Century of Humiliation Events (Quotes from Jonathan Fenby, "China's Interesting Times" and Alison A. Kaufman, "The 'Century of Humiliation' and China’s National Narratives"
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Opium War
"Outbreak of Opium War between Britain and China in the Pearl River and seizure of Hong Kong. The war leads to Treaty of Nanjing which grants foreigners treaty ports in China and immunity from Chinese law. Britain, France, Germany, Japan Russia and Italy all gain concessions under the 'unequal treaties'that were finally given up in the Second World War." -
Hundred Days of 1898
"At the end of the 19th century the Guangxu emperor had a stab at reform in the Hundred Days of 1898 when he issued an avalanche of reforming edicts which overwhelmed the bureaucracy and alienated the gentry and Manchu nobles who formed the basis of the imperial regime." -
Japanese Encounters
"Japan's military
was strong enough to defeat China's and to gain control over Taiwan and portions of Manchuria.
In the 1910s and again in the 1930s, Japan encroached ever further into Chinese territory" -
Period: to
Chinese Land Losses
Independence movements in Tibet, Mongolia, and Xinjiang in the 1910s, „20s and „30s further
reduced China‟s territory. -
Collapse of Imperial System
"The millennia-old imperial system collapsed forever in 1911, leading to an extended period of
further chaos in which the new, nominally republican government was unable to control large
swaths of China's remaining territory" -
May 4th Movement of Students and Intellectuals
"...In favour of modernisation, democracy and iconoclasm begins with a protest in Beijing at the treatment of China under the Versailles Treaty but becomes a vibrant movement of free thinking and experimentation joined by Mao Zedong." -
Communism
"Communists defeat the Nationalists to take power as Mao proclaims that China has 'stood up again'. Nationalist leader Chiang Kaishek flees to Taiwan as head of Republic of China."