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Since the failure of the Sino-Japanese War in 1894-1895, the national crisis in China has become increasingly serious. 1 1 After the German occupation of Jiaozhou Bay in June, the imperialist powers divided their spheres of influence in China, seized leased land and occupied a large area of land, while the weak Qing government was at the mercy of the imperialist powers. At this time, Kang Youwei wrote to Emperor Guangxu again, pointing out: "It is imminent to carve up a catastrophe, and we must make a decisive decision and reform the political system quickly, otherwise the emperor and ministers will not get it!" (1) implored Emperor Guangxu to implement the New Deal. In view of the national crisis, Guangxu did not consider how to make China rich and strong, so as to resist foreign aggression and avoid the crisis of national subjugation and extinction. To maintain their dominant position. Stimulated by the national crisis, a political reform movement was pushed onto the historical stage. History has proved that both reform and revolution need strong economic and class support. However, due to the weak capitalist economic foundation and class strength in China, the Reform Movement of 1898 lacked strong economic and class support. At that time, China had five economic components, namely, foreign capitalist economy, landlord economy, small-scale peasant economy and bureaucratic capitalist economy. The weakest one is the national capitalist economy. Although capitalism sprouted in China in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, China's capitalism never developed into a powerful emerging economy and class power because of the powerful feudal, class and political forces in China. With the outbreak of the Opium War and the invasion of foreign capitalism, the original capitalist economy in China was strangled, and it was not until the rise of the Westernization Movement that the capitalist economy in China gradually rose. However, their strength has been weak. According to statistics, from the Westernization Movement to the Reform Movement of 1898, there were only 100 commercial enterprises in China, of which 50 were established after the Sino-Japanese War. (2) Although these 65.438 million commercial enterprises are capitalist in nature, they can only account for nine hairs among the feudal economic forces of more than 2,000 years. In addition, 50 enterprises were established after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. In just three years, it is conceivable how far their strength can develop. Furthermore, China's national capitalist industry came into being in the 1970s of 19, and by the end of 19 and the beginning of the 20th century, China's national capitalism began to develop initially. According to statistics, from 1895 to 1900, there are 104 enterprises whose capital exceeds 10000 yuan, with an estimated total capital of 23 million yuan. The number of factories and mines set up in these six years is equivalent to the sum of the 20 years before the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, and its total capital has surpassed that of government-run or government-supervised commercial enterprises, occupying the main industrial zones in China. (3) However, since the emergence of the national bourgeoisie in China in the 1970s, they have been squeezed by imperialism and domestic feudalism. In order to survive, they have to rely on imperialism or domestic feudal forces, which determines that the national bourgeoisie has a dual nature when it comes into being: on the one hand, it is oppressed by foreign capitalism and domestic feudal forces, which is anti-aggression and anti-feudalism, and has revolutionary requirements; On the other hand, it is inextricably linked with foreign capitalism and domestic feudal forces, lacking a thorough anti-aggression and anti-feudalism spirit, and it is a compromise. If the capitalist forces with duality are allowed to fight against the powerful and solid feudal system, failure is inevitable. If we go back to the early 20th century, let's look at the development of Chinese national capitalism. "19065438+. 834.8 billion yuan. In the past decade, the total number of factories, mines and capital established in the previous three decades has more than doubled. " (4) By this time, China's national capitalism has truly become a force to be reckoned with.
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The * * * of the Reform Movement of 1898 was basically a group of scholars who lacked experience in political struggle. Most of them are well-read, concerned about the country and the people, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about politics, but lack strategy, political experience and talent. Let's look at Kang Youwei in the Reform Movement of 1898.
