With the rapid development of capitalism like mushrooms after rain, the European continent is far from meeting the needs of capitalist development. Therefore, western powers invariably set their sights on one place: China, an ancient oriental country once called "arachis duranensis" by Kyle Poirot. When the request for trade was repeatedly rejected by the Qing government, the western powers opened the closed door of China with opium and artillery. At this time, China, due to the rulers' long-term adherence to the closed-door policy, led to serious constraints on China's economic development, and there was a considerable gap with the world, especially Europe. China failed in several wars with western powers; Repeated defeats and wars became the most vivid description of the Qing government at that time. The failure of the war was followed by a series of unequal treaties that humiliated the country and made China a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society for more than a century.
Faced with the crisis of national subjugation, some patriots have offered suggestions and tried to change the law and save this endangered country. One of the most famous is that Kang Youwei led thousands of juren, including Liang Qichao, to write a letter to the bus of Emperor Guangxu. Kang Youwei explicitly opposed the Qing government's signing of treaty of shimonoseki, which humiliated the country, and strongly demanded political reform and reform to make the country rich and strong. The Letter on the Bus is regarded as a sign that the reformists stepped onto the historical stage, and also as the beginning of China's mass political movement.
In this compromise, Kang Youwei listed the reasons and lessons of the rise and fall of countries around the world, fully explained the importance of political reform, and urged Emperor Guangxu to make up his mind as soon as possible to determine the basic policies and directions of the country. Kang Youwei put forward four solutions: (1) imperial edict to attract the spirits of the world; (2) moving the capital to establish the foundation of the world; (3) the trend of strengthening the world through training; (4) Political reform has become the rule of the world. Kang Youwei pointed out that the first three items are only strategies for defending the rights and interests of the enemy, and only the fourth item is the fundamental measure for building the country and strengthening itself. By summing up the experience of Meiji Restoration in Japan, he put forward three political reform plans, the most fundamental of which was to set up a system bureau, trying to use it as the central institution to guide the country's political reform. Eliminate the interference and resistance of conservative officials, find and select reformers around the world, so that the New Deal can be implemented smoothly, thus enriching Qiang Bing.
However, the Reform Movement of 1898 advocated by Kang Youwei only lasted for a hundred days and failed. The reason is not only the strong obstruction of the old school such as Empress Dowager Cixi, but also its practicality and practical influence are limited.
First of all, the people have never participated in this political change from beginning to end. Numerous historical experiences have proved that people play a decisive role in the process of social and historical development. People are the decisive force for social change. People are the main force of social change, and they have played a great role in the role of "every midwife who gave birth to a new society in the old society". The general will and actions of the people represent the direction of historical development, and the social practice of the people ultimately determines the outcome of historical development.
Kang Youwei and his reformers didn't notice this irrefutable truth. Because Kang Youwei experienced the Taiping Revolution when he was a child, he knew how powerful the peasants were in rebellion. Therefore, from the beginning of the political reform, they stood in the position of fear and opposition to the revolution, and did not dare to fantasize about overthrowing feudal rule through the people's revolution. They just hope that the imperialist and feudal ruling classes can make some concessions to the bourgeoisie, absorb them into the political power and realize bourgeois dictatorship. To this end, Kang Youwei adopted a top-down model at the beginning of the political reform: on the one hand, this was naturally due to the crisis of the imperialist powers dividing up China; On the other hand, I hope that emperors who have no real power can set an example and take the lead in change, so as to realize national change; On the other hand, it is also the most important aspect to learn lessons from the crisis in which the lower classes rose up in www.nIUbb.net. For all the above motives to guard against the people, their influence cannot reach the masses, thus making the revolution lose its most powerful dependence.
Secondly, the bourgeois reformists are weak and compromised. After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, China's national capitalism developed initially, which was the economic basis of this movement. However, at that time, the development level of national capitalism in China was very low, the class strength was quite weak, and it did not have the basic conditions for bourgeois social change.
Due to its historical limitations, the bourgeois reformists headed by Kang Youwei have illusions about imperialism and feudalism. They believe that the establishment of a bourgeois state in China will be approved by local feudalism and recognized by western powers. Kang Youwei and others believe that as long as Emperor Guangxu is persuaded, the reform can be carried out from top to bottom, and the reform can be a great success. However, they spared their main enemy, a large number of conservative officials headed by Empress Dowager Cixi. They have vested interests, and reform will make them lose their interests, so they are a big obstacle to reform. Furthermore, even the western powers in China do not want to see China become strong by taking the capitalist road, so they do everything possible to prevent China from carrying out reforms. Therefore, the reformers dare not break with feudalism within the party and dare not fight imperialism outside. They fantasize about gaining sympathy and support from their own feudalism and foreign capitalism through compromise and concession. It is difficult for the bourgeoisie to continue such compromise and improvement, but it has been stifled by Chinese and foreign opposition forces.
Third, the reformists have limited influence. China at that time, at home and abroad. In view of the imperialist plot to carve up China, the heart of dying for me is growing. The reformists played the banner of saving the nation from extinction in order to arouse the patriotic enthusiasm of the masses. However, due to their own defects and lack of understanding, the reformists are seriously divorced from the masses. Therefore, the basic groups that reformists can influence are only landlords, intellectuals and bourgeois landlords and gentlemen who are dissatisfied with the current situation and vaguely demand a new way out.
The reformists organized these people by strengthening the society, protecting the National Assembly and studying in South China, and instilled bourgeois reformism into these gentlemen in the hope of arousing their voices. Their ideas were once supported by some ruling bureaucrats. For example, when Qiang Hui was founded, imperial envoys Weng Tonghe, Governor Zhang Zhidong of Huguang, Governor Liu Kunyi of Liangjiang and Yuan Shikai, the newly-built military supervisor, donated money in succession and were listed as members, which made Qiang Hui famous for a while. However, this does not mean that all those who join the club really support political reform. For example, Zhang Zhidong wants to win over Kang and Liang and use their fame to strengthen his own strength. When he found that the reformist opinions were beyond his acceptable range, he not only led the debate against the reformist, but also destroyed the reformist public opinion organs. Yuan Shikai was also an active supporter of political reform at first. Tan sitong went to Yuan Shikai's apartment alone, entrusted him with the heavy responsibility of sending troops and persuaded him to send troops to take the oath. However, Yuan Shikai is a two-faced man. Seeing that Cixi's power far surpassed that of Emperor Guangxu, she decided to take refuge in the latter. He immediately tipped off the news and betrayed Emperor Guangxu and the reformists. Subsequently, the feudal conservative officials headed by Empress Dowager Cixi staged a palace coup, imprisoned Emperor Guangxu and massacred reformists.