The Revolution of 1911 is a great milestone in the modern history of China. Although the Revolution of 1911 was successful, due to various reasons, the fruits of the victory of the revolution were stolen by reactionary warlords, and Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary goal and ideal of creating democracy and state system failed to be realized. In view of the historical fact that the bourgeois democratic revolution (known as the old democratic revolution in history) failed, China's modern history and Sun Yat-sen's historical theories and comments at all times and all over the world will inevitably involve the evaluation of Sun Yat-sen's merits and demerits when analyzing the reasons for the failure of the old democratic revolution.
In all kinds of articles and works of Sun Yat-sen's historical theory, historical theory and historical works (referring to literature and film and television art creation), people generally agree with the historical essence and great achievements of Sun Yat-sen's leadership of the Revolution of 1911. However, when it comes to the specific historical facts of the failure of the bourgeois-democratic revolution in China, there are various ambiguities because people hold different views and arguments. For example, some people say that Sun Yat-sen's giving way to Yuan Shikai was a major mistake and the main reason for the failure of the revolution; In a word, some people regard Sun Yat-sen's lack of the guiding ideology of relying on the workers and peasants as the main force of the revolution, the lack of advanced party building theory and the lack of correct line for building the army as the fundamental reason for the failure of the revolution; Wait a minute. The author thinks that if analyzed from an isolated point of view or simple logic, such arguments and statements are logical and seem appropriate; However, if Sun Yat-sen's practice of leading the democratic revolution is put into the historical scope and social environment at that time, such arguments and statements will lose objectivity and accuracy.
1. Giving way to Yuan Shikai is a great historical achievement of Sun Yat-sen.
19 1 1 year Wuchang Uprising was actually an armed riot instigated by revolutionaries to the Qing court's new army stationed in Han. The victory of the armed uprising shocked the whole country. Under the influence of revolutionaries, military and political officials in southern provinces declared independence one after another, which promoted the rapid development of the revolutionary situation and put the Manchu rule in jeopardy. 19 12 On New Year's Day, Sun Yat-sen returned from Japan and, with the support of representatives from various provinces, became the interim president in Nanjing. The establishment of the provisional government and the establishment of a brand-new bourgeois democratic system sounded the death knell of the feudal autocracy that ruled old China for more than two thousand years. The Revolution of 1911 was a success. However, at this time, the decadent Manchu dynasty was still alive in Beijing, and Yuan Shikai, a great warlord, was appointed as the prime minister of the Qing court, holding military and political power and threatening the survival of the revolutionary regime. Soon after, the North and the South held a dialogue. Under the condition that Yuan Shikai publicly promised to "force the Qing emperor to abdicate" and "absolutely agree with * * *", Sun Yat-sen resigned as interim president and gave way to Yuan Shikai, which led to the victory of the Revolution of 1911 being stolen by Yuan Shikai.
If we look at this historical event from an isolated point of view, it is true that Sun Yat-sen gave way to Yuan Shikai, which was the initial reason for Yuan Shikai's theft of the country, the collapse of the revolutionary regime, and the retrogression of the system. It seems logical that some historical theories and historical theories have derived the evaluation of "Sun Yat-sen's big mistake". However, the author believes that if this incident is investigated in the historical and social environment of the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, it will naturally get the opposite evaluation-Sun Yat-sen's abdication in Yuan is not a mistake or limitation, on the contrary, it is a great historical achievement that contributed to the abdication of the Qing emperor, overthrowing the feudal autocratic system, promoting democracy, flying flags and revolutionary ideas.