Kang Youwei was born in a bureaucratic landlord family in Nanhai, Guangdong. In his early years, he studied the Four Books and the Five Classics with his grandfather, and later studied with Guangdong Neo-Confucianism Zhu Ciqi, and met the editor Zhang Dinghua on 1879. "I know the atmosphere in Beijing and North Korea like the back of my hand. I know all kinds of new books and the stories of the Three Dynasties like the back of my hand." (6) I have broadened my horizons. Kang Youwei lived in the turbulent times of Qing Dynasty. As an intellectual with strong patriotic thoughts, he initiated and led the bourgeois reform movement in order to save the nation and survive. In seven letters, dozens of memorials and works at that time, he put forward his thoughts of political reform and reform comprehensively and systematically. 1888, Kang Youwei went to Beijing for the second time to take the provincial examination. He is extremely difficult about current affairs. He wrote angrily, "extremely dangerous, please reform it in time." This is the first time he wrote a letter, putting forward the idea of "turning it into law, understanding the situation and being cautious", emphasizing that as long as it is "turned into law", "it is not difficult to achieve prosperity within ten years and to recover territory and avenge it in twenty years." (7) This is the first time that Kang Youwei systematically published his thoughts on reform and political reform, which embodies the requirements of the emerging bourgeoisie to care about current politics. After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895,1April, the Qing government and the Japanese government signed the treaty of shimonoseki. At this time, Kang Youwei is taking the exam. He was very angry after receiving the news. He and his disciple Liang Qichao jointly signed a petition against the traitorous treaty in Beijing. This is the second petition, which is the famous "bus petition" in history. The petition put forward the idea of "rejecting peace, moving the capital and reforming the country". Although the petition failed to be reached, it had an important enlightening effect on all patriots at that time, especially intellectuals, and aroused strong repercussions in the whole society, which became the starting point for the development of the ideological trend of the 1898 Movement. Soon, in his own name, he wrote down the part about the political reform, put forward the strategy of "enriching the country, prospering the people and cultivating livestock", and advocated developing the capitalist economy and protecting the national industry and commerce. Emperor Guangxu saw this letter and agreed. Later, in the fourth book, the idea of "setting up a parliament to communicate feelings" was formally put forward, and a constitutional monarchy was implemented without changing the rule of the Qing Dynasty. This time, due to the resistance of the die-hards, this letter was not submitted. 1897, Germany occupied JIAOZHOU bay. After hearing the news, Kang Youwei wrote to Beijing again, pointing out: "Foreign contempt, domestic centrifugal, urgent work anxiety and resentment, absurd plan of timely political reform, ... If you hesitate again, you can drag out an ignoble existence, stick to the routine and take a plane crash, then foreign invasion is internal and must not happen ..." () However, due to the obstruction of die-hards, Emperor Guangxu failed to see this in time. 1898 1 month, Kang Youwei was ordered to read the sixth book, namely "Book Fold of Ying Zhao Overall Planning". In this last book, Kang comprehensively expounded the suggestions and propositions of political reform, emphasizing that relying on the power of Emperor Guangxu to carry out the New Deal and take the road of Meiji Restoration in Japan. He pointed out: "Looking at the trend of all ethnic groups, we can change all, remain unchanged and die, all change is strong, and small change is dead." (9) And put forward the idea of setting up a system bureau, which is an important step to implement political reform. Soon, he wrote a letter to this book for the last time, proposing that "China's political reform is nothing like France and Russia, and imperial reform is nothing like adopting Peter." (10) From his background, experience, position, especially his time, it is decided that he will be rooted in the deep soil of China culture and influenced by the unique psychological quality, national character and cultural tradition of the Chinese nation when seeking truth from the west and constructing his own ideological system. Therefore, the reformists headed by Kang Youwei have limitations in theoretical guidance. Kang Youwei used the traditional Confucian authority to publicize the truth of political reform by exerting Confucius' political thought. His two books, A Study of New Classics and A Study of Confucius' Reform, declared some classics that feudalists had always regarded as sacred as pseudographs. In the latter book, Confucius, who was