What was the impact of the - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

What was the impact of the Sino-Japanese War on the Reform Movement?

L/O – To analyse the significance of the Sino-Japanese War and identify the causes & effects of the 100 Days Reform

Emperor Guangxu

Battle of the

Yalu

River - 1894Slide2

Introduction

The Self-Strengthening Movement had made considerable strides in modernising Qing China but resistance to reforms was still widespread amongst large sections of the population.

With defeat in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95, it became apparent that modernisation needed to be accelerated

.Reform-minded officials and scholars continued to demand reforms, persuading the Emperor Guangxu

to back radical reforms to the entire system.

Emperor GuangxuSlide3

Introduction

This resulted in the ‘100 Days Reform’ in 1898. Emperor Guangxu issued a torrent of reform edicts. It was ended by

Cixi, who returned from semi-retirement and put the Emperor under house arrest.Led by Cixi, the Qing Court returned to

anti-foreign policies, which became heightened as imperial powers began to demand more concessions from China. This in turn sparked the

Boxer Uprising of 1899-1900.

Empress Dowager CixiSlide4

Causes of the Sino-Japanese War

In the 1870s, China was becoming increasingly concerned about growing Japanese influence in Korea, one of its tributary states

.These fears became real in 1876 with the Treaty of Kangwha which gave Japan rich trading concessions

throughout Korea.In the 1882 Imo Incident and 1884

Gapsin Coup, both China and Japan had sent troops to Seoul to put down uprisings against the Korean King. This had nearly led to war.Slide5

Causes of the Sino-Japanese War

Tensions eased slightly in 1885 when Japanese PM Itō Hirobumi met with Li Hongzhang in Tientsin to discuss relations.

In the Convention of Tientsin, both sides promised to withdraw their troops and inform each other first

before sending troops in future.Despite this, China was determined to reassert its influence, appointing Yuan Shikai

as ‘Imperial Resident of Seoul’. He effectively dictated Korean government policy for the next ten years.

Li Hongzhang

Itō Hirobumi

Yuan ShikaiSlide6

Causes of the Sino-Japanese War

Tensions came to a head in 1894. The Tonghak Rebels were advancing on Seoul when

King Kojong called on China for aid.Both Japan and China rushed troops to the region to protect their interests. Japan got their first, seizing the Royal Palace and installing a

pro-Japanese government. China

rejected this new government and in-turn, Japan claimed China had not informed it of sending troops. War loomed.Slide7

Events of the War

It finally broke out on 25th July 1894 when Japanese ships sunk a Chinese troop transport.

By September, the main Chinese force at Pyongyang had been defeated along with the Chinese Beiyang Fleet at the

Battle of the Yalu River.

In October Japanese forces crossed into Manchuria, taking Lushan (Port Arthur) in November where they massacred civilians.

Sinking of the

KowshingSlide8
Slide9

Events of the War

In January 1895, 20,000 Japanese troops marched across the Shandong Peninsula, capturing the defensive forts surrounding Weihaiwei

and turned the gun on the remnants of the Chinese Beiyang Fleet, completely destroying it.By March, Japanese forces had captured the Pescadore Islands

on the way to Taiwan. By April, China was defeated and sued for peace.Slide10

Capture of Weihaiwei 1895Slide11

The Treaty of Shimonoseki

Li Hongzhang and Prince Gong were sent to negotiate the peace. They signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki

on 17th April 1895. It stipulated:China had to recognise Korean independence

Ceded the Liaodong PeninsulaCeded

Taiwan & Penghu IslandGave 200 million Kuping Taels

Japanese allowed to operate on the

Yangtze River

and other trade concessions

Li Hongzhang

Prince GongSlide12

Effects of the War on the Reform Movement

The war had a profoundly significant effect on China. It had shown that despite reforms, China was no match

for the recently modernised Japan.The humiliating Treaty of Shimonoseki angered many Confucian scholars and officials into demanding

further and immediate reforms. In this sense, the spirit of Self-Strengthening lived on.Slide13

Effects of the War on the Reform Movement

Conservative Scholars like Zhang Zhidong & Weng

Tonghe were re-awakened to the need for reform and a

consensus emerged that reform was necessary.Zhang developed the idea of ‘

Ti-Yong’ which gave many people hope and reassured conservatives – ‘Chinese learning should remain the essence, but Western Learning should be used for practical development.’

