HIST 3381 Discussion(1)

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3381

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History

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Oct 30, 2023

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HIST 3381 Discussion 1 Hi there Qiu Yingzi, I saw your comment and I was compelled to reach out and let you know that I understand your grief! I see that your family’s livelihood consisted on your city’s commercial district and because of it you are considering giving everything up after fearing the Guomindang won’t be able to protect your livelihood much longer. I’m from the province of Zhejiang and I have also been faced with the possibility of having to leave my residence because of all the warring going around. I can't run an opium den like this even though I like to hide behind the front that i'm helping people...lol I'm just gonna just chill for the moment because I'm undecided as to what plans to take pertaining all of this... Response The year is 1931 and we’re experiencing World War II. The devastation is everywhere and the current political and local conditions went from bad to worse. I’ve accumulated much wealth due to my opium profits and I have access to hundreds of acres of land in my province but nothing saved us from the dehumanizing treatment given to our people from the Japanese. So, I started the process of preparing for war because I wasn’t about to get bullied out of my home! Nonetheless, I tried to fight and defend my Zhejiang but the devastation left no rock unscathed, I’ve been attempting to repair and re-center during the defeat that took place in WWII and loss of life. However, the southeast coast of china was experiencing a few touch years due to communism. Communist rule in 1949 was a devastation in Zhejiang’s early years as the counties were divided into guerrilla counties and non-guerrilla counties. Local cadres faced huge political insecurity in guerrilla counties because of a newly established provincial power structure, while their counterparts in non-guerrilla counties were able to promote themselves through networks built by the provincial leadership as a means of ensuring their political survival. Therefore, the local cadres in guerrilla counties supported local private sector development in exchange for grassroots support since they looked after their local economic interests. Due to this mutual protection between local elites and potential private entrepreneurs, the private sector was effectively protected and better developed compared to non-guerrilla counties. Nonetheless, it was common for warlords to fight each other over land, power, and wealth. So, naturally, I was also warring with other lords because after they’d lose a guerilla, they’d try to come over to Zhejiang to attempt to rob, steal, and rape and this would result in defeated and defenseless villages, destroyed crops, and stolen food, which led to a decrease in the amount of food grown. Therefore, banditry and lawlessness increased as a result.

During this time many warlords ruled with cruelty and they weakened the authority of the central government and I also participated in this because I wanted all the power of having more lands, and wealth. I’d force some of the local farmers to join private armies, which resulted in even less food being grown. It was estimated that there were 2 million men in private armies by 1929, plus many more in guerrilla and bandit groups. Nonetheless, I made tons of money growing opium poppy plants and when the planting of this deadly crop increased by 20% I was forcing my peasants to plant them among many other enforcements I decreed: 1. Increased Taxes: The warlords raised taxes, which were primarily paid by the peasants. This led to increased poverty among the peasant population. 2. Exploited and treated peasants with Cruelty: The warlords exploited the peasants, often treating them harshly. They also raided defenseless villages, destroyed crops, and stole food. 3. Started Frequent Conflicts: Warlords often fought each other to gain more land, power, and wealth. This led to instability and lawlessness. 4. Weakened the Central Government: The authority of the central government was undermined due to the power and influence of the warlords. 5. Forced Labor and Opium Cultivation: Farmers were often forced to join private armies, reducing the amount of food grown. Some warlords also forced peasants to grow opium poppies, leading to a 20% increase in the cultivation of this crop by 1924. In summary, my rule in Zhejiang led to increased poverty, lawlessness, and instability in China like many other warloards did during my time.

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