Please look at the historical scope and social environment of China at that time: Yuan Shikai, as an eagle dog of the Qing Dynasty, was a fully armed Beiyang Army, backed by the financial support of imperialist powers. He is powerful politically, economically and militarily. Shortly after the fall of Wuchang, he sent troops south to capture Hanyang. Under the planning of the British consul, he negotiated with representatives of independent provinces, reached an armistice agreement on the condition of "holding Yuan in power", and then electrified Nanjing to threaten to send troops to temporarily suppress it. At that time, the success of Wuchang Uprising was organized and planned by revolutionaries such as Huang Xing, but it was only a rebellion against the defenders in Wuhan. The independence of the southern provinces was also caused by a temporary revolutionary influence, and there was no clear revolutionary goal. Even though the provisional government led by Sun Yat-sen was formally established, it was disturbed politically, economically and militarily because of the lack of military forces under unified command, financial distress and the infighting between the constitutionalists and the old bureaucrats mixed with the revolutionary camp. In this situation, if Sun Yat-sen stubbornly confronts Yuan, sticks to the position of temporary president in a corner of Nanjing, and upholds democracy and the New Deal, it will also be a temporary delay and will be suppressed, which may not only lead to the collapse of the revolutionary regime and the collapse of the revolutionary camp, but also lead to the tragic ending of the Qing court puppet and the disappearance of the system. It was Sun Yat-sen who stood at the height of national conditions and started from the overall situation of the democratic revolution. With Yuan Shikai's attitude of "in favor of * * * and", he resigned as president with a broad mind of a revolutionary. He first forced Yuan to sign a negotiation contract, forced the Qing emperor to abdicate in practice, and then forced Yuan to openly accept the interim constitution in parliament, apparently having to implement the * * * political system. Only in this way, we got a "give way to Yuan", the complete overthrow of feudal monarchy and the great success of * * * and the spring tide, which not only preserved the effective strength of the revolutionary party to continue the revolution, but also opened up the road of democratic thoughts deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. This is exactly the correct decision and historical contribution made by Sun Yat-sen for the continued development of the democratic revolution. The historical facts after abdication show that although Yuan Shikai succeeded in usurping power and stealing the country, he once turned his power to the country, not only practicing a false dictatorship, but also a true dictatorship, and even brazenly planning to ascend to the throne as emperor. However, with the exposure of its counter-revolutionary restoration, Sun Yat-sen took the opportunity to lead the movement to protect the law and the second revolution, and the voice of begging Yuan was rising all over the country. Coupled with the intensification of internal contradictions among the Beiyang warlords, Yuan Shikai, who had all the power, had to do it. This is a historical proof of the correctness and success of Sun Yat-sen's decision to give way to Yuan.
Second, the failure of the bourgeois-democratic revolution in China was not caused by the limitations of the leaders.
The remarkable difference between the history of Huaxia and the history of other countries or regions in the world is that the feudal autocratic monarchy system, which represents the rule of the landlord class, lasted for more than 2000 years. In the long history of the feudal dynasty, although the peasants of the oppressed class broke out many times in the war of resistance, they either ended in failed uprising or changed dynasties, and never shook the foundation of the emperor's autocratic system. In addition, although there were several political reform movements initiated by the old feudal intellectuals in the imperial court who tried to reform the feudal system, they always ended in failure of political reform or restoration of the old system, which made it more difficult to shake the tradition of feudal autocracy. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, with the decay of feudal system, the wanton aggression of imperialist powers and the gradual progress of capitalist culture, the seeds of China bourgeoisie germinated, and a group of advanced intellectuals with trendy ideas went abroad to study, which brought the ideology of capitalism in Europe, America and Japan. A vigorous bourgeois-democratic revolution is bound to break out, and the historical giant who initiated and led this revolution is Sun Yat-sen..
The obvious differences between Sun Yat-sen, the hero of peasant uprising who resisted feudal dynasty and the representative of bourgeois reformists at the same time are as follows: First, through unique and serious study and in-depth thinking, he combined the essence of capitalist system in Europe and America with the national conditions of backward feudal autocracy in China, and from the purpose of "people-oriented", he not only put forward the basic theory of "Three People's Principles", but also made efforts to transform backward old China from national system, politics, economy and culture. Second, from the beginning of initiating and organizing the revolution to the end of his life, in the process of leading the whole bourgeois democratic revolution, facing the call of the Qing court, the siege of reactionary warlords, the intimidation of imperial power, the controversy of reformist royalists, the rebellion within the camp and the differences among comrades in the party, he unswervingly adhered to the thorough anti-feudal stance and firm revolutionary direction, and organized and reformed revolutionary political parties many times in extremely difficult and risky environments. Third, he has always adhered to the lofty spiritual realm of "serving the public wholeheartedly", from establishing the association and the League, launching ten armed uprisings in Guang, Hui and Huang Huagang, to leading the Revolution of 1911, establishing the provisional government, holding the second revolution, organizing and reforming the Kuomintang, establishing the Whampoa Military Academy, cooperating with the implementing country, and giving up personal fame and fortune, showing broad-minded and selfless spirit. Sun Yat-sen's theory, standpoint, belief and moral sentiment can be said to be unique. If China at that time could implement it according to his theory, target program and command line, there should be no doubt that the bourgeois democratic revolution led by him would surely win. However, Pingming's approach is just the opposite. Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary cause was full of twists and turns, struggling, losing many battles, unable to return to heaven, and finally giving up halfway, making the dark old China a semi-feudal and semi-colonial backward country. Why? This historical fact, with a strong positive and negative gap, has become an unavoidable major topic in the field of Sun Yat-sen's historical research.