Zhang

Zhidong

Weng

TongheSlide14

Causes of the 100 Days Reforms

This clamour for reform boiled over in Spring 1895 when 600 Confucian Scholars, gathered in Beijing for the Jinshi

examinations, wrote a long memorial to the emperor – urging continued resistance against the Japanese through

modernisation.They were led by the scholars Kang Youwei and

Liang Qichao. Kang & Liang were of a new school of reformers, who advocated drastic institutional change

. Kang was also friends with the Emperor’s tutor,

Weng

Tonghe

, who saw that the young Emperor would read it.

Weng

Tonghe

Liang

Qichao

Kang YouweiSlide15

Imperial Court Politics

The Imperial Court was dominated by conservative Confucian officials. They all realised that reform was necessary but competed to lead these reforms

in order to retain power.These officials were divided into two main groups: the ‘Northern Party

’ led by Hsü

T’ung and the ‘Southern Party’ led by Weng Tonghe

.

The Northern Party appointed

Zhang

Zhidong

to lead the reform movement within Court. However this was blocked by

Weng

Tonghe

who appointed promising young scholars like

Kang Youwei

. Kang turned out to be far more radical then expected!

Zhang

Zhidong

Weng

TongheSlide16

Causes of the 100 Days Reforms

Emperor Guangxu was interested in the proposals but had

no real power as the Court was still dominated by Cixi and her conservative friends.But by the 1890s, calls for reform by were becoming

widespread and the young emperor was looking to regain power to implement reforms.

In June 1898, the Emperor even had a private audience of over 5 hours with Kang Youwei. Listening to his ideas he become determined to institute a reform programme and made Kang his advisor.

Emperor Guangxu

Empress Dowager Cixi

Kang YouweiSlide17

Kang

: “The four barbarians are all invading us and their attempted partition is gradually being carried out: China will soon perish.”

Emperor

: “Today it is really imperative that we reform.”

Kang: “It is not because in recent years we have not talked about reform, but because it was only a slight reform, not a complete one; we change the first thing and do not change the second, and then we have everything so confused as to incur failure, and eventually there will be no success.”

“The prerequisites of reform are that all the laws and the political and social systems be changed and decided anew, before it can be called a reform. Now those who talk about reform only change some specific affairs, and do not reform the institutions.”

Emperor

: “Your reform program is very detailed.”

Kang

: “…why not vigorously carry it through?”

Emperor

: “What can I do with so much hindrance?”

Kang

: “According to the authority which Your Majesty is now exercising to carry out the reforms, if he works on only the mist important things, it will be sufficient to save China…”

Highlights of the five-hour interview by Liang

Qichao

, in I.C.Y Hsu, Rise of Modern China, p369-370Slide18

The 100 Days Reforms

Suddenly in June 1898, the Emperor began issuing an extraordinary series of edicts and decrees in quick succession.

Over 200 edicts were issued between June and September (103 days) and called for changes in four main areas of Qing government and life:

Education, Government, the Military and the Economy.

Emperor GuangxuSlide19

Education Reforms

Replacement of the eight-legged essay in the civil service examination by essays on current affairs

Establishment of an Imperial University at Peking

Establishment of modern schools in the provinces devoted to the pursuit of both Chinese and Western studies…

Establishment of a school for the overseas subjects

Creation of a medical school under the Imperial University

Publication of an official newspaper

Opening of a special examination in political economySlide20

Government Administration Reforms

Abolition of sinecure and unnecessary offices

Appointment of the progressives in government

Improvement in administrative efficiency by eliminating delays and by developing a new, simplified administrative procedure

Encouragement of suggestions from private citizens, to be forwarded by government offices on the day they are received

Permission for the Manchus to engage in tradeSlide21

Economic Reforms

Promotion of railway construction

Promotion of agricultural, industrial, and commercial developments

Encouragement of invention

Beautification of the CapitalSlide22

Other Reforms

Tour of foreign countries by high officials

Protection of missionaries

Improvement and simplification of legal codes

Preparation of a budgetSlide23

How did the Reforms end?

Unfortunately, most of the reforms were boycotted by senior officials in the court and in the provinces. Some officials were willing but had not the ability

to carry out reforms.At first, Cixi and officials supported reforms but soon disliked the radical changes as they

challenged their positions. The reforms to education would have destroyed the power of Confucian officials.Many officials begged Cixi to stop the reforms. Cixi believed the reforms were an attempt to

wrestle power from her.