originally conservative, was dressed up with enterprising spirit and advocated the concept of equality as much as possible. Kang Youwei and others sought the theoretical basis for opposing the feudal system from the traditional thought of maintaining the feudal system, and did not completely abandon the traditional Confucianism. It fully embodies the weakness and compromise of the national bourgeoisie. Neither of these two books has sufficient and convincing evidence. Needless to say, the old school opposed them, and some enlightened people at that time did not approve of them. Some radical propaganda by reformists has also increased social resistance. In addition, Kang Youwei is the leader of an enlightened landlord and wealthy businessman who wants to be transformed into a bourgeoisie, and a representative of a semi-feudal capitalist political group between the die-hards and revolutionaries. Judging from the class attribute of Kang Youwei, he is in the process of transforming from the landlord class, and his thoughts are also in the process of transforming from traditional feudal thoughts to modern western bourgeois thoughts. He advocates bourgeois reform, so they are afraid of the masses and even hostile to them. They advocate political reform, but oppose revolution. Kang Youwei believes that "the three laws of absolute monarchy, constitutionalism and democracy should be carried out one by one, and if they are in an orderly way, there will be chaos." He described the revolution as very cruel and terrible; "I have read the history of various countries. At the time of the French Revolution, the drama of people's struggle with people was not without tears. There was a national hemorrhage, and Paris died in a hundred days1290,000, changed three times, the monarch was restored, and it was a disaster in eighty years. " (1 1) It is based on this understanding that Kang Youwei resolutely opposed the revolution with the idea of royalism after the Reform Movement of 1898, which eventually became a stumbling block to historical progress.
Liang Qichao, like his teacher Kang Youwei, wanted to carry out some reforms and was extremely afraid of the people. So although they often talk about "civil rights", it's just a bad check. As for the realization of civil rights, it is a very distant thing for Liang Qichao and others. He said: "Western countries can establish a civil service system because they are open to the wisdom of the people and have strong people power." Everyone has an independent right. Although it is openly discussed, it is not difficult to be protected by parents when children are around. Today's China is still a child. When he was a child, he forced himself to be independent, which encouraged him, not useless, but harmed him. Therefore, China advocates civil affairs today, but it is only nine Niu Yi hairs. "Based on this understanding, the reforms advocated by Liang Qichao and the reformists as a whole rely on the top-down reforms of emperors and governors.
Tan Sitong is very confident and thinks that "national affairs are promising". In fact, he is wrong. Just as they were tirelessly carrying out reforms, the die-hards were also sharpening their swords and preparing to take advantage of the Tianjin military parade in June 5438+00 to abolish Emperor Guangxu and completely destroy the political reform movement. The situation is getting more and more urgent. In September, Emperor Guangxu said in a secret letter to Kang Youwei and Tan Sitong: "Today, we are in danger. There are Kang Youwei, Yang Rui, Xu Lin, Tan Sitong and Liu Guangdi. Can quickly raise funds and try to rescue them. I am so anxious that I have no expectations. " Tan sitong and others knelt down to read the imperial edict, but they couldn't help crying, but they were at a loss. Finally, I thought of Yuan Shikai and wanted to save the emperor with Yuan Shikai's new army. They suggested that the emperor summoned Yuan Shikai and rewarded him with an official position in order to win over. /kloc-On the night of September, 0/8, Tan Sitong went to Hokeji, Yuan's residence alone, and advised Yuan to use his troops to kill Rong Lu, Nalashi's confidant, to protect Emperor Guangxu. Kang Youwei and others thought that as long as the emperor was caught, nothing would happen. In fact, Emperor Guangxu was just an empty shelf, and the real power was entirely in the hands of the die-hards Nala and others. Emperor Guangxu adopted Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao's thought of reforming and strengthening the country, promulgated the imperial edict of "Ding Mingshi Country" and actively planned the New Deal. Nora also hastily deployed a coup to undermine the political reform movement. Just when Kang Youwei and others were full of ambitions, the die-hards counterattacked and overthrew the reformists. Emperor Guangxu went to prison, Tan Sitong and others were killed, and Kang Youwei and Ran Qichao fled abroad. The Wuyi political reform, which lasted only a hundred days, failed.
