Coolie Trade

A form of migrant labor in which the worker was recruited by force or by fraud and
in which contracts were simply window dressing for system close to outright
slavery. It was forced labor and they were often kidnapped or lured or trapped. They
also could be sold by kinsmen.
Para-slavery
Indenture system: the economic mainstay of European colonies in Asia, America,
Africa and Oceania
Differences from slavery: substitute a contract for purchase; own labor instead of
body
Similarities to slavery: coerced signing; compulsory renewal of contract. Atrocities
against workers are immune from punishment, and they are tried in another court
Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)
Prohibit all immigration of Chinese laborers; Overtook Burlingame Treaty (1868)
which stated the principle of free migration and allowed China to station consuls at
US ports to promote Chinese interests; ethnic hostility; arrived at the US at the
same time of European immigrants who were competing for jobs and treasures.
1911: Overthrow of Qing dynasty
1912-1927: warlords
1927-1937: Nanjing decade
1938-1945: Anti-Japanese War
1946-1949: Chinese Civil War and CCP took over
Xinhai Revolution (1911)
October 10, 1911 Wuchang Uprising (triggered by the accidental explosion of a
bomb
Result: Revolutionary forces took over the city
Other provinces followed their appeals to declare independence
The Qing tried to negotiate but they compromised by establishing a republic with
Yuan Shikai as the president and the abdication of the Qings last emperor during
February 1912 signifying the end of the Qing dynasty. Yuan established a military
dictatorship and declared to become emperor

The Warlord Era (1912-1927)

Cause by a lack of central leadership and provincial governors , commanders of the
army, local strongmen, and gangsters took over
May 4th Movement 1919
Caused by the Versailles Peace Conference that decided to let Japan to take over
Shandong which caused students to protest at Tiananmen Square
First United Front (1923-1927)
1922 CCP members joined the KMT as individuals.
Northern Expedition (1926-1928)
Purpose was to unify mainland China under KMT rule under Jiang Jieshi. CCP worked
with KMT. In 1928, China was reunified.
The Nanjing Decade (1927-1937)
AN era of relative stability under the KMT rule with Nanjing as the national capital
and Jiang Jieshi as the president
State building efforts (urban area):
Military (focus) was to rein in the warlords, suppress communists, and resist the
Japanese
Industrial Development
Treaty port industrialization

Started by foreigners and followed by Chinese capitalists

Concentrated on light industries like textile and food
Concentrated in a few cities

Manchuria industrialization

Investment from Japan

Develop resources such as coal and iron
Focused on heavy industry to produce raw materials for Japanese domestic
manufacture
Key technology kept from Chinese

CCP during the Nanjing Decade

July 1, 1921: founding of the CCP
1927-1928 purged by the KMT

1931: establishment of Jiangxi Soviet (Mao mobilized peasants through violent land
reform
1934: defeated by the fifth extermination campaign
October 1934 October 1935 the Long March (Mao rose to power)
Purpose was to evade KMT and seek a new base, 6000 miles, Destination was Yaan
Shaanxi province.
Anti-Japanese War (1937-1945)
1895 Taiwan was ceded to Japan
1905 Japan gained dominant position in southern Manchuria after defeating Russia
1928 assassination of warlord of Manchuria
1931 Japanese troops invade Manchuria and established a puppet state called
Manchukuo
Jiangs policy: pacifying the interior before resisting foreign invasion
Rational: No point in fighting Japan since Japanese firepower was superior; China
must be unified under one leader to oppose Japan