History 355: History of Modern China
Fall 2021, MWF 12:00-12:50, DHC 210
Professor Jonathan Skaff
E-mail: jkskaf@ship.edu Personal website: http://webspace.ship.edu/jkskaf/
Office Telephones: 477-1907 (MOW 246) or 477-1255 (DHC 215)
Office Hours in Mowrey 246: MW 2:00-4:00, T 1:00-1:50, Th 1:15-3:15, and by appointment
I. Course Description
This course covers the history of China from late imperial times (1600-1911) through the chaotic Republican period (1911-1949) to the current People’s Republic of China (1949-present). Since the 1600s China has been transformed from a traditional agricultural empire into a modern nation-state with a fast-developing industrial economy. During this long period, wrenching social, economic and political changes occurred as China faced external challenges and internal disruptions. The course will explore major themes including late imperial government and society, the impact of Western and Japanese imperialism, the 1911 Revolution that led to a long civil war, the Communist Revolution of 1949, U.S.-China relations since the 1940s, and the rapid economic and social developments since 1990. Most of the supplementary readings are biographies and memoirs of people who lived through these dramatic events.
The class also will concentrate on developing students’ writing, public speaking, and critical thinking skills. Each class will include required discussion, so it is imperative that students do assigned reading when scheduled. Each student is required to lead a discussion during the semester. All writing assignments are expected to be well argued and written. Writing mechanics, such as grammar and spelling, will be 20% of the grade on each paper. HIS 105 is the only prerequisite.
II. Requirements
1. Complete assigned readings, attend class, and participate in class discussion (10%)
2. Lead a 15-minute discussion during one class session this semester (instructions below in Part IV, 5%)
3. Write three papers (45%)
4. Exam 1 on Part 1 of Syllabus (10%)
5. Exam 2 on Part 2 of Syllabus (10%)
6. Final Exam on Part 3 of Syllabus (15%) and Cumulative Interpretive Essay (5%)
III. Policies
1. Health and safety are of primary importance during the COVID-19 pandemic! Students attending class MUST wear a face mask. Any student who violates this policy and refuses to depart the classroom will be reported to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action. All students are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Students who test positive for COVID-19 will be permitted to attend remotely during their quarantine periods.
2. The class participation grade will be based on attendance and contributions to discussions. You will receive a grade for each class session. Grades will be awarded according to the following standards:
90-100: Student demonstrates mastery of readings by making thoughtful and insightful comments.
80-89: Student shows that he/she has completed reading assignments.
70-79: Student participates in discussion without giving evidence of having completed the reading.
60-69: Student attends class without speaking.
0: Student has an unexcused absence, sleeps in class, or uses unauthorized electronic device.
3. Absences will be excused if you can document a serious illness, quarantine, family emergency, varsity athletic event, military duty or religious observance. Only students with documented excuses can attend class remotely, or make up exams and discussion leader assignments later. Students who were sick must submit a doctor’s note. For a family emergency, I require a phone call from a parent or guardian, or a death notice. Athletes should provide a memo from the head coach with the team schedule. If you have military duty, inform your dean’s office. They will send notification to all of your professors. The university’s policy on religious observances is the following: “At the beginning of each academic session (fall, spring, summer), the student will be required (in writing) to provide his/her faculty with the dates of scheduled religious observances.”
4. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. I encourage you to study together with other students, but all papers and exams must be written in your own words without the assistance of others. Cases of academic dishonesty will be dealt with according to the policies in the “Academic Policies and Procedures” chapter of the Undergraduate Catalog (catalog.ship.edu). Students who intentionally violate university policies on academic dishonesty will receive a penalty of a grade of “F” for the course. To check for plagiarism, all papers must be submitted to the D2L Dropbox. Students looking at or handling electronic devices or other objects during exams will receive a grade of “F.”
5. “Smartphones make you dumb in class.” All electronic devices are banned in class, except for those used to take notes or view course readings. Educational research has shown that electronic communications, including text messaging, create distractions that interfere with learning. Violations of this policy will result in a participation grade of zero for that day’s class session.
6. I comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to keep your academic records confidential, and Title IX requirements to “report incidents of sexual violence shared by students.” To read the full Title IX syllabus statement, click on this link: https://www.ship.edu/EIC/title_ix_statement/
7. I welcome students with disabilities in my classroom. Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) in Mowrey 252 to discuss specific needs. For more information, see the website: www.ship.edu/oar
8. I assign letter grades used in the Shippensburg University grading system to the following numerical scores:
A 93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 70-76
D 60-69
F Below 60
IV. Discussion Leader Assignment (5% of final grade)
My First Draft Deadline: Sun./Tues./Thurs._______________________by 5:30 p.m. on the day before you lead the discussion OR at least 24 hours earlier if you are not available to send me revisions on the evening and morning before class. Plan to revise your questions based on my feedback at least 2 to 4 times. When I approve, submit the final copy to the D2L Discussion Leader folder by 11:30 am on the day you lead the discussion.
