Studies On The Research Of Diplomatic History In Modern China

The study of modern Chinese Diplomatic history had been rising in before and after the first Opium War.After the slow development in the late Qing dynasty and early years of the Republic until 1930s and 1940s of 20th century,its development had been considerable. Although it is a special cross-branch of history,there is no systematic study on its origin, evolution,research and position in modern history.This being the case,this article tends to deal with the following aspects.First,from the perspective of historiography,this article makes an overall review of much historical compilations and the research practices of several typical scholars in modern China.Second,on the basis of the theoretical thinking and the sorting out of history materials,this study outlines the history of the study of modern Chinese Diplomatic history,and reveals the scholars' cultural values and the consequent influence on this branch and even on the whole field.Third,this article summarizes the features and trend of this branch, and evaluates its functions and position in the development of modern history,providing people with a fuller and clearer picture of it.In addition to Introduction and conclusion,there are altogether seven chapters in this article.In Introduction,the author reviews the research history of this study,and then makes a comprehensive analysis of the following three elements:the general process of the history of modern Chinese diplomacy development,research purposes and significance,domestic and international research.And the author defines some concepts of Diplomatic history,and at last, introduces writing purport of this paper,key issues to be resolved and methods,innovations and the structure of the essay.The first chapter is about research of the Whole Course of three dynasties.The book opened the prelude of printing the Qing dynasty's official diplomatic historical files.Through three dynasties,its codification had become a regular agency in repairing history.Its paradigm had a significant and sustained impact on the late official and private compilation of an upsurge of diplomatic files.With breaking the shackles of the traditional political history and making the codification content of the late Qing dynasty's diplomatic history,it has an important value and significance in the development of the modern Chinese History.In the late 1920s,being published by National Palace Museum in the form of photocopy,it promoted diplomatic research development in 1930s and 1940s,and directly spurred the change of the study culture. And so,it is worthy of a model about modern Chinese diplomatic official file codification.The second chapter illustrates the Files of Diplomatic Historical Materials in the Late Qing Dynasty.Wang Yanwei observed the current situation with his useful ideals.And his son,Wang Liang recognized the importance of diplomacy in the time of traveling in Europe and America and studying overseas.So they had achieved this book after half a century.It is a private historical masterpiece of the late Qing Dynasty after the Whole Course.It made near the seventy years of the late Qing Dynasty of the diplomacy history.And its abundance of material with modern scientific methods made historical significance and value more clearly.It not only made the style of historical materials much richer,standardized the procedures of the codification,and directly impetuses the boom of the late compilation about diplomatic materials, but also effectively promoted the popularization of the diplomatic knowledge.And it was a major driving force,making research about diplomacy in 1930s develop toward a breakthrough direction.The third chapter remarks on the research contributions of Jiang Tingfu.He was the pioneer of modern diplomatic research.Historical Science of Diplomacy started a change direction in his times.In a time when the research of diplomacy changed from tradition to science,he who contributed to historical materials,the academic of diplomatic research and paradigm and so on,was a leader in the country,guiding the transformation of academic concepts in history of academia.And more,with the basic principles of modern diplomacy,open mind and thinking,he focused on the diplomatic concept and universal ideals in modern world. He broke the traditional pattern of narrow scholar's hip,and updated new concepts in historical research areas.He always adhered to the scientific method.He described the great changes between China and the modern world with vertical and horizontal comparison.He combined research and argumentation in order to seek the truth of history.So inspecting his efforts from collecting and collating historical materials to study concept and practice,he both was pioneer and founder.The fourth chapter discusses the new situation about publishing diplomacy materials in the period of the Republic.The continuous development of academic research needs the emergence of new materials.After the Whole Course of three dynasties and the Files of Diplomatic Historical Materials in the Late Qing Dynasty,there was a new situation.Using their own collections,the National Palace Museum continued to collate the Qing Dynasty official files and met the needs of the academic community.And under the guidance of the principle of "commitment to the treaty" and in the wave of the abolition of the treaty,many charters were compiled;The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' internal files were promulgated and printed regular; And the diplomacy materials on the reality were printed.These directly made the emergence of new areas of diplomatic research.So the historian for the prosperity had laid a solid foundation for literature in 1930s and 1940s. The fifth chapter discusses the Republic's diplomacy research in the initial stage.In the promotion of the collation of materials and the boom of the research,Hong Junpei and Zhang Zhongfu,with their own history activities,together created a line of research and preparation about the Republic's diploma cal history.Had been using the topic research methods,they explored the contemporary history.There was an important historical significance.Through revolutionary spirit and diplomacy,Hong expounded his own unique "theory on history" in his book of the Diplomatic History of the National Government.But Zhang's research book of the Diplomatic History of the Republic was superior to Hong's in academic standard.Although the two books' styles of the codification were different,as a whole,they filled the gaps in this area, and have made great achievements.As a stage in the important results,they made an important preparation for the general history of diplomacy later.The sixth chapter discusses the research and edition of the general history of Chinese diplomacy.Being a leader in this area,Uu Yan,with his own efforts,completed a general system diplomacy history book of ninety years.His preliminary research contents and frameworks established had a great impact on the later.After him,the research went into a period of rapid development relatively.From the Northern Expedition to the victory against Japanese aggression,a group of scholars went into this area;a number of books had come out in succession.On the basic of results,they debated key issues actively,and had courage to break.Qian Yishi and Wan Zhongwen,as the representatives of the researchers,they had a exploration on the significance,contents,methods,standards and evaluation framework of diplomacy research.This change from practice to theory,was an important performance of the general history of diplomacy this period,and contributed its forces to the direction of modern diplomatic history.The seventh chapter discusses Wang Yunsheng and the research of the history of Sino-Japanese relations.Because of historical and cultural insights between China and Japan, and a broad vision of the Far East and the international relations,he completed his masterpiece "the Sino-Japanese Relations of 60 Years" and a series of other papers.He not only system collected and collated historical materials,but also conducted the characteristics of China-Japanese diplomatic with the help of the analysis on this two countries.He evaluated history figures with the firm understanding and the spirit of independent thinking to achieve "comments out of history".He thank in-depth about Sino-Japanese issues and promoted the important concept of "the peaceful coexistence of Sino-Japanese relations".His open mind and beyond the vision was rare in the researchers at the same time period.His thinking of history research about "only the truth from their literature" and western mutual certification method became a model in the development of the Sino-Japanese relations research.The concluding chapter summarizes all features of modern diplomacy historical science in China.The researchers were by a group of professionals and academicians with study experience in western countries;the historical materials played a fundamental role in every stage of research;With a suit of history theme and times background,the history met modern concepts:The method to collating and researching history had become continuous improvement and maturity;It had always been imbued with modern spirit and modern diplomatic ideas.All these are important modern transitions.Of course,in the study cognition, study scope,research attitude and approach,there are some shortcomings to be worthy of reflection.But their constructions of the paradigm research are valuable experience to be absorbed by the researchers in the latter half the 20th century and this era.