Dear Readers:
I have been given an assignment of utmost importance by my editor, and I will attempt to answer the question I have been given with as much accuracy and information from the people as I can. I have been tasked with answering if China is in need of another revolution, and why many citizens of our great country may or may not believe this to be true.
It has been two decades since the revolution of 1911 that saw the end of the Qing Dynasty as well as the collapse of the entire dynastic system. In the time since then, China has been anything but stable, and many of the problems that the revolutionaries set out to fix in 1911 are still ever present in our society. Confucian ideology is central to the debate that is tearing our country apart. While the dynastic system may be a thing of the past, we have now had to deal with the problem of the Warlords for far too long. These local militarists controlled their own territory and prevented initial efforts for unification as none of them would submit to a single ruler [Dietrich, 23]. The constant conflict between the warlords has proved a headache for the Nationalist Party in its efforts to unify the country under its control. General Chiang Kaishek’s Northern Expedition proved effective in dealing with the warlords and made great progress in uniting the country [China: A Century of Revolution, China in Revolution, 9:07]. The Nationalist Party’s United Front with the Chinese Communist Party seemed like the best option moving forward until the Nationalists brutally attacked the Communists in 1927, destroying their alliance and any real hope of cooperation in the future.
While our country is currently under the control of Chiang Kaishek and the Nationalist Party, it is not extremely difficult to imagine that another revolution may be coming in the near future. This revolution would be brought about by the Chinese Communist Party, and as time goes on, it appears more and more evident that this may be just over the horizon. Mao Zedong’s Jiangxi Soviet is a revolutionary group that is planning this very revolution [China: A Century of Revolution, China in Revolution, 26:18]. Nationalist forces have been attempting to wipe out the Communists for good, but have been constantly subjected to extremely effective guerrilla warfare tactics by the Communist Red Army [China: A Century of Revolution, China in Revolution, 32:04]. The Nationalists are so concerned about the Communist threat because of how popular they are becoming in the regions where they have been able to spread their influence. The reforms that have been suggested and imposed by the Communists in this territory have been immensely popular with the people who are sick of the old ways. Many women who do not want to suffer through an arranged marriage and be treated as property have begun to turn to the Communists in support of their proposed gender reforms. In a traditional Chinese marriage, the period immediately following the marriage has been described as “The most difficult and degrading phase of life for a woman” [Johnson, 10]. The Communists promise women that if they join the movement, they can be free of these traditions that are not desirable to women. One woman who was interviewed (name omitted for her safety,) fiercely exclaimed that she joined the Communists so she wouldn’t have to submit to an arranged marriage to a man twice her age [China: A Century of Revolution, China in Revolution, 28:55]. Among the younger and poorer peasants, not having to pay a bride price in order to literally buy your wife [Johnson, 11] is also enough of an incentive to break with the old ways.
China is on its way to something big. The Nationalist Party under the control of General Chiang Kaishek are desperately trying to keep its hold on the country as the Communist Party slowly expands its influence across the countryside. However, more and more people seem to be backing the Communists as they are tired of the way things are and are intrigued by the new ideas that they are being exposed to. A Communist revolution may be coming very soon, and I can only think that if the Communists are to make a legitimate play for control of China, we will see a bloody civil war that will determine the future of our country.
Stay safe out there my friends,
孙诚
My friend, I have already seen the signs of fighting that you have predicted. In Jiangxi, I have seen many battalions of soldiers preparing for war and the villages preparing stores of food.
My friend, at first I struggled to believe what you are saying. It wasn’t until I began to take a look around me that I realized how expansive this CCP is becoming. Multiple of my neighbors have had children run away to join the cause and fight for a new China. This scares me very much because I can see from your other commenter that in Jiangxi, battalions of soldiers are preparing for war. I hope it doesn’t come to that.
I will be going to my home in the countryside to see my parents and younger brother soon. I will keep an eye out to see how many CCP members I see. I know it will not be easy to spot but I know the signs since I am a communist myself. My younger brother has written to me at university and he admits he is not quite sure what a revolution is but he has thought about joining although I talked him out of it.
The reforms promised by the CCP for all peasants and workers of both genders is quite enticing.