Catalysts of change (Part 2)

Sun Yat Sen

Sun Yat-sen, the son of a farmer, was born in 1866. He moved to Hawaii where he was brought up by his older brother. He studied medicine in Hong Kong and after graduating in 1892 he worked in Macao, Guangzhou and Honolulu. Sun Yat-sen became interested in politics and established the Revive China Society.
In 1895 Sun Yat-sen took part at Guangzhou in his first abortive uprising. Forced into exile he lived in Japan, the United States and Britain. While in London he was kidnapped and imprisoned in the Chinese legation. In danger of being executed the British Foreign Office got involved and obtained his release.
The Qing dynasty was finally overthrown in the Chinese Revolution of 1911. Sun Yat-sen briefly became president and with Song Jiaoren established he Kuomintang (National People's Party). When the party was suppressed in 1913 by General Yuan Shikai, Sun Yat-sen escaped to Japan.
Sun Yat-sen returned to Guangzhou and with the the help of advisers from the Soviet Union the Kuomintang gradually increased its power in China. In 1924 it adopted the "Three Principles of the People" (nationalism, democracy and social reform). He also established the Whampoa Military Academy under Chiang Kai-Shek.
Sun Yat-sen died of cancer in Beijing in 1925.
How is he a QCC?
He led the revolution that overthrew the Qing dynasty, turning China into a republic. The Qing had been in decline for several decades, and on the way out for at least half a century. However, the new Republic had a weak power base, and China was run by provincial officials and warlords for over a decade until Chaing Kai Shek unified most of the country, having succeeded Sun as leader of the Kuo Min Tang Party. So, there were sweeping political changes, but social changes were limited to the loss of dominance by the ethnically Manchu who had supported the Manchu Qing dynasty, and there was little Sun could do on the economic front. Nevertheless, both the Communists on mainland China and the Nationalists in Taiwan recognize Sun as the Father of the Republic of China, and the man who got rid of the last imperial dynsty of China, the Manchu Qing.

Japanese Imperial Army :>

Founding

During Meiji restoration, the Japanese imperial army was mostly made of samurai taken from loyalist feudal domains. As it gained its importance after its successful overthrow of tokugawa shogunate, it was changed; partly due to the establishment of the new Meiji era modeled on Europeans lines. The army became more formal. It became more essential in the later years and a notice was issued, mandating that men between a certain age was to undergo army training and another few years as reserve. The privilege that samurai could bear firearms while peasants could not was overruled.

The Japanese imperial army has only developed under the help of French advisors. The French came went to Japan 2 times. Prussia was also one of its role model after winning the war against France. Due to this, German advisors have been hired to train the army’s general staff in hope that their army will be as strong as Prussia’s and win in battle in Asia.  From then on, the army in Japan has sought many military advisors from Europe.

Japanese Movements

A rebellion was started, as the samurai are unable to handle the fact that firearms, which were once a privilege to only them and was the only difference between them and the people of lower classes is now removed.  All people in the army are now equal which means that no matter samurai or now, they will be able to handle firearms and that made the samurai unhappy, as they felt as if they were peasants. This rebellion eventually turned in to a civil war. It was put down swiftly by using western tactics and weapons even though the core of the army is actually the Tokyo police force. The military was to pledge loyalty to the emperor and had close and privileged relationship with the royal institution. The people were drawn closer to military to a point where the peasants consulted the people in the army for guidance in national matter rather than consulting political leader.

A few years later, the army has become the most modern, well equipped and well trained. They had good team spirit as well as morale. However, they did not have as good artillery and cavalry as their European counterparts have. In the first war the Japanese had with the Chinese over Korea had proved them to be of better caliber than the Chinese. They had victory after victory over the Chinese forces. This was due to the new European conscripts, well trained and well equipped army they had. This war allowed them to have   a shift of dominance in Asia. The Japanese imperial army had a part in the boxer rebellion. It had provided the largest contingent out of so many troops. The boxers used Chinese martial art fight while the Japanese used new weapons and tactics. Japan fought with Russia for the power over Manchuria and Korea, which led to the armies in both countries suffering severe losses. Japan, originally uninvolved in WWI joined in the fight and sided the French. They sent 100 000 to 500 000 men to French as help but the only action the Japanese took part in was the attack on German concession in china.

The Japanese expanded their power through trading money with a leader of a splinted group of the beiyang army for control of some areas in china. The Japanese wanted to take advantage of the collapse of the Russian empire to make a buffer state out Siberia, to prevent any future threat from Russia. In this period, the Japanese imperial army was forced to send troops to help the Russian white leader. When the Americans went back, the Japanese stayed behind, as they were afraid the communism in Russia would spread to Japan due to its close proximity. The Japanese had originally not wanted to leave Russia but because of strong diplomatic pressure by Great Britain and America that made them retreat. In the 1920s, the army expanded rapidly and there was a time which there were as many soldiers as 300 000. The government did not control the army but under the emperor hence, the civilian elected government had to depend on the army to survive. Due to this, the army was also able to control the appointment of war minister, which was usually controlled by the people or the government itself. The Japanese army had a higher position in the country than the civilian government, which made it different from other countries as the army was usually controlled by the government.  It went in to the second Sino Japanese war with china when some Chinese bandits attack a Japanese controlled area. This made the emperor trust in the army decrease and the power of the navy increase. The size of the Japanese army increase significantly as the years goes by. When WWII started, there was 1 700 000 people in the army and they were even more well equipped and advanced than they were in the early days of the army.

In the early days of WWII, most of the Japanese soldiers were stationed in China to protect the Japan from attack in Soviet Union. Armies were also sent to many parts of Asia. Due to the dispatch of large numbers of troops to many different countries in Asia and in different locations, hence, there was a shortage in food, medicine, munitions and armaments. This happened as they lost much when their submarines interdict and losses to shipping. It was also due to the long standing rivalry the army had with the navy and the navy do not want to send supplies over to aid the army which resulted in the aircrafts being unable it be used because of the shortage of parts and many people dying from illness and starvation.

In the WWII the Japanese were known to be fanatical and brutal. They killed many people, both civilians and prisoners of war in the Nanjing Massacre and did not feel anything. Due to this, many people died under their cruel killing methods. Hence in 1945, when the Japanese surrendered, many were punished and tried for their many wrongdoings and atrocities. During the Nanjing massacre and the invasion of other parts of Asia, They did not care whether the people were innocent of not and just killed them. This was especially so for those who were overseas Chinese and raised funds for the other Chinese in China. Hence, this resulted in their demise and the Japanese killing the others even when they did not do it as the others were suspected to be helping and there was no record of who helped and who did not. WWII was a deadly war that cost thousand of lives.