The class discussion should last 15 minutes and be primarily based upon the assigned supplementary reading or comparisons between the main textbook and the supplementary reading. Develop 3 or 4 main questions with additional follow-up questions to be used only as needed. Some main questions should be factual, asking classmates to summarize main themes and arguments of the reading. At least one question should be open-ended, asking classmates to share their interpretations and opinions of the reading.
Send me drafts of questions via email (jkskaf@ship.edu) in a MS Word attachment. I will respond with suggested revisions using the MS Word “track changes” and “comment” features. The university offers free Microsoft Office software to all students: http://www.ship.edu/technology/student/office/. You are also free to visit me during office hours for my input.
Your grade will be based on the effectiveness of your written questions and oral delivery:
Some hints on developing good questions (adapted from retired professor Vera Reber):
· Be creative: A stimulating question can be related to a quotation, picture, chart, map, controversial statement, information previously covered in class, or anything else of your choosing.
V. Readings
A. Main textbook (Available for purchase in bookstore or 3-hour loan in library E-Reserves):
Spence, Jonathan D. The Search for Modern China. 3rd ed. New York: Norton, 2012.
B. Supplementary readings for class discussions:
1. Books (Available for purchase or 3-hour loan in library E-Reserves)
Chang, Jung. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991.
Elliott, Mark C. Emperor Qianlong: Son of Heaven, Man of the World. New York: Longman, 2009.
Pa Chin. Family. Translated by Sidney Shapiro. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland, 1972.
Zhang Daye. The World of a Tiny Insect: A Memoir of the Taiping Rebellion and Its Aftermath. Translated by Xiaofei Tian. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2013.
Available in Ship library electronic edition: SHIP PERMALINK
Zhao Ziyang, et al. Prisoner of the State: The Secret Journal of Premier Zhao Ziyang. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2010.
2. E-Reserves Articles, Book Chapters and Film (Available in library E-Reserves)
Averill, Stephen C. "Party, Society, and Local Elite in the Jiangxi Communist Movement." Journal of Asian Studies 46 (1987): 279-303. Available in Ship library electronic edition: SHIP PERMALINK
Brook, Timothy. “Families.” In The Troubled Empire. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2010, 134-160. Available in Ship library electronic edition: SHIP PERMALINK
Brook, Timothy. “Collapse.” In The Troubled Empire. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2010, 238-259. Available in Ship library electronic edition: SHIP PERMALINK
The Emperor's Eye: Art and Power in Industrial China. Films On Demand, 1990. Free stream through Ship library: SHIP PERMALINK
Liu, Liyan. "The Man Who Molded Mao: Yang Changji and the First Generation of Chinese Communists." Modern China 32, no. 4 (2006): 483-512. Available in Ship library electronic edition: SHIP PERMALINK
Martin, Brian G. "The Green Gang and the Guomindang State: Du Yuesheng and the Politics of Shanghai, 1927-37." The Journal of Asian Studies 54 (1995): 64-91. Available in Ship library electronic edition: SHIP PERMALINK
3. Online Reading
Ebrey, Patricia Buckley. nd. A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization: University of Washington. http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/index.htm.
VI. Schedule
Part I: Late Imperial China, 1500-1850
M 8/23: Introductions
W 8/25: China’s Land, Peoples and Languages;
Reading: Spence, xxxi-xxxiii; Online Reading: Ebrey, A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization:
http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/geo/land.htm
http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/geo/people.htm
F 8/27: The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
Reading: Spence: 3-21; E-Reserves: Brook, “Families” SHIP PERMALINK
M 8/30: Late Ming Decline and Fall
Reading: Spence, 21-25; E-Reserves: Brook, “Collapse” SHIP PERMALINK (Compare Spence and Brook’s explanations of the Ming’s fall.)
Reading: Spence, 26-32; Elliott xi-xiii, Emperor Qianlong,1-33
F 9/3: Qing Dynasty and Its Early Conquests, 1644-61
Reading: Reading: Spence, 32-47; Elliott, Emperor Qianlong, 34-67
M 9/6: Labor Day: No Class!
W 9/8: Kangxi Emperor’s Consolidation of Qing Rule, 1661-1722
Reading: Spence, 48-71; Elliott, Emperor Qianlong, 68-106
F 9/10: Qianlong and Qing Dynasty Foreign Relations to 1800
Reading: Spence, 94-99, 114-21; Elliott, Emperor Qianlong, 107-42 (Compare Spence and Elliott’s evaluations of Qianlong.)