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/kloc-The Reform Movement of 1898, more than 0/00 years ago, was the first time in modern times that China consciously carried out system reform to meet the challenge of modernization. However, this measure was not a "radical" reform, but ended in a bloody tragedy, which seriously frustrated the modernization process of China. There are many complicated and profound reasons for this failure, one of which is the role of cultural tradition. This reform movement has a profound social, political, cultural and international background, and the most direct reason is the failure of the Qing government in the Sino-Japanese War. Because Japan has been studying China culture for a long time in history, before the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, China people always regarded Japan as an "island country" and a "small country". However, in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, which lasted nearly ten months, China was defeated by Japan, which was known as "the first in the East", and the Beiyang Navy was completely annihilated. Hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops were wiped out, and the Japanese invaded China, burning, killing and looting at will. The Qing government finally signed the treaty of shimonoseki, demanding compensation for humiliating the country and making peace with the enemy. After the failure of the Sino-Japanese War, some advanced men of insight, such as Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao, learned from their mistakes and began to explore new ways to save the country. They believe that the reason why Japan can defeat the old Chinese empire by the "rocky island" lies in learning from the West, reinventing itself, changing its course, reforming its political system and implementing constitutional monarchy. Therefore, China's road to saving the country and strengthening the country is to learn from the enemy-Japan. Japan has become strong by learning from the West, and China should and can only learn from the West, just like Japan, in order to survive and be strong. 1895 In May, Kang Youwei launched the famous "Letter to the Bus" in Beijing, and publicly put forward the idea of learning from Japan's political reform to strengthen the country. After demonstrating the necessity of reforming the country, he reminded: "Japan, a small island, can change the old law, but dares to destroy my Ryukyu and invade my big country." Lessons from the past can be used as a guide. (12) In his next two books to Emperor Guangxu, he repeatedly proposed to learn from Japan: "If the day is small, it will be as strong as a big one. Isn't it obvious and effective? "(13) Japan's reform shows that there is no other plan except reform. (14) Liang Qichao also praised Japan in the popular article "General Discussion on Reform": Before the reform, Japan was "made by Russia, Germany and the United States, with several countries. Since the Meiji Restoration, he changed course, took me to Ryukyu for 30 years and cut me off from Taiwan Province Province. "Their praise of the enemy and their call to learn from powerful enemies shocked the ruling and opposition parties. Some agree with it, and some resolutely oppose it, which is considered to be a big violation of the Tao. Emperor Guangxu, who supported the reform, was deeply moved. Shortly after the "Hundred-Day Reform" began, he ordered Kang Youwei to submit the Examination of Japanese Political Change. From June of 1898 to June of 12008, Kang Youwei presented his 15000-word,12-volume Examination of Japanese Political Change. The Examination of Japanese Reform introduced, commented and summarized the content, process and experience of Meiji Restoration in detail in the form of chronology, and put forward specific reform suggestions to Emperor Guangxu in combination with the situation in China. In this book, he shouted out the slogan "We might as well learn from the strong enemy"; It is emphasized that "when Japan changed its national system, the whole reform always took into account the order of Tianjin affairs, the scope of Tianjin subjects' aspirations, the structure and outline of the struggle, so that the world was obedient, so it was something for nothing." "Taking the constitution as the' general program' of reform is indeed the key to the problem. In the postscript at the end of the book, he concluded that the Meiji Restoration "has many organizational ways, but its grand ending is nothing more than: sworn ministers will decide the country; Establish a system bureau to discuss the constitution; Super grass and consultant grass; Condescending to lower one's dignity in order to convey one's feelings; Send more study tours and learn new things; Those who change clothes to make it easy for people to count. " He categorically asserted: "I am reforming in North Korea, but it is enough to adopt Japan. "Kang's investigation of Japanese political reform had a great influence on Emperor Guangxu, and many imperial edicts and political reforms promulgated in the Reform Movement of 1898 came from this book. When China was defeated by the Japanese and the whole country shared weal and woe, the reformists with the same blood boiling didn't just stay in the stage of condemning and denouncing the enemy, let alone simply denying the advantages and disadvantages of the invaders. Instead, they calmly reminded people of the enemy's strengths and proposed to learn from the enemy, which was really commendable. Because this requires superb knowledge, rational and clear understanding of the world trend, international pattern and domestic situation, and more importantly, extraordinary courage. In the face of public anger, their proposal of "taking a strong enemy as a teacher" is often denounced as "flattering the enemy to betray the country" and "forgetting one's ancestors by counting books", condemned by thousands of people, condemned by the whole world and discredited. The reason why the reformists are willing to take the risk of "the world is not convinced", admit and analyze the advantages of the enemy, and then propose to learn from them is because of their sincere love for the country, as Liang Qichao said: "Today's so-called patriots, who do things that are beneficial to the country, are especially well deserved. "(15) This patriotism is purer, more profound, more sober, more rational, more responsible and more effective, and more worthy of respect and promotion. Their courage is worthy of respect because of the strong color of cultural conservatism. As pioneers of ideological and cultural changes, they really live in isolation. 