The dynamics of nationalism: Chinese revolution and Sino-American relations, 1926-1931

This study reassesses and reinterprets the Chinese Nationalist Revolution and Sino-American relations during the 1920s. Based on previously neglected and newly available archival and other sources, it addresses two main topics: the diversity and dynamics of modern Chinese nationalism and the Chinese Revolution, and the linkage between the Sino-foreign conflicts and domestic Chinese political developments.;Modern Chinese nationalism had two interrelated aspects: it was constructive in that it sought to unify and reconstruct China as a nation, and it was hostile in that it sought to eliminate foreign control that impinged on China's sovereignty. The foreign presence in China, though having functioned as an outside oppressive force, was also an integral part of the Chinese power structure. This distinguished the Revolution's context from that of the traditional internal power struggles. The KMT incorporated both aspects of nationalism into its ideology, but its 1920s Revolution focused primarily on national unification and control.;This study examines a series of Sino-foreign incidents in the era, including the Nanjing, Jinan, Chinese Eastern Railway, and Manchurian Incidents, by linking them with domestic Chinese developments. The 1928 Jinan Incident was a turning point. Before the incident, the KMT retained its internal posture of anti-foreignism and actually sought an understanding with Japan, whereas the North, which also sought to eliminate the treaty system, looked to the U.S. and Britain for support. After the Incident, the threat from Japan overwhelmed and undermined the KMT's internal drive for power. As a result, the KMT turned to the U.S., a treaty Power, to balance Japan.;In general, the U.S. was willing to accept the Nationalist Revolution. That was clearly borne out by America's willingness to settle the Nanjing Incident and conclude a treaty that restored tariff autonomy to China. Minister John MacMurray, despite his disagreements on tactics with Washington, initiated a number of important diplomatic steps to meet China's aspirations. From 1928 on, America's China policy was also affected by Japan. The American commitment to a "special Sino-American relationship" was largely a reaction to Japan's aggressive stance in Manchuria.