M 9/13: The Opium War and Unequal Treaties, 1839-42
Reading: Spence, 121-30, 147-63; Elliott, Emperor Qianlong, 143-67
W 9/15: Population Growth and Social Unrest in 18th and 19th Centuries
Reading: Spence, 72-83, 88-97, 108-114; Zhang, The World of a Tiny Insect, 3-13, 35-68 SHIP PERMALINK
Paper 1 on Emperor Qianlong Assigned
F 9/17: Film, The Emperor's Eye: SHIP PERMALINK
Part II. From the Qing Dynasty to the “Republic of China,” 1850-1935
W 9/22: The Taiping and other Rebellions, mid-19th Century
Reading: Spence, 164-85; Zhang, The World of a Tiny Insect, 13-26, 79-107
F 9/24: Qing Dynasty Reforms of Mid-to-Late 19th Century
Reading: Spence, 186-201; Zhang, The World of a Tiny Insect, 109-45
M 9/27: Renewed Imperialism in China
Reading: Spence, 208-21; Zhang, The World of a Tiny Insect, 145-76
W 9/29: Reformist and Popular Nationalism: Failed 1898 Reforms and The Boxer Rebellion
Reading: Spence, 222-49; E-Reserves: Liu, “The Man Who Molded Mao” SHIP PERMALINK
F 10/1: Late Qing Reforms and Revolutionary Nationalism
Reading: Spence, 234-54; Pa Chin, Family, 8-63
Paper 1 Due
M 10/4: Fall of Qing Dynasty, Early Republic of China and Warlordism
Reading: Spence, 257-78; Pa Chin, Family, 63-113
W 10/6: The May Fourth Movement, 1919
Reading: Spence, 279-83, 286-295; Pa Chin, Family, vii-xix, 1-8, 113-165
F 10/8: Origins of the Chinese Communist Party, 1917-1921
Reading: Spence, 247, 283-86, 295-300; Pa Chin, Family, 165-217
M 10/11: First United Front, Early 1920s
Reading: Spence, 301-309; Pa Chin, Family, 217-268
Paper 2 on Family and The World of a Tiny Insect assigned
W 10/13: The Northern Expedition, 1926
Reading: Spence, 310-26; Pa Chin, Family, 269-329
F 10/15: Guomindang (National People’s Party) Government
Reading: Spence, 327-48; E-Reserves: Martin, “The Green Gang and the Guomindang State” SHIP PERMALINK
M 10/18: No Class: Fall Break
Part III. The Rise and Rule of the Chinese Communist Party, 1926-present
F 10/22: Communist Retreat to the Countryside; The Long March
Reading: Spence, 356-381; E-Reserves: Averill, “Party, Society, and Local Elites"SHIP PERMALINK
M 10/25: Japanese Invasion of Manchuria, 1931-36
Reading: Spence, 348-55; Chang, Wild Swans, chaps. 1-2
W 10/27: The Second United Front, 1937-41
Reading: Spence, 381-387, 397-415; Chang, Wild Swans, chaps. 3-4
F 10/29: China in World War II, 1941-45
Reading: Spence, 416-432; Chang, Wild Swans, chaps. 5-6
Paper 2 due
M 11/1: Renewed Civil War and Communist Victory, 1945-49
Reading: Spence, 433-59; Chang, Wild Swans, chaps. 7-8
W 11/3: Consolidation of Communist Power; Land Reform, early 1950s
Reading: Spence, 460-69, 478-93; Chang, Wild Swans, chaps. 9-10
Reading: Spence, 499-513; Chang, Wild Swans, chaps. 11-12
M 11/8: The Great Leap Forward, 1958-1961
Reading: Spence, 514-23; Chang, Wild Swans, chaps. 13-14
W 11/10: The Cultural Revolution I: Civil Disorder, late 1960s
Reading: Spence, 535-55; Chang, Wild Swans, chaps. 15-19
F 11/12: The Cultural Revolution II: Order Restored
Reading: Spence, 570-80; Chang, Wild Swans, chaps. 20-22
M 11/15: Shifting Cold War Foreign Relations, 1950-72
Reading: Spence, 469-78, 493-505, 523-28, 565-70; Chang, Wild Swans, chaps. 23-25
W 11/17: Post-Mao PRC: The Rise of Deng Xiaoping
Reading: Spence, 580-593, 599-614; Chang, Wild Swans, chaps. 26-28, “Epilogue”
F 11/19: The Four Modernizations, 1980s
Reading: Spence, 615-23, 629-33; Zhao, Prisoner, ix-xxv, 91-113, 138-54 (also refer to “Who Was Who” pp. 289-304)
M 11/22: Democracy Movements, 1978, 1986, 1989
Reading: Spence, 593-99, 639-665; Zhao, Prisoner, 3-49 ,161-82, 217-22, 237-44
W 11/24 & F 11/26: No Class Thanksgiving Break!
M 11/29: Chinese Communist Political System, 1990-present
Reading: Spence, 666-70, 682-97; Zhao, Prisoner, 53-87
Paper 3 due
W 12/1: Economic Boom, 1990-present
Reading: Spence, 671-78, 697-99; Zhao, Prisoner, 155-58, 247-81
F 12/3: Social Changes, 1990-present [not covered]
Reading: Spence, 678-82, 699-707