1898 After the coup, Cixi's anger towards Guangxu was quite telling. On the day of the coup, Empress Dowager Cixi remonstrated with the government and summoned the dignitaries to kneel on the right side of the case. Emperor Guangxu knelt on the left side of the case and asked Guangxu sharply: "The world is also the world of ancestors. How dare you do anything! I have chosen all the ministers for many years, and I asked them to help you. How dare you not use them casually! But dare to listen to rebellious bewitch, typical of troubled times. What is Kang Youwei, better than the person I chose? Can Kang Youwei's laws be better than those formulated by his ancestors? Why are you so stupid? You don't deserve it! " "Zu had an accident, liegeman broke the law, do you know what crime? Excuse me, your granddaddy is heavy, Kang Youwei is heavy, and you practice Kangfa behind your granddaddy. Why are you so confused? "Guangxu replied trembling:" I am confused, and foreigners are too eager to persecute me. They want to preserve the national pulse and accommodate western methods, and dare not listen to Kang Youwei's method. " Empress Dowager Cixi also denounced loudly: "Is it that ancestors are not as good as Western methods, and devils are more important than ancestors? "? Don't you know that Kang Youwei conspired against me? I dare to protect myself! "Guangxu's soul is in shock. At this time, the problem of "I don't know what is right" (16) and "ancestors are not as good as western methods, and the devil is more important than ancestors" made Emperor Guangxu speechless, showing its strong effectiveness, such as "magic". Ancestor worship and "Huaxia-centered theory" are important features of China traditional culture. Ancestor worship sanctifies ancestors and patriarchal clan system, which makes any reform very difficult and is always considered as "forgetting one's ancestors after several classics". According to "Huaxia Centrism", China is the "heaven" occupying the center of the world, and only China has the best culture. Other nationalities, countries and cultures are all "land", "foreign", "Manchu" and "fan". According to the distance from China, the "land" or "barbarian" or "alien" is classified as "land". The combination of "ancestor worship" and "Huaxia center" makes any reform in foreign countries more difficult to learn and learn from, and is regarded as "turning foreign countries into summer". In modern times, "China went to the countryside" met the challenge of more powerful advanced culture for the first time. However, when Lin Zexu, Wei Yuan and others proposed to understand the enemy, and then proposed to "learn from foreigners to control foreigners", they caused fierce debate and opposition, and were accused of "preventing summer". The Westernization Movement, which advocates "learning from western ships and importing large machines for production", has also been attacked by die-hards as disturbing people's hearts, advocating disorder, changing foreign things into China, flattering foreigners, worshipping foreign things and selling out the country. The reformists further proposed to learn from the western political system, and were even criticized as "thieves and bandits" who rebelled, "recognizing thieves as fathers" and "recognizing enemies as teachers". Modern China was bullied by the West, and national crises and national disasters occurred frequently. This is undoubtedly a very serious and inflammatory accusation. In the theoretical struggle and cultural conflict between modern change and conservatism, the main transformer has never established a systematic theoretical system of change, never really broke through the traditional discourse, and can only be on the defensive all the time, and often only have the ability to parry. Because the traditional discourse is still dominant, the conservatives have the right to interpret the traditional discourse, and by virtue of this discourse advantage, they are in an advantageous position morally and politically, while the reformers are in a disadvantageous position morally and politically, thus depriving, at least seriously weakening, the legitimacy of change, which is one of the important reasons why the road to modern change in China is tortuous and difficult. Admittedly, compared with the Westernization School, the reformists pay more attention to ideological construction. They seek the rationality of reform from the history of strong reform at home and abroad, especially introducing Darwin's theory of evolution and becoming a powerful ideological weapon. However, during the Reform Movement of 1898, the construction of this ideology had just begun, and its influence was limited to a few scholars and individual officials. The "rationality" of the political reform is far from being deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and has not been widely supported, which is also an important part of the failure of the political reform. Nevertheless, great changes have taken place in the territory of China's modern ideological history since the Reform Movement of 1898, which provides an ideological basis for future changes, which is also the far-reaching significance of the Reform Movement of 1898.
