Contention and Redemption: Ideologies of National Salvation in Republican China
The politics of the Republican period in China (1912-49) are often interpreted as a battle between the Nationalists of Chiang Kaishek and the Communists of Mao Zedong, with the transformative ideology of the latter given credit for their eventual victory. However, the political disunity of the Repub...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis
2002
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| In: |
Totalitarian movements and political religions
Year: 2002, Volume: 3, Issue: 3, Pages: 44-74 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The politics of the Republican period in China (1912-49) are often interpreted as a battle between the Nationalists of Chiang Kaishek and the Communists of Mao Zedong, with the transformative ideology of the latter given credit for their eventual victory. However, the political disunity of the Republic actually gave rise to a whole variety of redemptive ideologies whose aim was to redefine 'the people' and 'save the country'. In considering ways forward for China, some political actors took paths ignored or rejected by both the Nationalists and Communists, such as harnessing enthusiasm for popular religion or experimenting with collaboration with the Japanese, both before and during the Second World War. The triumph of secular, progressivist ideology in China was by no means inevitable, and terms such as 'democracy', and 'nation' were strongly contested by rival ideologues who sought to promote their versions of modernity. The article attempts an overview of the varying paths to 'national salvation' in Republican China, and suggests that the competition between systems of thought did not provide any overall victor until late into the period. |
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| ISSN: | 1743-9647 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Totalitarian movements and political religions
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/714005487 |