For more information
Call 1-800-351-0222
Call 1-800-351-0222
IRREDENTISM IN CHINA.
Term Paper ID:26786
Get This Paper Free! or
Essay Subject:
Examines this expansionist theory as a feature of reactive nationalism in communist nation.... More...
5 Pages / 1125 Words
4 sources, 8 Citations,
TURABIAN Format
$20.00
More Papers on This Topic
Paper Abstract:
Examines this expansionist theory as a feature of reactive nationalism in communist nation.
Paper Introduction:
Some scholars argue that nationalism has been the single greatest force of the 20th century, surpassing all other “isms” including communism and fascism. Many leaders fueled nationalist fervor by tapping into the public’s irredentist sentiments, a tactic that Adolf Hitler employed to win power and to consolidate his hold over Germany in the 1930s. This paper will examine the importance of irredentism in explaining the behavior of reactive nationalist systems, both in the past and in the future, and analyze the irredentist tendencies of the planet’s newest emerging power, the People’s Republic of China.
According to A. James Gregor, “reactive nationalism is more frequently associated with economic, and particularly industrial, retardation[.]” However, he goes on to write that “there are clearly anomalous instances when some forms are found in commu
Text of the Paper:
The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper.
Third, seeking to reclaim "lost lands" would cause irreparable damageto China's diplomatic relations with the rest of the world, especiallywithin Asia. [iv]Denis Mack Smith, Mussolini's Roman Empire (New York: The VikingPress, 1976), 89-9 . James Gregor, Phoenix: Fascism in Our Time (New Brunswick, NewJersey: Transaction Publishers, 1999), 171. Reactive nationalism proves appealing because it taps into acollective sense of profound humiliation, which fuels movements (such asthe Nazis) that call for national renewal. Indeed, the teaching of "state nationalism" has supplanted theschools' inculcation of Marxist-Leninist philosophy. Pandora'sbox may have been opened. Taiwan employs much more sophisticatedmateriel, which is why many military experts doubt whether China couldactually succeed in conquering Taiwan using conventional forces. Central tonationalist teaching is the emphasis on China's past humiliations at thehands of other nations, particularly those in the West. First, the People's Republic ofChina does not have the military capability to satisfy these claims.China's military is obsolete. The war ultimately punished China, whichsuffered a humiliating setback at the hands of a small rival. The latter possibility is real; witness thissummer's demonstrations over the U.S. First, Chinarequires more land and more resources to feed its growing economy. According to A. [ii]Ibid. In China's case, the cost had includedthe loss of sovereignty, as the nation found itself at the mercy of Westernpowers. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 1998.Gregor, A. At the turn of the century, Giusseppe Mazzini urged the founding of a"Third Rome," after Rome of the Caesars and the Christian Rome.Regenerating Italy in this manner would require the reclamation of lostlands. China would likely find itself the object of a containmentstrategy, led by the U.S. [vi]Maria Hsia Chang, The Labors of Sisyphus (New Brunswick, NewJersey: Transaction Publishers, 1998), 211. Moreover,the United States almost certainly would come to Taiwan's defense, andAmerican military capability is far superior to China. He claimed Italian rights in Corsica, Tunisia, Switzerland, Malta,and Yugoslavia. Those nations would push for amilitary alliance on par with NATO, and China would be isolated. Reinstilling those values would beinstrumental to China's sovereignty.[v] The People's Republic of China (PRC) has adopted Sun's policy, andthen some. James Gregor, "reactive nationalism is more frequentlyassociated with economic, and particularly industrial, retardation[.]"[i]However, he goes on to write that "there are clearly anomalous instanceswhen some forms are found in communities that are reasonably well-developedeconomically and industrially, but which, for whatever reasons suffer apersistent and singular sense of humiliation and correspondingresentment."[ii] Gregor cites Nazi Germany as one example, and says post-Soviet Russia might be another. [iii]Ibid., 28-29. Sun Yat-sen, His Political and Social Ideals. Indeed, many ofChina's irredentist claims require the deployment of naval forces, andChina's navy is of little consequence. Whether those irredentist sentiments willmanifest themselves is another question. China's irredentist policy ultimately serves two goals. Its rateof economic growth must outpace its population growth, a daunting task thatwould be made impossible if the world closed its trading doors to Chinesegoods. Then Italy would again reign supreme in the Mediterranean, a natural rightthat Italy had been denied because of an unjust international system.[iii] Mussolini's appeal among Italians rested in part on his expansionistvision. Mussolini's Roman Empire. China'sshortage of land (for living space, agriculture, and industry) is alreadyacute, as overpopulation threatens to strangle the country's nascenteconomic growth. Sun called for nationalist education, to teach Chinese childrenabout their nation's great history. Mazzini called for the reacquisition of Trentino, Istria, and Nice. That claimalready has led to skirmishes with other Asian nations.