[snowybeagle]

In August 14, 1917, the Republic of China formally declared war on Germany.

I only read recently that there was an intense debate in China at the time about whether to participate in the war.

In the National Assembly in Beijing (dominated by the Beiyang militarists), the pro-war camp was led by Premier Duan Qirui (段祺瑞) while the anti-war camp was led by President Li Yuanhong (黎元洪).

In public, the advocates of the war called for recovering German-occupied territories in China.

Background
When World War One broke out in 1914, Yuan Shikai (袁世凯) was still in power in the north. Sun Zhongshan was in Japan trying to organise a revolutionary party against Yuan after he failed to topple Yuan when Song Jiaoren (宋教仁) was assassinated the previous year.

Japan had declared war on Germany and sent troops to seize German-occupied settlements and railroads in the province of Shandong (山东). In 1915, Japan presented the Twenty-One Demands to Yuan, which he accepted on 9th May 1915.

August 1915, Yuan's crony Yang Du (杨度) proposed consitutional monarchy on Yuan's behalf in the National Assembly. Interestingly, after Yuan's death, Yang Du became a fugitive for a while before bring "rehabilitated" in 1924 and joining the CCP with approval from Zhou Enlai (周恩来) in 1929.

December 12, 1915, Yuan crowned himself emperor.

December 1915 - March 1916, civil war as a number of provinces broke away against the monarchy. Troops sent by Yuan against the breakaway provinces were defeated. Yuan forced to abolish monarchy and died in June.

With Yuan's death, Li Yuanhong succeeded as President but most of the military power ended with Duan Qirui. Duan Qirui secretly obtained loans from Japan in order to strengthen his hand. A crisis of disagreement between the presidency and the executive branch of the government broke out over several disagreements. With the military backing, Duan forced Li to affix the presidential seal on several documents

In May, after the secret loans was exposed, Li fired Duan from the premiership. Duan departed Beijing for Tianjin, but refused to recognised his dismissal. He began amassing military forces against Li. In response, Li invited Zhang Xun (张勋) to bring his forces to Beijing, which against his expectations, resulted in the short-lived Restoration of the Qing monarchy in the capital.

All these while, KMT under Sun Yat Sen was establishing a foothold in the south.

Conclusion
As can be seen, China was hardly in any condition to fight a war against the Axis.

China's contribution to the Allies were primarily in the form of support.
(1) Large forces of labour (about 175,000) sent to France as workers in the frontlines and behind the lines, relieving the troops from these duties.
(2) Providing food supplies to the Allies
(3) Taking into custody German/Austrian banks, properties and ships, but turning them over to the Allies (apparently, the Allies did not include China!)
(4) Interning German and Austrian subjects (there were initially plans to transport them to Australia but dropped at behest of Japan and Britain after violent German reprisal threats)

In fact, during the earlier years of the war, there were some pro-German sentiments among the Chinese.

With China's entry, the Allies merely suspended Boxer Indemnity payment.

Any hope that China had for an equitable treatment as a nation after the war was dashed by the Treaty of Versailles.

http://www.amazon.co...2214001-4896416
http://www.lib.byu.e...wwi/ChinaC8.htm

[Liang Jieming]

China really didn't have much choice. Staying neutral in any war usually means you become everyone's enemy. Only the swiss and other small or remote countries have successfully defended neutrality as a national strategy in a major war in history and only because they are really too small or isolated to matter.

China had to act in it's best interest. She was weak. The weak must bend with the wind or risk snapping at the first gust.

So despite WW1 being a European civilwar more than a world war in the strictest sense of the word, China had a vested interest in keeping friendly terms with those she perceived would best served her interests in the long run.

[Sephodwyrm]

China is still a loser of WWI. That's pretty much what it is. Distrust of the European and American influences only grew worse.

[snowybeagle]

Just realised something, the correct term would be the Central Powers, not the Axis (which is the term used for WW2). Could a mod or staff assist in changing the wording in the poll? Thanks.

[Liang Jieming]

Sephodwyrm, on Jun 3 2005, 12:55 AM, said:

China is still a loser of WWI. That's pretty much what it is. Distrust of the European and American influences only grew worse.

