The reasons for the failure of the Revolution of 1911: On the one hand, the objective reason is that the reactionary forces at home and abroad are too strong. On the other hand, the subjective reason is the economic and political weakness of the national bourgeoisie in China: firstly, it lacks the courage and strength to completely oppose imperialism and feudalism; Secondly, it failed to put forward a clear and complete anti-imperialist and anti-feudal revolutionary program; Third, failed to launch the peasant revolution; Finally, there is no strong revolutionary party.
The historical lessons of the Revolution of 1911: it did not change the social nature of old China: First, it showed that the bourgeoisie could not lead China's bourgeois democratic revolution to complete victory; Second, declare the end of the old democratic revolution era led by the bourgeoisie; Thirdly, it shows the historical inevitability of China's revolution from old democracy to new democracy.
Historical evaluation of the sea revolution
There have always been different opinions on the historical evaluation of the Revolution of 1911. The author believes that past estimates are often too low. Although the Revolution of 1911 did not fundamentally solve the problems of imperialist aggression and China's feudal forces, it overthrew the autocratic monarchy that ruled China for thousands of years at that time and opened the way for the later revolution. This is a great achievement of the Revolution of 1911. Do you want to overthrow the reactionary Qing government like a revolutionary or defend it like a constitutionalist? This is the fundamental road problem. At this point, the direction of constitutionalism is wrong; However, we can't deny its positive role.
In the modern history of China, the Revolution of 1911, which strongly inspired a generation, has been 70 years now. With the passage of time, all the events of that year have already become traces of history. However, there have been different opinions about the merits and demerits of this revolution at home and abroad. This paper does not intend to discuss the historical evaluation of the Revolution of 1911 in an all-round way, but only wants to talk about two more important issues.
First, the historical position of the Revolution of 1911.
Comrade Lin said with emotion 40 years ago: "For many young people who have not been ruled by the emperor, the political significance of the Revolution of 1911 is often underestimated, which is not surprising, because they have not seen how difficult it is to overthrow the authoritarian regime passed down for thousands of years." (Thirty Years) Lin Lao personally participated in the Revolution of 1911. How pertinent his earnest words are!
The Revolution of 1911 has many historical achievements. Among them, the most prominent is to overthrow the autocratic monarchy that ruled China for thousands of years. This was indeed a great event at that time. We can't just regard the transition from absolute monarchy to the establishment of a republic as an insignificant change in the form of government, or even as the replacement of a brand-new brand.
China has experienced thousands of years of absolute monarchy. This is a terrible burden! For many years, the supreme monarchy has been a concentrated symbol of feudalism. Since childhood, people have been constantly instilled with the feudal ethical concept of "three cardinal guides and five permanents", which is regarded as an eternal truth. "A country cannot live without a monarch for a day". The monarch became the highest representative of God's will and stood at the top of the feudal hierarchy. In the face of this system, everyone must abide by the "inherent rights" with trepidation and are not allowed to surpass them. This is the so-called "father and son, monarch and minister, the theorem of the world, there is no escape between heaven and earth." (Volume 5 of Henan Cheng's Suicide Letter) Anyone who dares to have a little doubt is called "deviant" and "there is no saint". In fact, "traitors and thieves will be punished by everyone". Wang Xifeng in A Dream of Red Mansions has a famous saying: "I would like to cut clothes and dare to dismount the emperor." It can be seen that at that time, anyone who wanted to "dismount and claim the throne" must have the fearless spirit of "willing to cut and kill", and most people even dared not think about it.
Since modern times, the sharp intensification of ethnic contradictions and class contradictions has put China society in a state of violent turmoil and change. The people's resistance is getting higher and higher. However, until the bourgeois revolutionaries represented by Sun Yat-sen stepped onto the historical stage, no one had put forward the idea of overthrowing the autocratic monarchy. The vigorous Taiping Revolution was the peak of the old peasant revolution in China. When Hong Xiuquan became king, he was actually an emperor. The slogan of the boxer movement is nothing more than "helping the Qing Dynasty to destroy the foreign countries". The bourgeois reformists advocated patriotism and national salvation, and introduced many western bourgeois social theories and political systems into China, which played a great enlightening role. However, they regard loyalty and patriotism to the monarch as the same thing. Kang Youwei's tearful phrase "ancestors and my emperor Shen Renhou Thern for hundreds of years" was the most touching word of ordinary literati at that time. At that time, the world's major capitalist countries, except France and the United States, Britain, Japan, Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Russia and so on all retained the monarchy. Therefore, it is reasonable for many people that Kang Youwei put forward the reform of Peter the Great in Russia and Meiji Emperor in Japan as an example for China to learn from.