In the colorful articles and works about Sun Yat-sen's historical research, there is a historical theory or doctrine. When commenting on the failure of the old democratic revolution in China, the main reason is that Sun Yat-sen and the leaders of the revolutionary party "lack the theoretical basis of class analysis and do not rely on workers and peasants as the main force of the revolution; Lack of advanced party building line and failure to arm revolutionary minds with lofty ideals; There is no correct line for building the army, and there is no historical limitation of establishing a revolutionary army with unified command. Yes, if we put aside the historical scope and social environment of Sun Yat-sen's era and look at the historical facts of the previous generation from the perspective of future generations, such comments seem well-founded and impeccable; However, it should be noted that in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, Marxism–Leninism had not yet entered China, and the seeds of the proletarian revolutionary movement had not yet sprouted. Sun Yat-sen traveled across the ocean to Britain, the United States and Japan, and received education from the western capitalist system. The revolutionary cause he engaged in and led can only belong to the category of bourgeois democratic revolution, and the theories of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought held by later generations cannot be compared with Sun Yat-sen's bourgeois democratic theory. The successful experience of the new-democratic revolution of "overthrowing the three mountains" led by the producer party cannot be compared with the practice of the old-democratic revolution of "starting from * * * and ending the imperial system" led by Sun Yat-sen. As a result, the so-called "historical limitations of Sun Yat-sen" derived from the success of future generations to measure the failures of predecessors and the consciousness of present generations to examine the consciousness of the ancients has become a castle in the air, losing historical objectivity and objectivity. Moreover, in his later years, Sun Yat-sen emerged from the adversity of warlord melee, imperialist aggression, repeated defeats, * * * and great cause despair, generously accepted the washing of Marxism-Leninism and the new trend of proletarian movement, reinterpreted the old Three People's Principles, reorganized the Kuomintang, advocated cooperation between the two countries, and implemented the policy of "uniting with Russia * * *". Re-training the revolutionary ranks and completing the ideological transformation from the old democratic revolutionaries to the new democratic revolutionaries. If he hadn't died young, he wouldn't have become the proletarian revolutionary leader of Mao Zedong style, which is the historical proof that the theory of "historical limitation" is inappropriate.
It is true that, when analyzed realistically, no one is perfect, Sun Yat-sen is a human being, not a god, his theory is not perfect, and his behavior and practice are not perfect. For example, he lacked in-depth research on the embryonic state of capitalism in old China at that time and the weak characteristics of the national bourgeoisie. His lack of understanding of Yuan Shikai, Duan, Chen Jiongming, Chiang Kai-shek and other old and new warlords, the serious contradictions and differences within the revolutionary party, and the slow understanding of the establishment of revolutionary military forces are all limitations of his personal thoughts and actions. However, compared with the historical scope and the objective reality of the social environment in old China at that time, his personal limitations were partial and insignificant mistakes, which did not hinder the general direction and historical trajectory of the old democratic revolution, nor did it damage his glorious image of establishing revolutionary theory, leading revolutionary movements and opening a new chapter in history.
Three objective factors of the failure of China's bourgeois democratic revolution
Then, why did the bourgeois democratic revolution led by Sun Yat-sen fail? If we look at Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary practice from the historical scope and social environment of his time, we will naturally find some more objective and accurate conclusions.
First of all, the era in which Sun Yat-sen lived showed the characteristics of the times, such as going abroad to be weak and poor, boiling public grievances, invasion by foreign enemies, opening the door to the outside world, and the shaky foundation of feudal autocracy. However, although the rule of the decadent Manchu court lingered, the foundation of the feudal dynasty, which lasted for more than 2,000 years, was still there, and it was not easy to let it withdraw from the historical stage. Moreover, Yuan Shikai, a great feudal warlord, was heavily armed and well equipped, and backed by the financial and military support of imperialist powers, which became an insurmountable obstacle for Sun Yat-sen and the revolutionaries. Even the southern provinces beyond the reach of the Qing court were carved up by warlords waiting to be crowned king, so it was difficult for revolutionaries to carry out an armed uprising of stragglers. The disparity in strength is the objective factor for the failure of the old democratic revolution.
