 Imperialism
Sparks Nationalism in Asia
Nationalistic
movements in Asia are similar to those in
Europe. The goals of autonomy and self-rule are the
same. Circumstances that will lead to the unification or
the division of a place are alike. The catalysts for
nationalism are, however, slightly different. Both are
based on the corruption or ineffectiveness of a government on
its subjects, but the sources are different. European
abuse of power came from within (French kings over French
people or disunity in Germany are examples). Asian
nationalistic movements for independence are a direct reaction
to Imperialism. European nations were in a period of
imperialization or the taking over of another country for
political, social, and/or economic gain. In this case,
the Asian countries of China, Vietnam, and India had experienced long
periods of imperialism at the hands of European
authorities. As imperialism progressed, nationalistic
movements rose up in an attempt to throw out foreign influence
and gain independence.  Nationalism in
China
China was considered to be within the sphere of British
influence, one of the forms imperialism can take. Britain
never completely or directly controlled the Chinese government
led by royalty but did influence political and economic
affairs heavily. By the end of the 19th century, British
control was beginning a slow withdrawal from China. It
is at this point the nationalistic movements began succeeding
where previous ones had failed. In early 1900's, there
was a successful overthrow of the Emperor called the
Chinese Revolution. This revolution was led by Sun
Yixian (a.k.a. Sun Yat-sen) who
would go on to establish the Koumindang (or Nationalist
party) and be elected as a provisional president of a
democratic government. His
principles were restoring Chinese pride, removing foreign
influence, individual rights, land reform, and modernization.
His successor was Jiang Jieshi (a.k.a. Chiang Kai-shek
and pictured on right) who would lead the Koumindang using the
same principles.
 Another Chinese Nationalist leader, named Mao Zedong,
was in direct opposition to the democratic principles of
Jieshi and the Koumindang. Mao was a Marxist who
followed the
principles of communism, as
opposed to capitalism. Mao
won the favor of the Chinese people during the Communist
Revolution against Jieshi. Mao's Long March
was an event in which 100,000 communists walked nearly 6,000
miles while under constant fire from the Koumindang. It
would become Mao's symbol of perseverance and would help him
rise to power after the Japanese invasion of China during the
Second World War was finally halted. After defeating
Jieshi, Mao would assume
power in 1949 as the communist leader of the People's Republic of
China.
 Nationalism in
Vietnam
European Imperialism was also established on the Southeast
Asian peninsula of Indo-China. The countries of Laos,
Cambodia, and Vietnam had been previously
imperialized by France. One Vietnamese leader
would come forward in the call for self-rule. As shown
here, Ho Chi Minh went to the Treaty of Versailles
in 1919 after WWI to plead his case and ask that Vietnam be
rid of any foreign influence. He was largely ignored by
the leaders of Europe and it was not until after WWII that
Vietnam would openly begin fighting against the French.
By 1954, Ho Chi Minh had succeeded in establishing North
Vietnam, with the military aid of the communist
world. To order to stop the spread of communism, the
United States took control of South Vietnam from France
and would establish a democratic government under the
leadership of Ngo Dinh Diem. The Vietnam conflict
between North and South Vietnam would not end until the
mid-1970's.
 Nationalism in
India
Great Britain had previously colonized the country of
India during the 1700's. Indian nationalistic movements, such
as ones led by the Indian National Congress, had made
attempts at self-rule but had never been completely
successful. The great proponent of a free India,
Mohandas K. Gandhi, was instrumental in the Indian
Nationalist Movement. Known as the Mahatma, or the
Great Soul, Gandhi forced change and an end to British
imperialism through a strict policy of
non-violence,
or passive resistance. Examples of his civil
disobedience included boycotts such as the Salt March,
and hunger strikes. He also forced change at home by
attempting to do away with the Hindu caste system. His mission was not without
sacrifice, however: multiple jail sentences and a specific
episode called the Amritsar Massacre are
examples. British soldiers fired into an unarmed crowd
of peaceful protesters in the town of Amritsar, killing
hundreds. Weakened by its efforts in World War II, Great
Britain would finally concede to Indian nationalist demands in
1948. Despite the influence of Gandhi, India
would fall into disorder. Hindu people wanted an
all-Hindu state and Muslims (led by the Muslim League)
wanted a separate state. The Mahatma would be tragically
assassinated because of this conflict. Pakistan
was formed as a separate Muslim state. Therefore,
nationalism both achieved Indian independence and tore
India apart. The story of Mahatma Gandhi and Indian
nationalism is one of history's greatest ironies.
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