7.1 Shifting Power: Key Ideas and Events

Shifting Power: Key Ideas

Internal and External Factors Leading to Change After 1900

  • The early 1900s saw intense rebellion against authoritarian governments in countries like Russia, China, and Mexico.
  • Revolutionaries challenged existing political and social orders, leading to the collapse of established empires by the century's end.

Revolution in Russia

Context

  • By the early 20th century, Russia lagged behind Europe, the US, and Japan in power and wealth.
  • Internal issues included slow industrialization, lack of education for the peasantry, and governmental resistance to political reform.
    • Example: Tsar Nicholas II's refusal to acknowledge push for civil liberties.

Key Internal Challenges

  • Poor economic base weakened military and international standing.
  • Major defeats:
    • Crimean War (1853-1856): Loss to the Ottoman Empire, aided by Britain and France.
    • Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905): Defeated by Japan, marking the first major military victory of an East Asian power over a European one.

Key Events Leading to Revolution

  • Bloody Sunday (January 22, 1905): Peaceful protest for rights ends in violence; approximately 1,300 killed.
  • Revolution of 1905: A general strike leads to attempted reforms from the tsar but is severely repressed.
  • World War I: Conscription exposes military weaknesses and leads to civilian hardships due to food shortages.

Bolshevik Revolution

  • In 1917, the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, seized power, advocating for workers' ownership of production and abolishing private trade.

Upheaval in China

Context

  • The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) faced significant internal and external challenges changing its power dynamics.

Internal Challenges

  • Ethnic Tension: Qing rulers (Manchus) were viewed as illegitimate by the Han majority.
  • Famine Risk: Population growth outpaced agricultural production, leading to vulnerability to disasters.
  • Low Government Revenues: Failure to modernize the tax system stunted infrastructure development.

External Challenges

  • Germany's and other European powers' economic encroachments undermined the Qing authority. Trading constraints at Canton led to resentment from the Chinese.

Revolution and Legacy

  • In 1911, the Qing was overthrown by Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary movement, who proposed The Three People's Principles:
    • Democracy: Governance by trained experts.
    • Nationalism: Loyalty to central authority.
    • Livelihood: Address wealth disparities.
  • Sun’s inability to consolidate power led to warring factions and instability, while his party, Kuomintang, later engaged in a civil conflict with Communists.

Transformation of the Ottoman Empire

Decline of Power

  • By the early 20th century, the Ottoman Empire had a faltering economy and insufficient agricultural exports.

Young Turks

  • Reformers who sought constitutional changes and promoted Turkification to unify diverse ethnic groups under Islam.
  • Economic frustrations led to a secret alliance with Germany during WWI.

The Rise of Atatürk

  • Mustafa Kemal leads the Turkish National Movement, defeating occupation forces in 1921.
  • Proclaimed the Republic of Turkey in 1923, implementing reforms that secularized and modernized Turkey, such as:
    • Public education expansion.
    • Women's suffrage.
  • Ruled as a dictator until death in 1938.

Power Shifts in Mexico

Context

  • Mexico had a longstanding dictatorship under Porfirio Díaz, favoring foreign investments and the elite.

Revolutions and Outcomes

  • In 1910, political opposition grew, igniting the Mexican Revolution after Madero’s arrest.
  • Key leaders included Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, who focused on land redistribution.
  • The revolution caused up to 2 million deaths and concluded with:
    • Constitution of 1917: Established land reforms, universal suffrage, and public education.
    • Formation of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in 1929, which dominated Mexican politics until 2000.

Key Terms by Theme

  • CULTURE: Ethnic Conflict, Turkification
  • GOVERNMENT: Politics (Bolshevik, Communists, Young Turks, Mexican Revolution, PRI)
  • GOVERNMENT: Leaders (Sun Yat-sen, Kemal Atatürk, Porfirio Díaz, Francisco Madero, Pancho Villa, Emiliano Zapata)

These notes cover the essential changes in political power across several states during the early 20th century, highlighting internal and external factors contributing to revolutions and resulting national reforms.