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> China never collapsed like Rome but it stagnated Wut. China collapsed into warring states and feuding warlords several times. Various northern invaders als

> China never collapsed like Rome but it stagnated Wut. China collapsed into warring states and feuding warlords several times. Various northern invaders also showed up at multiple points in their history as well. > China fell behind Europe because it did not think anybody else had anything to teach China China fell behind because the KMT and CCP fought a decades long civil war that was interrupted by the Japanese raping the country. Then the CCP took over and launched disastrous attempts at industrialization and cultural reform (The Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution) that killed millions and stalled progress. It was only after Deng Xiaoping Thought and "Socialism With Chinese Characteristics" became a thing that China rocketed back to it's role as a big player.

restalis 7y ago
Although I agree with your arguments as the cause China stagnated in 20th century, I think that what socialdemocrat referrs to is China under the last period of Qing dinasty (e.g. Yizhu, Zaichun, Zaitian, and other emperors).
socialdemocrat 7y ago
Yes I know China has had several civil wars, but it was never rendered permanently too weak to ever rise again like Rome. But yeah I agree I was not wording myself very clearly there. > China fell behind because the KMT and CCP fought a decades long civil war that was interrupted by the Japanese raping the country. I disagree. At that point China had already fallen way behind. The KMT and CCP was fighting in large part because China had already stagnated and failed to keep up with European powers. When China got humiliated by Britain in the opium wars it was already a failed empire. Long before KMT and CCP western powers started carving out their own enclaves in China. They had whole city sections where Chinese where not allowed. China was being humiliated on home turf by the west. Relative to the west China was not that different from today in terms of economy when this happened. The west could not outright take China. However the technological advantage the west held in maritime warfare meant that western powers could cause massive damage in China without them having a way of retaliating.

restalis 7y ago

Although I agree with your arguments as the cause China stagnated in 20th century, I think that what socialdemocrat referrs to is China under the last period of Qing dinasty (e.g. Yizhu, Zaichun, Zaitian, and other emperors).

socialdemocrat 7y ago

Yes I know China has had several civil wars, but it was never rendered permanently too weak to ever rise again like Rome. But yeah I agree I was not wording myself very clearly there. > China fell behind because the KMT and CCP fought a decades long civil war that was interrupted by the Japanese raping the country. I disagree. At that point China had already fallen way behind. The KMT and CCP was fighting in large part because China had already stagnated and failed to keep up with European powers. When China got humiliated by Britain in the opium wars it was already a failed empire. Long before KMT and CCP western powers started carving out their own enclaves in China. They had whole city sections where Chinese where not allowed. China was being humiliated on home turf by the west. Relative to the west China was not that different from today in terms of economy when this happened. The west could not outright take China. However the technological advantage the west held in maritime warfare meant that western powers could cause massive damage in China without them having a way of retaliating.