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The old guard is powerful, and the highest leadership of the country is not in the hands of reformists, but in the hands of princes and ministers headed by the western empress dowager. Several prominent figures in charge of real power, Prince Gong and Prince Qing, are almost invariably resolute and conservative. There are only a few reformers and they have no real power in North Korea. Kang Youwei only served as the foreign minister of Prime Minister Zhang Jing, and most of his seven letters were banned. Kang Youwei's organizational society was also suppressed, closed and dissolved. The operation of the newspaper was curbed, and the magazine "Qiang" was suspended after being published for three times. The attitude of the Western Empress Dowager towards the political reform is eight words: tolerance: she wants to control the political reform within a certain range, agree to abolish stereotyped writing, change policy and theory, develop business, open factories, arm the army with new weapons, and so on. Control: The Western Empress Dowager took two measures against the reformists. One is to recall Weng Tonghe and withdraw the staff around Guangxu. The second is to let Rong Lu go to Tianjin as the governor of Zhili to control the military power in and around Beijing; Observation: See what Guangxu will do. Hands-on: as long as the reform touched the interests of the princes and nobles of the Qing court, she began to suppress it. Necessity. However, at the beginning of the political reform, at the critical moment when everything is in ruins, the stupid and decadent conservative forces represented by Harmony are planning a shameless palace coup. During the Guangxu period in the late Qing Dynasty, the imperial court was actually divided into two major parties, Empress Dowager Cixi and her nephew Rong Lu, Zhili Governor and Minister of Beiyang, resolute Minister of War, Minister of Punishment, and so on. These Manchu nobles, royalty and relatives colluded with the eunuch Li, who was favored by the west, to form a "post-party"; Emperor Guangxu, his teacher, Minister of War Weng Tonghe, imperial envoy Yang Shenxiu, university student Xu Zhiqing, and representatives of Ministry of Industry, reformists Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao formed the "Imperial Party". Before and after the political reform, because the political reform touched the direct interests of the imperial nobles, the reformists and conservatives fought to the death from beginning to end. "The emperor and Weng (and) seek reform, and the queen mother and Rong (Lu) seek abolition." On the day of Guangxu's imperial edict, the empress dowager tried to suppress the emperor. So Guangxu decreed that Weng Tonghe, the minister of reform and abbot, was removed and retired to his hometown. Regarding the reform of the system and the official system, the latter party attacked and said: "The intention to seize the Privy Council belongs to the system, the six powers belong to the twelve branches, and the governor's power belongs to the civil affairs bureaus." . Therefore, when the Reform Movement reached the final key political reform, an evil court plot was brewing at the same time. On the other hand, it perfunctory the reform, and at the same time arrogated the military and political power of the imperial court and set up a tight encirclement. On the sixth day of August in the 24th year of Guangxu (1September 2, 8981), Empress Dowager Cixi mobilized 3,000 soldiers, closed the nine gates of the capital, stopped the Beijing-Tianjin Railway, and ordered the arrest of Kang Youwei and Kang Ren Guang brothers. Infantry commander Chongli led 300 people to surround Nanhai Hall and arrested Kang on the spot. On September 18, the secretariat beheaded the reformist ministers Tan Sitong,,, Yang Rui, Liu Guangdi and Kang at Caishikou, which was known as the "Six Gentlemen" in history. Emperor Guangxu once asked the queen mother why she was so, and Ci Xi angrily denounced: "Do you know what it means to violate the law against the ancestors and commit a heinous crime?" Excuse me, ancestors are heavier, and Kang Youwei is heavier? Why are you so careless when you walk behind your ancestors? Are ancestors not as good as western methods, and devils are more important than ancestors? ! "Cixi was worried that" the political reform and drastic changes would lose people's hearts ",so she imprisoned Emperor Guangxu in Yingtai and announced that she would once again" listen to politics behind the scenes ". This palace coup was the infamous "1898 coup".
