Essay On Qing Dynasty

Following the abolition of the Confucian Examination system and the collapse of the Qing dynasty in 1911, China intrigued by the “rise of new republics, rise of women’s suffrage, and the devices of referendum, recall, and industrial democracy provided the stimuli.” China was opportunistic that the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1911 opened up for educational reform and democratic initiatives. However, Radical ideas would be non-existent in China following the overthrow of the Qing and the short-lived republic. After Sun- Yat Sen was forced to vacate the presidency by Yuan Shikai in 1913, “China would sink into a dark domestic political scene after Yuan Shikai anointed himself Emperor of China in 1915.” The result was that the Chinese were not as radical following the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911 because most citizens were victims of an “oppressive ultraconservative and ruthless government.” Yuan Shikai’s seizure of political power after the collapse of the republican government …show more content…
Nationalistic sentiments and democratic initiatives under Woodrow Wilson inspired Chinese citizens that China could modernize and that a republic would flourish in spite of Yuan Shikai’s military dictatorship. Chow observes that “Wilson’s political idealism, and his guarantee of political independence of small states and self determination had great appeal to the Chinese.” Along with these new alignment with the United States in World War I , China was ambitious to join other Western powers. Spence claims that the thought process of aligning with France and Britain was the economic benefits for China. Spence explains,” that if the Germans were defeated, then strategically important German concession areas in Shandong could be reclaimed by China.” The result would be that China could stimulate economic and politically recovery from the small concessionary gains that it would obtain in a winning war