1MWl0C&lpg=PT58&dq=popular%20beliefs%20communist%20china&pg=PT57#v=onepage&q&f=false - Religion in China
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=cPzY-ieGCvcC&lpg=PP1&dq=china%20religion&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false - China Quarterly
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=iqjviY6aFloC&lpg=PA128&dq=mao%20worship&pg=PA128#v=onepage&q&f=false - Mao Cult
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Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains!
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Posted By: Nick1986
Date Posted: 29-Nov-2011 at 19:01
Sorry if this is a bit late, but i've found a couple of things on Jstor. The Communists built upon the early aims of the Nationalist regime to modernise China:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2158891 - Kirby, Continuity and Change in China
http://www.jstor.org/pss/2010014 - Bedeski, Evolution of Modern China
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Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains!
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Posted By: longbaby
Date Posted: 26-Oct-2012 at 01:28
Mao's top 10 stunning lines:
As Mao's speeches after 1949 are publicized more and more, he has got a new nickname nowadays: IBM (International Big Mouth lol)
1. "This is not a plot. This is an open plot".
-----In 1957, Mao asked non-communists to give the advice to the Conmmunist Party. Afterwards, he convicted them as rightists by their speech. So he commented on his "trap" triumphantly in this way. This is the only line here which was made public when he was alive.
2. "You needn't to be sorry. You Japanese should be credited. If you hadn't started the Sino-Japanese War, how could we Communists have become strong? How could we have grabbed the power? We should be grateful to you. We would not ask for any compensation from you."
------In 1975, when the Japanese PM said he was sorry for the Sino-Japanese war, Mao said this.
3. "How arrogant your are! If I move a single finger, you will be overthrown!"
------In 1967, when Liu Shaoqi, the then National Chairman, implied he wanted to end the cultural revolution, Mao said this.
4. "If all people are starved, all would die. We could starve half Chinese to death and thus let the other half alive."
------In 1959, Mao said this on a secret conference in Shanghai when China was shadowed by an imminent huge famine.
5. "Isn't the position of Vice Premier and Minister of Defense still not enough for you?"
------In 9156, Mao said this to Peng Dehuai when the latter wanted to resign the job of Minister of Defense.
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Posted By: heyamigos
Date Posted: 13-Nov-2012 at 05:13
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One thing that never change is the fear of authority, money oriented (this seems to be imbedded in Chinese culture/mentality though), intolerance of imperfection (Koreans/Japanese seem to be more extreme in this matter, holdover from Confuncianism).
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