[vii] Furthermore, China views Taiwan as a renegade province and hasthreatened to use force to reclaim the island if it declares independence.China also has occupied Tibet for decades, and in 1979, it waged thePedagogical War against Vietnam, to punish that nation for attackingCambodia (one of China's allies). The Labors of Sisyphus. Schooltextbooks use maps showing China in 184 , when its sovereignty extended tothe Russian Far East, Korea, Vietnam, and Malaysia, among other places.[vi] The PRC officially claims sovereignty over much of that area via theTerritorial Waters Act of 1992. Students learnabout the land "stolen" from China by those other nations. China can neither afford political noreconomic isolation, and that will be so for some time, so its dreams ofreclaiming its empire will probably remain in check. Maria Hsia Chang wrotethat "nationalism is a double-edged sword: It is useful in rallying supportfor the regime but, once opened, the Pandora's box of nationalism may provedifficult to contain."[viii] Thus, clearly China is manipulating irredentist sentiments to solidifythe regime's hold on its people. and Japan. City, State, Country: Publisher, Year.----------------------- Endnotes [i]A. Phoenix: Fascism in Our Time. Many leaders fueled nationalist fervor by tapping into thepublic's irredentist sentiments, a tactic that Adolf Hitler employed to winpower and to consolidate his hold over Germany in the 193 s. Some scholars argue that nationalism has been the single greatestforce of the 2 th century, surpassing all other "isms" including communismand fascism. However, that could change if China's economy falters, or if itsvirulent nationalist education creates a frenzied populace beyond thegovernment's control. James. Sun Yat-sen argued that economic and industrialretardation had cost China dearly, just as the Italians had come to thesame conclusion about their nation. Second, satisfying China's irredentist urges would do irreparable harmto the country's economic relations with the rest of the world. Inevitably, that renewal willrequire righting the wrong and avenging the humiliation. China's assertion of sovereignty extends to the SpratlyIslands, which are potentially rich in natural resources. The law declares that all the islands,cays, sandbars, lagoons, and islets of the South China Sea are "sovereignChinese territory." That is a huge area, encompassing the primary sealanes of Asia. Not long after taking over Italy, Mussolini begansupporting Italian separatist movements in Corsica, Tunisia, andSwitzerland. China'strading partners would likely impose economic sanctions, which would be asevere blow to the ongoing modernization of the PRC's economy. [vii]Ibid., 212. Mere rhetoric can satisfy the second goal, butif China's nationalism turns virulent (a real possibility), talk will notsuffice and the government may be forced to act. BibliographyChang, Maria Hsia. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transactions Publishers, 1999.Smith, Denis Mack. Second, the policy feeds nationalist fervor, crucial to a regime thatis finding it difficult to maintain control over its people as China'seconomy continues to roar. [v]Sun Yat-sen, Sun Yat-sen, His Political and Social Ideals (City,state, country: publisher, year), 243. Whether the Chinese leadership sparked the demonstrations isimmaterial to the fact that the protests spiraled out of the government'scontrol, leading to dangerous situations on the streets of China's largestcities and potential disaster for the U.S.-China relationship. Often that meansreclaiming some piece of land over which the nation once held sovereignty,no matter how long ago. He also actively campaigned for the annexation of Malta.Throughout his reign, the goals of pan-fascism and irredentism oftenmeshed.[iv] Irredentism has long been a feature of Chinese political thinking,predating communism. At thispoint, China's primary goal is to raise its standard of living. Thus, even if China's military capabilities rise in the near future(and the PRC is spending huge amounts to modernize its armed forces), thusmaking an irredentist policy possible, the other two factors will stillweigh against expansionism. Appeals to irredentism can be found in the origins of Italian fascism. This paperwill examine the importance of irredentism in explaining the behavior ofreactive nationalist systems, both in the past and in the future, andanalyze the irredentist tendencies of the planet's newest emerging power,the People's Republic of China. bombing of China's embassy inYugoslavia. Itsneed for energy will be acute if its economy grows as planned, demand thatthe oil and gas fields of the Spratly Islands could help fill. New York: The Viking Press, 1976.Sun, Yat-sen. [viii]Ibid., 213-216. It also involves reclaiming the nation's ancientgrandeur, such as the case in Italy.
If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again:
or
We can write a Custom Essay just for you.
Browse Essays by Subject