Secondly, the long feudal autocratic rule caused the material poverty and suffering of the people in China, and the feudal old ethics, old consciousness, old culture and old customs that lasted for thousands of years caused the people's ideological backwardness and spiritual ignorance. With the invasion of imperialist foreign enemies and the gradual progress of the western trend in ideology and culture, although some radical intellectuals are urged to study foreign books or study abroad and seek the way to save the country and save the people from the western capitalist system culture and science and technology, most people bring an improved plan of "constitutional monarchy" that has nothing to do with the overall situation or has little knowledge. However, the working people living at the bottom of society are burdened with deep-rooted old feudal consciousness, and it is difficult to keep company with the "west wind" by bowing their heads to survive and looking up at the sky. So, it's too cold at the top. Sun Yat-sen's unique advanced revolutionary thought of "opposing feudalism, advocating democracy and building * * * harmony" not only needs to face the suppression of the Qing court, the denunciation of the old bureaucrats, the run of the retro school, the arguments of the reformists and the doubts of the constitutionalists, but also needs to face the indifference of the people and the differences and disputes within the revolutionary party, and fall into an unspeakable danger. Strong political differences and stubborn ideological obstacles are another objective factor for the failure of the old democratic revolution.
Third, the victory of bourgeois democratic revolution in world history and its continued consolidation and development are due to the germination and prosperity of capitalist economy in western countries in the 16th and 17th centuries, especially the success of industrial revolution in the 18th century, which promoted the progress of science and technology and the rapid development of social productive forces. The emerging economic base has created a new and growing bourgeoisie and prepared the basic conditions and living soil for the bourgeois revolution. Therefore, the emerging military forces of the bourgeoisie have defeated the declining forces of the feudal aristocracy, and the emerging democracy and system of capitalism have replaced the old autocratic system of the feudal aristocracy, just as the waves washed away the sand, there is no doubt that they will win. In China, the long feudal autocratic rule is not only manifested in the cruelty of the system, the stubbornness of politics, the backwardness of economy and the solidification of culture, but also in the decline of productivity and the backwardness of science and technology caused by the long-term closed door and arrogance. Until the end of19th century, there was no western-style industrial revolution in China. With the invasion of imperialist powers and the opening of foreign trade ports, although the national industry and commerce sprouted and the ranks of the national bourgeoisie appeared, the slow development of the national industry and commerce determined the immaturity and weakness of the national bourgeoisie in China, and the lifeline of the national economy was still in the hands of feudal bureaucrats, warlords and comprador capitalists. Looking at China in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, it did not actually produce a real capitalist economic base and bourgeois class strength, and the bourgeois revolution was inherently lacking in class base and survival soil. Because of this, although Sun Yat-sen, the revolutionary pioneer, founded the theoretical theory of bourgeois democratic revolution and formulated the capitalist system and goal program, these theoretical theories and goal programs were alienated from the economic base and social essence of China at that time, just like water without a source and trees without roots, the weak national bourgeoisie could not shoulder the heavy responsibility of the main revolutionary force, which led to Sun Yat-sen's lack of active participation of profound class forces in revolutionary practice. Without the financial support of strong revolutionary backing, we can only rely on sporadic uprisings and single-handedness by revolutionaries from time to time. If we want to seize state power from the remnants of imperial dynasties, reactionary warlords and imperialist foreign aggression forces who have mastered the political, economic and military lifelines, it is undoubtedly impossible to establish bourgeois democracy and a new system. The lack of bourgeois class strength and capitalist economic foundation is the third objective factor for the failure of the old democratic revolution, and it is also a key fatal factor.
To sum up, there are three objective factors in the historical scope and social environment of China in Sun Yat-sen's era: the failure of China's bourgeois democratic revolution is a historical arrangement, a limitation of the times, a constraint of the national conditions, and is by no means influenced by Sun Yat-sen's personal thoughts and actions; Similarly, although the old democratic revolution in China's modern history failed, it was this vigorous, just and tragic revolution that demonstrated the victory of the new democratic revolution led by the proletariat and its vanguard, the Production Party, which provided experience and prepared conditions. Therefore, it is an indisputable historical fact that Sun Yat-sen is not only the forerunner of the revolution, but also the first hero who made history in China from darkness to light and from backwardness to advanced.