Yuan Shikai: Modernizing China's Leadership & Military - Essay Sample

Introduction

uan Shikai was an influential politician in the history of China, who had a crucial influence in shaping China's leadership and military. He established an efficient and stable provincial government in North China during the final years of the Qing dynasty, also known as the Machu dynasty. The renunciation of Emperor Xuantong, paved the way for Yuan Shikai to effect these changes. He also succeeded in forming the first modern China army and through peace talks with revolutionaries, "he became the first president of the Republic of China in 1912" (Zhang 39). Following his election as China's first official president, he was actively involved in transformation and modernization of trade, education, and court systems and also unifying China currency.

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The warlord period was from the year 1916 to 1928. At the death of Yuan Shikai in 1916, warlords then filled up the power vacuum following his demise. Regional upheavals spread throughout the country as a result of the Chinese revolution. It rapidly devolved into a "countrywide ruin of the then-known Warlord Period" (Han 2). This era is typified by national disintegration that resulted in different regions, each ruled by influential local leaders. At this time, local leaders ruthlessly struggled for power, and the fight would later birth the Nationalist and Communist parties. However, according to Han, the warlord era ended when Nationalists who allied with Moscow Comin tern and the Chinese Communist Party marking the "end of The Northern expedition in 1928" (3).

What was the May Fourth Movement, and why was it Historically Significant?

May Fourth Movement was an anti-imperialist political crusade on 4th May 1919, caused by protesting students in Beijing. It led to the formation of radical individuals who mobilized farmworkers into the Communist Party and in turn, the party grew its organizational power and influence. The May Fourth Movement significantly marked the beginning of Chinese conventional democracy versus feudalism and colonialism. Also, the "Cultural Reform Movement was one of the revolution's manifesto" (Zhang 38).

What was the Long March?

The Long March, October 1934 -October 1935 happened during the civil conflict between the Chinese Nationalists and the Communist Party. It was an epic retreat, approximated 6,000-mile walk by the Chinese communists who relocated from their southern revolutionary bases to northwestern China, led by Mao Zedong. They took their fight to the Nationalist forces, under Jiang Jieshi's leadership. The Long March was a "defining moment in the civil war and the advent of Chinese communism" (Mutchler et al. 37).

When and Where did the Japanese Launch their Invasion of China?

The Japanese invasion of China, commonly referred to as The Second Sino-Japanese war started on 7th July 1937 till its end on 9th September 1945. It was a military battle near Peiping in North China between the Japanese Empire and China Republic troops. Anderson believed that the Japanese resented fascism, and they opted to attack China (161).

Why did the Nationalists fail, and the Communists succeed in the Chinese Civil War?

The Chinese Civil War

China experienced an appalling revolt between 1911 and 1945. Resistance against the reign of warlords hence the onset of the China Civil War fought by the Nationalists under Chiang Kai-Shek's command and Communists led by Mao Zedong and Japanese invaders. After the defeat of the Japanese during World War II, a full-scale civil war flared up again the following year. This time, the Chinese Communists reinforced by the United States and the Communists by the Soviet Union. Unfortunately for Chiang and the Nationalists, having more troops than the communists, lost the war and forcefully evicted from the mainland and made for the Island of Taiwan.

The absolute rottenness of Chiang's regime. The Nationalist regime was a haven of inept and shady military officials. The military commanders tended controlling independent armies and even fought amongst themselves for food and armament supplies. At times, the corrupt officials would trade the food stock meant for their troops translating to a starved and weak nationalist army. According to Lai, Chiang was a self-imposed dictator through his directives were often disregarded (73). He failed at reuniting Chinese Nationalists in a bid to win the ugly war against the Communists.

Chiang's call to wage war in 1946 against the Communists was indeed costly since it caused derailment China's economic progression. Lee was certain that all the treasury reserves from tax collections and investments were channeled to the war instead of the public's interests (30). Because of all these frustrations instigated by the Nationalist government, civilians increasingly lost faith in it. The Chiang's reign exploited and oppressed the masses and as a result, caused "unison of the unreceptive public and fueled their detest for Nationalist's manifestations" (30). Protests became more rampant mainly by students and the elite. Regrettably, Chiang's was to contain the volatile situation was to by ordering assassinations and mass arrests by the police. These actions indirectly favored the Communists for it grew their loyalty base.

The fiscal strength of Chiang's administration faded more during the war period. Apart from the enforced coercions, Nationalist government under Chiang's directive, issued paper currency in a strive to sustain its expenses. Again, this triggered a more significant problem of inflation, resulting in stagnation and discontent of the country's economic growth.

Chiang's Poor military training and coordination. When it came to strengthening and expanding the army base, Chiang was so weak at it. A handful volunteered to back his fight, and because of this, many soldiers were kidnapped and forcefully recruited. These soldiers, including their recruits were ill-trained and mostly famished. Unlike Chiang's divided armies, Mao's commanders were devoted to the Communist philosophies. They formed a modern military that was easy to command by regrouping their small guerilla groups and in a blink, surpassed the uncoordinated Chiang's armies.

The Communist military heads treated their juniors with more respect than the Chiang's soldiers got. They were also motivated and unified under a disciplined central command.

The Communist subjective strength. On the other hand, Communist cohorts thrived on the Nationalist's failures. Their leader Mao concentrated on winning over the hearts of the oppressed peasants. Mao's strategy of reclaiming grabbed land and returning to the peasant workers was a big plus to firming up the Communist Resistance. The commoners were desperate and extremely bitter of the inhumane tyranny of Chiang's government and are their only hope, looked up to Mao for help. This was the core foundation of Communist radical strength.

Support from the Soviet Union. Even though the Soviet Union had backed Chiang's administration as the legit government, and surrendered significant cities as well as mines to them, in Manchuria. Most of the factories were in bad shape. The towns and mines returned to Chiang were of no use to his, and the Nationalist cause consequently drained the already scarce resources trying to safeguard them. Lee stated that the Soviet Union equipped the Communist troops with plenty of army supplies taken from Japanese (31). This act aided the Communists to live and take control of mines, villages, and cities that were in Chiang's territory. In addition to this, the old peasant ways of battle were unexpectedly upgraded with the new weapon shipment. Having received heavy artillery and technical support from the Soviet Union, the Communist had nothing standing in their way to victory.

Works Cited

Anderson, Eugene N. "The Mongol Conquests of China and Korea and Invasion of Japan." The East Asian World-System. Springer, Cham, 2019. 159-170.

Han, Enze. "The Chinese Civil War and Implications for Borderland State Consolidation in Mainland South-East Asia." The China Quarterly (2019): 1-22.

Lai, Sherman Xiaogang. "Chiang Kai-shek versus Guomindang's Corruption in the Republic Era." Corruption and Anticorruption in Modern China (2018): 73.

Lee, Kan. "The "China Lobby" in Tokyo: The Struggle of China's Mission in Japan for General Douglas MacArthur's Military Assistance in the Chinese Civil War, 1946-1949." Journal of Chinese Military History 8.1 (2019): 29-51.

Mutchler, J. C., et al. "Charles Bowden's Southwest: Tucson Festival of Books, March 15, 2015." Journal of the Southwest 61.1 (2019): 37-54.

Zhang, Hong. "Yuan Shikai and the Significance of his Troop Training at Xiaozhan, Tianjin, 1895-1899." The Chinese Historical Review 26.1 (2019): 37-54.