China's Republic

by Diana Lary

• ISBN13: 9780521842563
• ISBN10: 0521842565
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-02-19
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Twenty-first century China is emerging from decades of war and revolution into a new era. Yet the past still haunts the present. The ideals of the Chinese Republic, which was founded almost a century ago after 2000 years of imperial rule still resonate as modern China edges towards openness and democracy. Diana Lary traces the history of the Republic from its beginnings in 1912, through the Nanjing decade, the warlord era, and the civil war with the Peoples' Liberation Army which ended in defeat in 1949. Thereafter, in an unusual excursion from traditional histories of the period, she considers how the Republic survived on in Taiwan, comparing its ongoing prosperity with the economic and social decline of the Communist mainland in the Mao years. This introductory textbook for students and general readers is enhanced with biographies of key protagonists, Chinese proverbs, love stories, poetry and a feast of illustrations.

Author Biography

Diana Lary is Professor of History, affiliated with the Centre of Chinese Research, Institute of Asian Research, at the University of British Columbia

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. The decline of Empire, the dream of a Republic: 1890s-1911

2. The early republic: chaos and creativity: 1912 1928

3. The Nanjing decade: a new beginning? 1928 1937

4. The resistance war: warfare and chaos: 1937 1945

5. Civil War: the most vicious conflict 1946 1949

6. More than survival: the Republic of Taiwan 1949-to the present

Conclusion.