245 HST: Entities

What is the Tribute System of Foreign Relations?

The traditional Chinese diplomatic and economic framework through which foreign states acknowledged China’s civilizational superiority and political hegemony.

When did the Tribute System of Foreign Relations exist?

It governed East Asian foreign relations for over two centuries until it was dismantled by Western powers following the 19th-century Opium Wars.

What is the Tribute System of Foreign Relations significance?

China’s demand for ritual hierarchy and limited trade clashed with Western demands for free trade and equal diplomacy, leading to failures such as the 1793 Macartney Mission and eventual 19th-century wars. 

What is the Canton System of Trade?

A tightly regulated foreign trade system established by the Qing dynasty in the 1760s that restricted all European maritime trade to a single port.

When did the Canton system of trade exist?

1760s until 1842

What is the Canton System of Trade significance?

The system's tight restrictions and massive Western demand for Chinese tea created a severe trade deficit for Britain, prompting British merchants to illegally import Bengal opium into China to offset silver outflows.

What is the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace?

 a revolutionary, millenarian rival state that combined radical Christian-inspired theology with traditional Chinese rebel traditions. 

When did the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace exist?

1851-1864

What is the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace significance?

The regime attempted to enact sweeping socioeconomic policies—including land redistribution, gender equality, the abolition of foot-binding and opium, and the slaughter/expulsion of the ruling Manchus (whom they viewed as "demons").

What is the Second United Front?

The formal political and military alliance formed between the Kuomintang (GMD/Nationalists) led by Chiang Kai-shek and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) led by Mao Zedong to form a unified national resistance against Japanese imperial aggression.

When did the Second United front exist?

1937-1941

What is the significance of the Second United Front?

It temporarily halted the Chinese Civil War, allowing both parties to pool resources and forces (reorganizing Communist troops into the Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army) to fight the Japanese invasion.