The Chinese Revolution

Zhang Zuolin, the Manchurian Warlord, was a streetfighter known as the Pimple who went from waiter to leader of China's north. He climbed from bandit, to soldier and then formed bonds with Japan, Qing officials and then Yuan Shikai. Step by step he grew his power first in Fengtian province, then all three Manchurian provinces and then virtually all of north China. But that was not enough and he cr...

A look at taxes, inflation, bandits, offshore funds and roving armies during China's Warlord Period. Image: "1920s Chinese coins" by renaissancechambara is licensed under CC BY 2.0.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A southern Chinese government is set up in Guangzhou. Sun Yat-sen is named Generalissimo. The First Fleet joins with 9 warships. The Anfu Clique wants to attack the south and fails to defeat rebels in Hunan. Then Wu Peifu is sent south and makes progress, but stops his advance and criticizes Duan Qirui for siding with Japan against his fellow Chinese. Wu then supports the May Fourth Movement and g...

The Chinese had high hopes for the negotiations in Versailles after the end of the First World War. Wellington Koo argued the Chinese case ably. China wanted to retake control of its Shandong Province, but instead Japan continued to control it because of agreements signed during the war. Then it became clear that Duan Qirui and his Anhui Clique had benefited from Japanese funds in exchange for sig...

The KMT had been active opposing Yuan Shikai and his monarchy project. It had strong support among overseas Chinese. After Yuan Shikai's death, Li Yuanhong became President and Duan Qirui became Premier. KMT hopes for an effective republic quickly faded. Li and Duan disagreed about whether China should enter the First World War. Li, his Vice-President and Congress all opposed the war. Only Duan wa...

Chinese feminists and revolutionaries were active before and during China's 1911 Revolution. Qiu Jin wore men's clothing, was ahead of her time by writing in Standard Chinese instead of Classical Chinese and in making speeches to engage all ages in the struggle for women's rights and women's education. These women believed that women had to seek their own rights, rather than depend on men. Wu Shuq...

Yuan Shikai consolidates power as President of the Republic of China. His greatest threats now come from outside China. Russia eyes Mongolia and Britain takes interest in Tibet. The First World War changes the dynamic and Japan seizes Germany's concessions in Shandong. Then Japan issues Twenty-One Demands on China. Yuan negotiates and softens the blow, but suffers from the humiliation. Yuan Shikai...

Yuan Shikai promised to respect China's constitutional republic. A mutiny by unpaid members of the Beiyang Army causes riots in Beijing and other cities. Yuan avoids moving to Nanjing. He de-mobilizes provincial troops and wins a power struggle with the Chinese Premiers. Yuan Shikai puts his own men in important positions. The Guomindang (KMT) is founded and wins the first election after the 1911...

An update on the Chinese Revolution series made in July 2023. Image: "Revolution of 1911" by Gary Lee Todd, Ph. D. is marked with CC0 1.0. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yuan Shikai's New Army becomes a national model and military reforms spread throughout China. The death of the Empress Dowager brings Zaifeng in as regent to Pu Yi, the three year old emperor. Yuan is sacked and briefly fears for his life. He quietly retires for over two years. A Qing railway reorganization in Sichuan leads to rebellion. Imperial troops are moved south and the remaining Wuchang Ga...

Part 2 of a look at Yuan Shikai. Yuan resigned as Imperial Commissioner to Korea and served as a logistics officer during the Sino-Japanese war. Following China's defeat to Japan, Yuan wrote a 13,000 word memo to the emperor outlining his ideas for military reform. Yuan Shikai was then appointed and became the father of China's New Army. He was then promoted to Governor of Shandong and then Zhili...

This episode looks at the early life of Yuan Shikai, future president of the Republic of China. Born to a concubine in a leading gentry family in Henan province, Yuan was adopted by his uncle at age 5. He studied the Confucian classics, learned boxing, martial arts and horseback riding. He took over managing the family assets as a teenager and was already working for the empire. He never passed an...

In this third and final part, Sun Yat-sen's comeback from failed revolutionary is examined. He goes on the offensive against the reformers in Hawaii and in the world's Chinatowns. He builds on contacts with the French to gain weapons and workers for uprisings near the French Indochina border. He helps found the Revolutionary Alliance and becomes its President. More and more revolts are planned and...

