Modern Chinese History.

Catalog description

China's modern history is dramatic. Civil wars, foreign invasions, revolutions, high hopes, heroism, betrayal and bitterness marked what some called China's century of humiliation (ca. 1842-1950). The Chinese monarchy that collapsed in 1911 was replaced with a constitutional republic that never managed to achieve the heroic modernity imagined by its fervent patriots. The People's Republic of China sought to re-invent Chinese society from top to bottom and create a rich and powerful nation. The grimly spectacular failures to achieve this goal left many disappointed. Today, China is still run by a communist party but the newly assertive nation is now heralded by many as the next superpower. In this course, students gain specialized knowledge of events, individuals and ideas that shaped this tumultuous period. The focus is especially on the tension between westernization and modernization.