On The Trend Of Thought In Militarism Education Roughly From 1900-1920 In China

In the period from the late Qing Dynasty to the beginning of the Republic of China (roughly from 1900 to 1920), the trend of thought in militarism education was that of patriotic education to cultivate citizens'military character and to make them army as they were all soldiers. China had always got the good warrior tradition, and in the modern times of great national crisis the progressive intellectuals began to realize, in the course to find ways to save the nation from extinction, the importance of improving the body constitution and upholding the army force, and further they advocated the education of militarism. After the social Darwinism were introduced into China, concepts like competition for existence and survival of the fittest aroused people's sense of national crisis, laying the theoretical foundation for the militarism education. Most modern states such as Germany and Japan had implemented the militarism education either for building up a united nation or for aggressive expansion, being the reference for such education in China. But both are different in essence. The anti-Russia movement became the immediate cause for this educational idea's coming into existence. Due to the intellectuals'vigorously promotion, government's advocacy and people's active participation, the social trend of thought of certain prestige and influence was gradually getting formed.The trend of thought of militarism education experienced five periodical phases from the late Qing Dynasty to the beginning of the Republic of China. Before 1904, the education was only personal advocacy with little social reaction, which was the early propaganda; in 1904, the militarism education was established as an important content of school education. Thanks to the support from government, the press publicity got much wider, finding an echo in all social circles, and a series of leagues were successively founded. The idea went to maturity. From 1912 to 1914, the Republic of China was founded, the federal monarchy being destroyed and the revolution being completed, so the advocacy on the militarism education was turned down conservatively and the publicizing intensity was far less than that at the end of the Qing Dynasty.