Sun Yat-Sen
Evaluate the importance of Sun Yixian’s (Sun Yat-sen’s) role in bringing about the 1911 Revolution in China.
Sun Yat-sen’s role in the 1911 revolution against the Qing dynasty was an indirect one. Sun Yat-sen was exiled in the United States during the events of the Wuchang Uprising of October 10th, 1911, hearing about it through a newspaper publication in Denver, Colorado.[1] Many Historians view Sun’s accession as the provisional President of the Republic of China, directly following the revolution, as due to his position as a “compromise candidate”(Bergere, Marie-Clare, Sun Yat-sen, 1994, p. 12). This interpretation holds Sun Yat-sen as a respected but unimportant figure in the revolution, serving as an ideal compromise between the revolutionaries and the conservative gentry. However, perspectives differ, Sun Yat-sen is credited for the funding of the revolutionary movement and for “keeping the spirit of revolution alive”(MacFarquhar, Roderick, Cambridge History of China: The People’s Republic, 1998, p. 261), despite a series of previous failed uprisings. His ability to be flexible in his ideology and merge the political beliefs of smaller revolutionary groups into a single larger party also provided a better power base for the officers and soldiers of the New Army at Wuchang. Sun Yat-sen’s role in the 1911 revolution was as an ideological leader rather than as a direct military opponent against the Qing dynasty.
The view that Sun Yat-sen’s role in the revolution of 1911 was as a compromise candidate was defined by his wide sphere of influence and accessibility to all factions of early 20th century Chinese society. At age 13, Sun Yat-sen went to live with his expatriate brother Sun Mei, in Honolulu, Hawaii.[2] In this period, Sun Yat-sen received an education from British Christian missionaries, instilling western principles and the political ideals of democracy and socialism into his perspective on China. After visiting China in 1883, Sun Yat-sen was
Sun Yat-sen’s role in the 1911 revolution against the Qing dynasty was an indirect one. Sun Yat-sen was exiled in the United States during the events of the Wuchang Uprising of October 10th, 1911, hearing about it through a newspaper publication in Denver, Colorado.[1] Many Historians view Sun’s accession as the provisional President of the Republic of China, directly following the revolution, as due to his position as a “compromise candidate”(Bergere, Marie-Clare, Sun Yat-sen, 1994, p. 12). This interpretation holds Sun Yat-sen as a respected but unimportant figure in the revolution, serving as an ideal compromise between the revolutionaries and the conservative gentry. However, perspectives differ, Sun Yat-sen is credited for the funding of the revolutionary movement and for “keeping the spirit of revolution alive”(MacFarquhar, Roderick, Cambridge History of China: The People’s Republic, 1998, p. 261), despite a series of previous failed uprisings. His ability to be flexible in his ideology and merge the political beliefs of smaller revolutionary groups into a single larger party also provided a better power base for the officers and soldiers of the New Army at Wuchang. Sun Yat-sen’s role in the 1911 revolution was as an ideological leader rather than as a direct military opponent against the Qing dynasty.
The view that Sun Yat-sen’s role in the revolution of 1911 was as a compromise candidate was defined by his wide sphere of influence and accessibility to all factions of early 20th century Chinese society. At age 13, Sun Yat-sen went to live with his expatriate brother Sun Mei, in Honolulu, Hawaii.[2] In this period, Sun Yat-sen received an education from British Christian missionaries, instilling western principles and the political ideals of democracy and socialism into his perspective on China. After visiting China in 1883, Sun Yat-sen was
References: Wasserstrom, Jeffrey, Twentieth Century China: New Approaches, Routledge, New York, 2001 This literary source was fantastic as an overview of early twentieth century China Reynolds, Douglas R., China, 1895-1912: State Sponsored Reforms and Qing Revolution, M. E Sharpe, London, 1995 This text provided a huge amount of information about Sun Yat-sen’s theology, even showing it’s flexibility Gordon, David, Sun Yat-sen: Seeking a Newer China, Prentice Hall, London, 2008 This new published source contained very specific information about Sun Yat-sen Bergere, Marie-Clare, Sun Yat-sen, Cooper , London, 1994 This is the most famous source on Sun Yat-sen and I was not the only person to have requested it at the National Library MacFarquhar, Roderick, Cambridge History of China: The People’s Republic, 1998 This was a rather intimidating source, coming in many volumes ----------------------- [1] Wasserstrom, Jeffrey, Twentieth Century China: New Approaches, Routledge, New York, 2001, p [2] Bergere, Marie-Clare, Sun Yat-sen, Cooper , London, 1994, p. 23 [3] Reynolds, Douglas R., China, 1895-1912: State Sponsored Reforms and Qing Revolution, M [4] Gordon, David, Sun Yat-sen: Seeking a Newer China, Prentice Hall, London, 2008, p.174 [5] Bergere, Marie-Clare, Sun Yat-sen, Cooper , London, 1994, p [6] MacFarquhar, Roderick, Cambridge History of China: The People’s Republic, 1998, p. 112