National Revolution and Unification Construction -- The Struggles of Sun Yat-sen and Kuomintang/CCP Figures in Early 20th Century (Political and Social Changes in Modern China)

Author: Zhou Xingliang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: This book presents the relationship between the characters of the Kuomintang and Communist Party of China and the changes and transformations of the social and political situation in early 20th-century China, as well as their different performances and roles in this major transformation. The "Modern China: Politics and Society Transformation" academic research series is the final outcome of the "985" research project at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, focusing on the relationship between modern Chinese politics and social transformation. Politics is a broad and complex concept. This project discusses politics in a broad sense, expanding the research scope to include modern Chinese political thought, political systems, international environment, foreign relations, and important political figures and events. It combines politics and society to examine the relationship between politics and the economy, the impact of politics on education and talent cultivation, the role of politics in social stability and civilization progress, and politics in foreign relations, particularly the political attitudes of some key figures and the social impact of their governance theories, policies, and methods. It aims to explore the interactive relationship between politics and society from multiple perspectives and levels using political sociology theories and methods, and to evaluate the correctness of political ideas, propositions, and the governance of political figures based on the stability, progress, development, and degree of civilization of society. This is a new attempt. Modern Chinese politics was formed under the political framework of a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. On one side, capital imperialism and feudalism, as well as bureaucratic capitalism, held the ruling power over China; on the other side were the vast patriotic and revolutionary masses and various intellectuals pursuing progress and keeping pace with the trend of the times. These two sides represented the two social forces of China and reflected the two prospects of modern China. Their political ideas, thoughts, and proposals for reforming China constrained the development direction of modern China. Modern Chinese politics is the central content and basic background for examining the social transformation of modern China. The political power of modern China is in the hands of the broad masses of the people, with the state's power center being the central government led by the Communist Party of China. The state focuses its efforts on developing the economy, culture, and education, rapidly advancing Chinese society. Previous research on modern Chinese history has achieved fruitful results and significant breakthroughs in various aspects, but there are also shortcomings, such as a relatively weak study of the social impact of political transformation, which is the key hub of modern Chinese social transformation. There is an urgent need for more research and higher requirements. There is a trend in research focus from various aspects of society returning to the center, and an objective requirement for improving from specific research to a comprehensive grasp. Previous political history research focused on class struggle and revolutionary movements, unidirectionally explaining the turmoil and instability caused by political transformation in society, and to some extent limited the expansion of the field and theoretical advancement of modern Chinese political history research. This project takes the interactive relationship between modern Chinese politics and social transformation as the basic starting point, establishing an innovative and era-specific macro-explanation system based on existing micro-research, with the expansion of observational scope and deepening of research levels as the main guide. Through the combination of macro and micro research and the innovation of research methods, it aims to enhance research standards and open up new paths. The history of modern Chinese politics is an important aspect of modern Chinese history research. Overall, past research has combined the dual characteristics of a large number of achievements but severe shortcomings, leaving considerable room for further development. Sun Yat-sen University has a strong tradition and advantage in the study of modern Chinese political thought, political systems, political figures, and international relations. It leads the domestic and international academic community in research on Sun Yat-sen and modern Chinese politics, adheres to academic norms, and has long formed a spirit of seeking truth and a collaborative academic atmosphere, showing great potential in multiple aspects. The research on the "Modern China: Politics and Society Transformation" project involves senior professors and doctoral supervisors, postdoctoral researchers, and the rest are doctoral graduates, forming a research team with a mix of experience levels. Each member explores new areas based on their interests and research findings. Many of the works are their doctoral theses, which received good evaluations from the thesis defense committees and were published after repeated revisions. They have conducted specialized research on the relationship between modern Chinese politics and society from different perspectives, each with unique characteristics and strengths, demonstrating foresight and academic rigor. The "Modern China: Politics and Society Transformation" academic series presented to readers is the result of their hard work. It is hoped that these achievements will help people understand the relationship between politics and social transformation from new angles. Of course, we also expect criticism and guidance from readers and the academic community. This book is based on a large amount of first-hand materials and comprehensively discusses the political strategies of the Nationalist Party government in governing the Northwest since the 1920s, as well as its specific practices and achievements in politics, economy, military, culture, and ethnic and religious affairs. It analyzes the internal conditions of the society at the time, such as local warlord rule, local governance, and social characteristics. This is an overall account of the Nationalist government's "development of the Northwest."