It is under such historical conditions that the bourgeois revolutionaries headed by Dr. Sun Yat-sen put forward the idea of overthrowing absolute monarchy and establishing a democratic republic for the first time in the history of China. Sun Yat-sen clearly pointed out in many speeches: "China has been an absolute monarchy for thousands of years, which is beyond the reach of equal and free citizens." (See "The Three People's Principles and the Future of China") "And the world's constitutionalism is also achieved by bloodshed, which can be called real constitutionalism. The same bloodshed, why not be straightforward and take this as a reason for endless constitutionalism? " (See "The Importance of Democratic Revolution in China")1The China League, which was established in August, 905, clearly took "the establishment of the Republic of China" as one of its goals. Its "General Outline of Revolution" promulgated in the following winter even declared loudly: "Today's civilian revolution will establish a national government." "Those who dare to have an imperial system will be attacked by the world!" This was indeed a groundbreaking theory at that time! By comparison, from "traitors and traitors, everyone will be punished" to "those who dare to have an imperial system will be attacked by the world", what a huge fundamental change!
They persevered through the propaganda of newspapers and secret propaganda, which made this concept more and more popular. By the time the Revolution of 1911 broke out, it had become the general trend and the aspiration of the people to overthrow the absolute monarchy and establish a democratic republic. No reactionary forces can reverse it any more.
The Revolution of 1911 really overthrew the "emperor" and the autocratic monarchy that ruled China for thousands of years. This is really "a big hole in the sky". It has at least two direct consequences.
First of all, China's reactionary rulers are politically confused. China feudal society had a head, and that was the emperor. It is the absolute authority of monopoly power and the center of gravity on which the reactionary ruling order depends to maintain stability. The revolution of 1911 cut off this head at once, and the whole reactionary rule was in chaos. Since then, from Yuan Shikai to Chiang Kai-shek, they have appeared one after another like a lantern, but they have never been able to establish a unified and stable ruling order. Needless to say, the wave of people's revolution wave after wave, even the reactionary camp can no longer maintain unity. There are naturally many reasons for this. The great role played by the Revolution of 1911 here is undeniable, which opened the way for the victory of the people's revolution in China.
Second, the people of China have been liberated ideologically. The emperor is supreme and sacred. Now that it can be overthrown, what stale things can't be doubted and broken? On the eve of the May Fourth Movement, Chen Duxiu wrote an article on the Destruction of Idols, saying: "The monarch is also an idol, and he has no sacred and amazing role; Only by the superstitious beliefs and reverence of all people can a country be called a head of state. Once the country dies, like the Qing emperor Puyi and the Russian emperor Nicholas II, it will be even more pitiful than ordinary people. Such a conquered monarch, like an idol of clay sculpture and wood carving, was thrown into the dung bucket. What's so great about him? But these idols, before they were destroyed, were very troublesome; Please look at Chinese and foreign history books. Are these idols harmful? " Once the floodgate of thought is opened, this torrent of ideological emancipation will rush forward and be unstoppable. Although the political situation was still very sinister at that moment after the Revolution of 1911, people boldly sought a new way to save China. Coupled with the voice of the October Revolution and the development of the working class in China, the May 4th Movement was soon ushered in and a new era in the history of China began. In this sense, it can be said that without the Revolution of 1911, there would be no May 4th Movement.
The rule of feudal forces in China is so deeply rooted! Overthrowing it and destroying it can never be accomplished by the impact of one or two revolutionary movements. It is true that the Revolution of 1911 failed to fundamentally solve this problem (this point must always be clearly estimated), but under the historical conditions at that time, it overthrew the autocratic monarchy that ruled China for thousands of years, thus opening the way for the later revolution. Isn't this immortal achievement worthy of our warm praise today?
For a long time in the past, as Comrade Lin said, the historical position of the Revolution of 1911 was often underestimated. In addition to the reasons for understanding, there are also reasons for the times. Although the Revolution of 1911 overthrew the emperor, it did not fundamentally overthrow the rule of imperialism and feudalism, and "the revolution has not yet succeeded". This is a fact. Therefore, in the stage of democratic revolution led by our party, many comrades often stressed that the Revolution of 1911 did not fundamentally solve the problem, so as to inspire people to continue to forge ahead and win victory under the leadership of the proletariat. This is what people feel more strongly in real life. This was correct at the time. But at this time, the great achievements of the Revolution of 1911 in history are often too late to make enough estimates, or even ignored or belittled intentionally or unintentionally. By the time Lin Biao and the Gang of Four were rampant, the ultra-left trend of thought was rampant, and affirming the historical achievements of the Revolution of 1911 seemed to be a great crime to whitewash the bourgeoisie. In this case, naturally, let alone make a fair evaluation of the Revolution of 1911.
Now is the time! It has been 70 years since the Revolution of 1911. The rule of imperialist feudalism in China was overthrown by the people of China under the leadership of the Production Party. We should also be able to make a more realistic evaluation of the historical position of the Revolution of 1911 according to the true colors of history!