The conditions of China in 1936

Cities in 1930s China: 'Golden Decade'
List 2 main points for advantages w/ evidence
example of city

e.g. Shanghai, Guangzhou

enterprise of Chinese businesses

→ manufacturing industry e.g. cotton as major export

→ development transport infrastructure

e.g. 110,000 highways in 1936 → businesses ↑

Western medicine + missionary societies→ educational provision for primary and secondary school children increased

Conditions for majority in countryside in 1930s China: 'X Golden Decade'

Education & healthcare (traditional Chinese) inaccessible
Despite X in 1912, foot binding for girls continued→ symbol of status to imitate ↑ classes
concubines w/ lo w status kept by rich men
traditional farming methods + depression 1931-5
peasants heavily taxed

not so golden decade

foreign capital dominated major industries in treaty ports
1928-30 famine: 6 mil died in China
China Development Finance Cooperation raised capital w/in China but profits went to gov not to industry as intended

Earlier examples of growing anti- Manchu, Chinese nationalism
(Manchu- Qing dynasty)

1919 May Fourth Movement: protest Paris Peace Conference
1926-8 Northern Expedition

Northern Expedition

1926-8
Jiang launched military campaign
→ defeat warlords & GMD as only gov.

1928 PIVOTAL: defeated Beijing warlord Zhang Zuolin
→ new capital Nanjing

demonstrated Golden Decade (1927-37)

Why was the Northern Expedition successful?

- 30 May incident in 1925: British force killed 13 Chinese demonstrators who were protesting against Japanese shooting
→ popular discontent against foreign powers
→ exploited GMD + CCP cooperation (before turning on CCP)
e.g. Mao: United Front organiser in Hunan→ linked to peasant associations (rural self-protection organisations)

Sun Yat-sen's Three People's Principles

1) Nationalism- sovereign state
2) Democracy
3) People's Livelihood
compatible w/ CCP?

Why 3PP Nationalism: Japan expansion in China due to unequal treaties

extra- territoriality: exempt from jurisdiction of local law
- opened 48 Treaty Ports: exploit mineral resources, set up factories
- 1919 Versailles Peace Conference: Japan given permanent control over German concession areas in Shandong province by allies whereas China had 2 seats
→ demonstrates internal & international weakness to Japan, endorsed by West

→ May Fourth Movement

- 1932 established independent puppet state Manchukuo in Manchuria + expanded into Inner Mongolia- forces used to suppress retaliation
- foreign powers gave loans to Chinese gov→ control China's customs revenue from trade for repayment→ ↓ gov funding

+ warlords:
Sun prompted cooperation of Comintern w/ CCP
→ reunite China against warlords

3PP Democracy

long-term plan:
1) X old political system→ unite under 1 gov
2) political tutelage: one-party dictatorship established under Organic Law 1928
3) democracy

national, X personal

3PP People's Livelihood

socio-economic reform

protect native, gov- owned enterprises against foreign
- vague ideas: Left wing of GMD proposed land reforms, greater democracy, equalisation of tax burden, autonomous mass organisations for peasants workers & denounced Jiang's autocratic leadership→ gain mass support
→ no progress under Jiang: felt threatened→ 1928 suppression of left wing e.g. leader Wang Ching-wei removed
most GMD made up of local elite, merchants + businessmen, rather than expanding base of support
- exploitation continued: local administrators taxed peasants over landlords + kept tax revenue
- X property rights extended to peasants

Blue Shirts?
Why did Jiang establish Blue Shirts?

Inspired by fascism: Mussolini's Blackshirts + Hitler's Brownshirts
→ imitate nationalism (unity: single party & leader)
- Confucian-like order + hierarchy

→ Jiang established Blue Shirts: paramilitary group mainly from Whampoa involved in X Communists & New Life Movement

Jiang's ideology

propagated humble upbringing w/ parallels to Confucian sage Mencius
subscribed to 3PP
Chinese nationalist, anti- Manchu
but, links to USA & West
military training
- Third Reich sent military advisors to train Nationalist forces→ modernise army
- military expenditure never below 40% of gov spending→ priority

GMD ideology at surface: supports idea of 'Golden Decade'

1928 regained control over customs revenues
1934 New Life Movement began→ inculcate neo-Confucian virtues
1929 promulgated decree to protect Rights of Man
1924 GMD constitution based on 3PP
reality: Leninist democratic centralism- power in leaders
- created Opium Suppression Bureau→ "X drugs trade"
- created GMD's Central Political Institute: trained future leaders of China w/ loyalty to Jiang, anti-imperialism + anti-communism (i.e. X CCP as part of GMD)

political reforms
- 1936 National Assembly to replace Provisional Constitution
- election of headmen in towns—> widening base of power

GMD ideology in practice: not a 'Golden Decade'
What does this demonstrate?

- 1927 White Terror: 5000 communists + sympathisers killed
→ GMD established Nanjing as central gov.
→ demonstrated end of United Front w/ CCP
- reality of New Life Movement: harassment to change habits
- political assassinations
1926- leader of left GMD killed- not wang
reality of OSB: → gangsters allowed to continue drugs trade when profits illicitly shared w/ GMD→ fund political activities: corruption
- extreme political suppression demonstrates Jiang's fear of rebellion
- can be interpreted as 'political tutelage'→ accepted

- headmen mostly appointed by magistrates in practice
→ lack of civil rights
- many warlords only accepted GMD rule if private armies kept

Threats to GMD rule

- warlords w/ autonomy in own regions
- CCP survival in base Yan'an
- Japanese expansion into Manchuria + extraterritoriality

Jiang's political skill + e.g.

political patronage e.g. cause divide between subordinates
→ X unity in opposition, held power of appointment
e.g. Green Gang: Shanghai criminal organisation attacked communists + trade unionists→ leader 'Big Ears Du' appointed general in army

Jiang military

1923 military training in Moscow
1924 led Soviet-funded Whampoa Military Academy→ loyal allies→
1925: leader of GMD, Commander-in-Chief of National Revolutionary Army

Why was Jiang's marriage beneficial?

married Soong Mei-ling
- educated in + links w/ USA
- sister 1 married to Sun Yat-sen
- sister 2 married to T.V. Soong (rich financier w/ Harvard degree→ USA links)
→ Jiang wanted modernisation using Western ideals

Why did GMD ideology have popular mandate for rule, despite no elections?
Also 3 reasons for success of White Terror

City industrialists supported anti-communism + foreign trade, anti- trade unionism
Middle class close w/ military, opposed social rev. in CCP
Links w/ Shanghai gangsters + triads (secret services)

Landowners & wealthy peasants in countryside

Once CCP crushed, Jiang's next steps

censorship
education system controlled
1934-5: radical students arrested