Sun Yat-sen leaves London and lives in Japan for 3 years. He gains Japanese supporters and is considered their Chinese Hero. They fund him, his efforts and newspapers, as well as arming guerillas in the Philippines. Kang Youwei considers Sun to be an uneducated bandit and they compete for followers. An uprising near Huizhou in Guangdong province starts well, but gets distracted and falls apart. Ke...

Dr. Sun Yat sen is a legend in mainland China, on Taiwan and in the Chinatowns of the world. This revolutionary's picture can be found at Tiananmen Square in Beijing and in the Legislative Chamber in Taipei. Few people are recognized as heroes by both the Chinese Communist Party and the KMT. Dr. Sun Yat-sen is one of them. This episode explores his early life and education in Cuiheng Village, in H...

A short look at Kang Youwei's utopian The Book of Great Unity. What do you think of this utopia? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A discussion of Kang Youwei, the famous Chinese scholar, writer, reformer and speaker. His early years, Buddhist meditations, success passing through the Qing examinations system and activism are considered. His exile following the 100 days of Reform to the Chinatowns of Canada and southeast Asia are described, including the founding of the Society to Protect the Emperor. It achieved, at least ini...

A discussion with Anthony Vernon about Daoism, Confucianism, Kang Youwei, the Boxer Rebellion and the end of the Qing Dynasty. Image: "Boxer Prisoners Captured By 6th US Cavalry, Tientsin, China [1901] Underwood & Co [RESTORED]" by ralphrepo is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A deep dive into anti-Christian riots in Tianjin in 1870. Stories of kidnapped, blinded and dead children are investigated. What are these new Christians up to? An official from the Forbidden City is sent to get to the truth. Who is to blame? Image: "Old church, Tianjin" by caitriana is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the third part of the discussion with Lauren Schill about Cixi. We discuss her takeover from her adopted son the Emperor Guangxu following the 100 days of Reform and her role arming the Boxer Rebellion. Cixi and the Emperor flee to Xian and then return to Beijing. Cixi starts a charm offensive, institutes further reforms including for women's education and to end foot binding. She and the...

This is the second part of the discussion about Cixi and we discuss her son Emperor Tongzhi's marriage, nighttime escapades, death from smallpox and Cixi's adoption of her nephew Emperor Guangxu and relegation of Prince Chun. Cixi deals with the Russians in Xinjiang, the French in Vietnam and the Japanese over Korea. The Dowager Empress builds up the Chinese navy, only to have it cut back by her s...

A discussion with Lauren Schill, Host of the Well Behaved Women podcast, about Empress Dowager Cixi. This is the first part of the discussion about Cixi and discuss her childhood, family background, as well as becoming a concubine and rising through the ranks. The coup that takes her to power follows the Second Opium War and her husband's death at the Imperial Hunting Lodge. Cixi and Cian rule fro...

Meiji Japan learns from the West and builds its economy, its army and the Japanese Imperial Navy. Japan begins its own gunboat diplomacy and takes control of the Ryukyu Islands. It defeats China in the Sino-Japanese War and gains Penghu and Taiwan, as well as control over Korea. Russian and Japanese tensions build. Great Britain allies with Japan and the Japanese Imperial Navy launches a sneak att...

Choshu rebels attack foreign ships and suffer the consequences. Choshu and Satsuma reach a secret alliance. The Bakufu plans a punitive expedition against Choshu but is out-maneuvered. The sudden death of the Emperor and a coup in the Imperial Court leads to Choshu receiving an amnesty. Choshu and Satsuma use the Imperial Pennants to defeat the Bakufu. The Tokugawa era ends in Japan with the final...

The Tokugawa shogunate in Japan prohibited ocean going vessels or travel between Japan and most countries. Japan rejected offers to commence trade with the West. Commodore Perry forced a first treaty on a reluctant Japan. The Samurai and country wanted to resist, but instead Japan began to open up and build a navy and build up a more western military. American desires for a new trade treaty uncove...