Retelling China's Modern History

This book is derived from the lecture notes of Zhang Ming's political history course at Renmin University of China. It systematically re-examines the often simplified historical process from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China. The author breaks the traditional narrative of the opposition between loyalists and traitors and distinguishes black and white, and presents a real modern historical scene full of contradictions, compromises and paradoxes. Through multiple analyzes of the impact and internal changes of the Qing court, folk, and the West, Zhang Ming guides readers to rethink the path and cost of China's modern transformation, and to reflect on the historical roots of current problems.