Empress Dowager CixiSlide24

How did the Reforms end?

The reformers feared Cixi would try to depose the Emperor. They planned to carry out a palace coup against Cixi and asked

Yuan Shikai to support them.Yuan Shikai betrayed the Emperor and informed Cixi of the plot. She immediately raided the Emperor’s palace and

imprisoned the Emperor on 21st September 1898.

She announced publicly that a ‘serious illness’ had overcome the emperor, and she need to rule for him.

Yuan ShikaiSlide25

How did the Reforms end?

Orders were quickly issued to arrest Kang. He and Liang fled to Japan, with other reformers being

executed. Provincial officials that did support the reforms were stripped of their titles.

Most of the reforms were reversed: newspapers closed, formation of reform societies prohibited and the eight-legged essay reinstated.However

some reforms continued. Peking University and provincial schools remained. Cixi made it clear that reform was not bad but Kang Youwei had carried it out badly.

The ‘six gentlemen’

Kang YouweiSlide26

Reasons for the Failure of the Reform

The historian Hsü (2000) argues that there were three main reasons for the failure of the reform:

Inexperience of the Reformers

Powerful Conservative Opposition

The Power of CixiSlide27

1. Inexperience of the Reformers

Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao had no previous experience in government service and had

limited understanding of Western culture and institutions. They were naïve to think the support of the Emperor was enough and ignored

the obvious fact that Cixi had real power.Reforms were too radical and ambitious: education reforms angered

students, elimination of traditional gov. offices angered officials, military reforms angered Manchu Officers etc…

Liang

Qichao

Kang YouweiSlide28

2. Powerful Conservative Opposition

The reforms were seen by conservative scholars as a war on the whole Confucian state and society and saw Kang’s interpretations of Confucius as blasphemous

.Moderate conservative reformers like Weng Tonghe

were alienated by the speed and extent of change.

Manchu officials were worried about their positions as all the reformers were Han Chinese.

“Kang’s face is Confucian… but his heart is barbarian… The Modern Text school of today is not the same as that of the Han period; the latter honoured China whereas the former, the barbarians… even if Kang’s words might be accepted, he as a person should never be used… [he has the respect for] …neither the sovereign nor the fathers.”

Yeh

Te-hui

& Wang

Hsien-ch’ienSlide29

3. The Power of Cixi

Though in retirement since 1889, Cixi commanded huge influence over political and military affairs.Confidants in the Grand Council reported to her all

policy decisions and eunuchs in the palaces spied on the Emperor.She also had the

loyalty of the military surrounding Peking. Kang and the reformers had no power base other then the Emperor himself. Yuan Shikai held the key but he

chose Cixi over the Emperor.Slide30

Effects of the 100 Days Reforms

Revolutionary Growth - Progressive reform from the top down now seemed impossible. Only

overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and revolution could change this. Led to the growth of Sun Yat-sen’s

revolutionary movement.

Growth in Anti-foreign Feeling at Court – The re-establishment of conservative influence at Court led to growth of anti-foreign feeling as Western Powers opposed Cixi’s coup and helped Kang to escape

. Cixi would later support the anti-foreign

Boxer Uprising

in 1900-1901.

Sun

Yat-senSlide31

Effects of the 100 Days Reforms

Growth in Chinese Nationalism- Die-hard conservative Manchu officials were re-appointed, leading an anti-Chinese policy to

punish reformers. This led to growing anti-Manchu and Qing feeling, indirectly leading to 1911 Revolution.

Continued Reforms – Despite ending the 100 Days Reforms, she realised that

reform was necessary, paving the way for the late Qing reforms in 1901-1911.

“Reform benefits the Chinese but hurts the Manchus. If I have properties, I would rather give them to my friends than let the slaves share the benefit.”

Grand Secretary Kang-

iSlide32

Plenary

What effect did the Sino-Japanese War have on the Self-Strengthening Movement?

Which officials spearheaded the reform movement after the war?How was

Kang Youwei different from the conservative reformers?What

types of reforms were announced by Guangxu?Why did the Reforms fail?

What were the

effects

of the 100 Days Reform on China?

Did we meet our learning objective?

L/O – To analyse the significance of the Sino-Japanese War and identify the causes & effects of the 100 Days Reform