In hindsight, a consequence of bad choices made from poor selections.

[Liang Jieming]

I believe they probably didn't want to get involved but were forced to due to circumstance. Neutrality is maintained paradoxically by a strong military. Pacifist neutrality usually fails. Armed neutrality is what works. China didn't have that option. In war, extremities emerge and when lines are drawn in the sand by both sides, it's us-or-them type of choices that present themselves.

[Grigori]

It was quite pointless for China to enter the war in the way that it did. Ultimatly China didn't lose anything so it can be considered a minor chapter in history and I can't fault the logic for taking the risk. The only positive thing I can think of was Deng Xiaoping went to work in France as a laborer, became a communist and ultimatly brought sanity back to PRC.

With the benefit of hindsight it's my belief the Beiyang Army as weak as it was, if commanded with great daring could side with the central powers and indeed change history by bringing WWI to an early end, prevent WWII and Chinese warlordism. But that's counter factual speculation and I don't want to sidetrack this serious discussion.

[Tanz]

I believe that China sided with the Entente because, 1) they had the feeling that Germany would lose the war, and 2) they wanted Japan off their soil and declaring war against Germany might improve relations with the West. Instead, China was ignored at Versailles and Tsingtao went to her old enemy Japan. China was not in much of a position to protest, for by 1919, civil war was flaring up once again.

So, to answer your question, China should not have entered World War I on either side, as it was a pointless endevour that did nothing to shorten the conflict and only served to raise the hopes of Chinese, only to have them cut down.

[lianghaochen]

china doesn't want to participate in wars

[dej2]

China was not economically, militarily or technologically, able to participate in any war in 1914. The Boxer Rebellion still fresh in peoples minds. WWI was a war of tanks, machine guns, mustard gas, bi-planes.... China would have had to quickly develop an industrial revolution to catch up with the other nations involved with that war.

China was already war weary and really needed an economy boost to revitalize the country, though once the most powerfull nation in the world… times had changed, China had not.

This post has been edited by dej2: 28 June 2005 - 10:36 AM

[jiangji]

dej2, on Jun 28 2005, 03:36 PM, said:

China was not economically, militarily or technologically, able to participate in any war in 1914. The Boxer Rebellion still fresh in peoples minds. WWI was a war of tanks, machine guns, mustard gas, bi-planes.... China would have had to quickly develop an industrial revolution to catch up with the other nations involved with that war.

China was already war weary and really needed an economy boost to revitalize the country, though once the most powerfull nation in the world… times had changed, China had not.

I don't think its going to affect china much if join the allies power since the entire wars is fought on Europe continent.

This post has been edited by jiangji: 28 June 2005 - 10:45 AM

[snowybeagle]

jiangji, on Jun 28 2005, 11:44 PM, said:

I don't think its going to affect china much if join the allies power since the entire wars is fought on Europe continent.

Not quite ...
Though Europe was the primary theatre of war and where the most decisive battles took place, battles also took place in Africa (German colonies), Gallipolli, as well as the Far East/Pacific.

[dej2]

jiangji, on Jun 28 2005, 03:44 PM, said:

I don't think its going to affect china much if join the allies power since the entire wars is fought on Europe continent.

Then if none of those factors will have any affect, then China will have had no effect by joining the allied powers. If your not an asset, then your a debit...

knowing how the west thinks of China (high prejudice), if China would have not sent men, arms, money… they would have been made held liable to help pay for the war dept incurred by the other nations after the war. With no assets they would have demanded giving up more land. The west already had Hong Kong, they would have wanted Guangzhou and Nankin, maybe mining rights in the Gobi Desert.

[jiangji]

snowybeagle, on Jun 28 2005, 04:04 PM, said:

Not quite ...
Though Europe was the primary theatre of war and where the most decisive battles took place, battles also took place in Africa (German colonies), Gallipolli, as well as the Far East/Pacific.

Yeah I know. However, there were never any Axis armies around China at that time. If the Axis really wants to launch an attack on China, they must have a huge armada fleet. As far as I know, the axis strength was never on the sea but more on the land. Also, the axis seem unlikely to attack china since they have to deal with three major power in Europe first ,the French, Russia and British. With US enter into the war, any attack seem unrealistic.