Reform is different from revolution. It is a slow and gradual process, and it is very long. In this long process, we need a convincing theory as a guide and a solid class foundation, and the reform can be successful, but the Reform Movement of 1898 has nothing. The reason is that there is no environment to make the reform successful and strong political and economic forces related to it. They just encountered a national crisis. Because their theory and class strength are very weak, they are weak in the face of powerful feudal forces, and the reformists have hardly made any resistance, and the reform failed. As Li Kan summed up: "Before the reform began, they were not fully prepared ideologically, but the imminent national crisis made them rush into battle, so they were bound to fail."
Mainly due to the weakness and compromise of the bourgeois reformists, lacking the courage to oppose imperialism and feudalism, they only adopted improved methods, pinned their hopes on feudal reactionary forces and power, stayed away from the people and feared them, so they failed to get the support of the people. At the same time, the die-hards are very strong, and western capitalist countries do not want China to embark on the road of independent development of capitalism. As a result, the Chinese and foreign reactionary forces jointly stifled the Reform Movement. In the final analysis, it is determined by the level of capitalist development in China. The level of capitalist development in China is very low, the economic foundation is still very weak, and the strength of the bourgeoisie is weak. The strength of the bourgeoisie is not enough to compete with the feudal forces, which is the fundamental reason for the failure of the Reform Movement of 1898. The reasons for the failure of the Reform Movement of 1898 are extremely complicated, which are closely related to the social environment in China at that time, and also related to Kang Youwei's unclear understanding of the Lord, lack of considerable political experience, relying solely on Emperor Guangxu, and even trying to separate the emperor from Empress Dowager Cixi. But historical development is not judged by future generations after they have seen it clearly. People at that time had ideas and practices at that time. When we look at the history that has happened today, we will inevitably find the limitations of some historical figures. In other words, all historical figures have limitations. However, as a historical figure, what he did at that time was the most appropriate and correct thing he should do in that historical environment. Looking back on the Reform Movement of 1898: From the perspective of the whole China society, the most important thing at that time was the lack and reform of the system, which Kang Youwei saw and put forward. This is Kang Youwei's greatest historical significance. Mainly due to the weakness and compromise of the bourgeois reformists, lacking the courage to oppose imperialism and feudalism, they only adopted improved methods, pinned their hopes on feudal reactionary forces and power, stayed away from the people and feared them, so they failed to get the support of the people. At the same time, the die-hards are very strong, and western capitalist countries do not want China to embark on the road of independent development of capitalism. As a result, the Chinese and foreign reactionary forces jointly stifled the Reform Movement. In the final analysis, it is determined by the level of capitalist development in China. The level of capitalist development in China is very low, the economic foundation is still very weak, and the strength of the bourgeoisie is weak. The strength of the bourgeoisie is not enough to compete with the feudal forces, which is the fundamental reason for the failure of the Reform Movement of 1898.