The Chinese Revolution
China, a vast country with the heaviest population in the world was very weak in the 19th century. The European countries and Japan took advantage of the weakness of the Manchu kings obtained a number of treaty ports and also trading rights.
Some of the Chinese were not pleased with all these and a secret society was formed, which was jokingly referred to by the foreigners as ‘Boxers’. But it was not to be a joke for the Boxers turned against the foreigners in 1899 and killed them mercilessly. The rebellion of the Boxers was put down by an International force.
Another society of Chinese men educated mostly in the west known as the young China was formed. They were nationalists and they condemned the Boxers who despised democratic ways and were against the industrialisation of China.
The society of young China wanted their motherland to be westernized like Japan. Their question was if little Japan could become a world power why not China?
The Manchu Government of China tried to introduce some reforms. Schools were founded and the country was westernized to some extent. But Chinese poverty, illiteracy, disunity and the foreign aggression continued. Now the groups were convinced that the Manchu Dynasty must go. Revolutionary activity gained momentum.
Dr. San yat sen is known as the Washington of China. He was a man of democratic ideas and he was also a man of action. He had a three point programme for his group. They were: (1) a united China free from foreign control (2) a democratic China giving civil liberties to all and (3) a China free from poverty, giving food to all. These rebels overthrew the Manchus and proclaimed the Chinese Republic.
Dr. San yat became the first president of the Chinese Republic. General yuan shit kai who succeeded Dr. San was a military leader who did not believe in democracy. He became the military dictator and wanted to be the emperor of China. Hence a civil war erupted against yuvan at Peking in North China and Dr. San at Canton in South China.
After the death of Dr. San, Chiang Kai Shek became the leader but his administration was inefficient and corrupt. So the Communist Party of China under the leadership of Mae-Tse-Tung established its power in china in 1949.Chiang took repose in Formosa and established a Government with the American help while the Communist Party established its position strongly in the main-land,
