Qing Dynasty asChina's modern political transformationAt the beginning, its ending was indeed quite miserable, especially the "New Deal of the late Qing Dynasty" launched in the early 20th century, which was even more embarrassing. These reforms did not save the Qing dynasty, but rather hastened its demise.
If only the new policy had been thoroughly implemented at that time, or if the Empress Dowager Cixi had continued to support the reformsProbably the Qing Dynasty wouldn't have collapsed in just a few years.
The main reform contents of the New Deal at the end of the Qing Dynasty:
The New Deal at the end of the Qing Dynasty mainly included political, economic, military, and educational reforms. Among them, the political reforms are mainly the establishment of parliaments and the implementation of constitutional government; Economic reforms include the development of industry and commerce, the construction of railways, etc.; The military reform is to organize and train the new army and learn the advanced military technology of the West; In terms of education, the reform was the abolition of the imperial examination system and the establishment of new schools.
The most immediate problem is that the New Deal lacks real momentum.
Although the leaders of the Qing Dynasty were willing to carry out reforms, they did not really take responsibility for the country and the nation. What they really care about is not the interests of the country, but their own status.
Therefore, the promotion of the New Deal is mostly "profit-driven" rather than "morally driven". It is very difficult for this kind of reform to win broad support from the whole society, and it will not be able to sustain it.
Moreover, the starting point of the New Deal is questionable. The New Deal was originally intended to save the Qing Dynasty, but in fact it harmed the interests of many nobles and intellectuals, such asMeasures such as abolishing the imperial examination system, establishing new schools, and implementing the constitution
All this was forced under pressure from the Western powers, and did not take into account the actual situation in Chinese society at all. Such a reform will certainly be met with strong resistance, and the New Deal will not be able to truly take root in the hearts of the people.
The New Deal at the end of the Qing Dynasty required a large amount of capital investment, but at that time, the Qing Dynasty's treasury was empty, and the long-term external indemnity and internal corruption stretched the state finances.
According to the "Modern Economic History of China", the establishment of new schools, the modernization of the army, and the construction of railways and other infrastructure all require huge funds, and the Qing Dynasty is neither able to provide sufficient financial support, nor can it effectively integrate private capital, which seriously restricts the development space of the New Deal.
The New Deal also lacked a strong enough core of leadership. At the end of the Qing Dynasty,Although Emperor Guangxu held real power, he himself was not a person who could lead reforms.
His attitude towards the New Deal was always changing, and the reform did not go smoothly. Moreover, he also lacked sufficient political acumen and foresight to deal with the complex situation at home and abroad, which, combined with Cixi's intervention, eventually led to the failure of the New Deal and the Qing Dynasty.
Political reform is not strong enough. Although the Qing Dynasty had a parliamentary system and a constitutional system, these reforms were just a spectacle and did not solve the actual problems.
For example, the parliament is there, but its power is quite constrained, and it can't really oversee it**; The constitution has also been carried out, but there are problems in its content and implementation, and it cannot protect the rights and interests of the people at all.
As for economic reforms, the results are not too great. The Qing Dynasty encouraged the development of industry and commerce, the construction of railways, and so on, but these measures did not change the situation of China's semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. Foreign powers still control the lifeblood of China's economy, and the life of the Chinese people is still miserable.
Let's talk about military reformThis is also a mediocre effect. The Qing Dynasty trained the new army and learned some advanced Western military technology, but these efforts did not make the squadron stronger. When fighting with foreign powers, the squadron still loses and cannot maintain the independence and dignity of the country.
Finally, when it comes to education reform, the process is slower than a snail.
Although the Qing Dynasty abolished the imperial examination system and established new schools, these reforms did not change the backward face of China's education. Many places still follow the old-fashioned private school education method, and they cannot cultivate talents who can meet the needs of modern social development.
In addition, during the New Deal, although some policies, such as the abolition of the imperial examination and the establishment of new schools, were conducive to social progress, in the process of implementation, due to the lack of proper supporting measures and reasonable transitional arrangements, it aroused strong resistance from the old intellectuals and the broad masses of the people at the bottom. For example, after the abolition of the imperial examination, a large number of scholars lost their way to promotion, causing social unrest. Tell the story of China's new political party system