History of China, 1839-1997
This playlist covers the history of China from the First Opium War (1839-42) to the handover of Hong Kong in 1997.
What this playlist includes:
66 lectures across 9 courses.
All resources designed and delivered by university academics and researchers.
Self-marking quizzes for all lectures, as well as an end-of-topic quiz.
Reading lists, essay questions and extension activities.
Courses and Lectures
1. China – The First Opium War, 1839-42
Dr Lars Laamann
SOAS, University of London
SOAS, University of London
1.1. China and the West: 2,000 Years of Trade – 10:49
1.2. Coastal Trade in China in the 17th-18th Centuries – 13:24
1.3. The Growth of the Opium Trade: Part I – 05:29
1.4. The Growth of the Opium Trade: Part II – 04:03
1.5. The Case For and Against Opium – 05:40
1.6. The Causes of the First Opium War – 06:56
1.7. The First Opium War, 1839-42 – 10:53
1.8. The Consequences of the First Opium War – 08:18
2. China – The End of the Qing Dynasty, 1842-1911
Dr Lars Laamann
SOAS, University of London
SOAS, University of London
2.1. Opium War to the Treaty of Tianjin, 1842-58 – 10:24
2.2. Internal Rebellions, 1850-64 – 11:37
2.3. The Self-Strengthening Movement – Phase I, 1861-72 – 10:50
2.4. Self-Strengthening Movement: Phase II, 1872-85 – 05:07
2.5. Self-Strengthening Movement: Phase III, 1885-95 – 15:24
2.6. Hundred Days' Reform, 1898 – 08:18
2.7. The Boxer Rebellion, 1898-1900 – 06:32
2.8. The End of the Qing Dynasty, 1900-11 – 12:29
3. China – The Rise of the Chinese Communist Party, 1921-49
Prof. Michael Dillon
Durham University
Durham University
3.1. The Origins of the CCP – 05:47
3.2. The Kuomintang – 02:23
3.3. The CCP-KMT United Front, 1923-27 – 02:47
3.4. The Shanghai Massacre and the Nanjing Decade, 1... – 03:59
3.5. Retreat and Consolidation, 1927-34 – 03:44
3.6. The Long March, 1934-35 – 03:21
3.7. The Yan’an Period, 1936-43 – 08:45
3.8. Communist Victory, 1943-49 – 05:33
3.9. Establishment of the PRC, 1949 – 04:11
4. China – Sino-Japanese Relations, c.1840-1945
Dr Marjorie Dryburgh
Sheffield University
Sheffield University
4.1. Political Exchange – 04:37
4.2. Cultural Exchange – 06:35
4.3. The Invasion of Manchuria – 05:00
4.4. Life in Manchukuo – 02:38
4.5. The Marco Polo Bridge Incident – 06:13
4.6. The Chinese Experience of War – 08:52
4.7. China and the Second World War – 07:08
5. China – The Second Sino-Japanese War, 1937-45
Dr Tehyun Ma
Sheffield University
Sheffield University
5.1. Why did the Japanese occupy Manchuria in 1931? – 08:50
5.2. What were the causes of the outbreak of war in ... – 07:48
5.3. Why did Japan lose the war? – 08:22
5.4. How did the war shape Chinese society? – 09:39
5.5. How did the war influence China’s economy? – 05:56
5.6. How did the war influence Chinese politics? – 10:20
6. China – The Second Sino-Japanese War and Maoist China, 1937-76
Prof. Yangwen Zheng
Manchester University
Manchester University
6.1. What was China like in 1936? – 12:46
6.2. Why did the Communists win the Chinese Civil War? – 08:01
6.3. What challenges did the CCP face when they came... – 06:27
6.4. The First Five-Year Plan, 1953-7 – 10:05
6.5. The Great Leap Forward, 1958-62 – 13:22
6.6. The Cultural Revolution, 1966-76 – 13:20
6.7. Was China better off in 1936 or 1976? – 06:40
7. China – The Cultural Revolution, 1966-76
Prof. Michael Dillon
Durham University
Durham University
7.1. What was the meaning of the name ‘Cultural Revo... – 01:46
7.2. Why did Mao launch the Cultural Revolution when... – 05:12
7.3. Is it accurate to describe the Cultural Revolut... – 06:40
7.4. To what extent were Mao’s motives ideological r... – 07:08
7.5. What was the role of the Red Guards in Mao’s st... – 08:03
7.6. Why was traditional Chinese culture a prime tar... – 07:06
7.7. What part did Mao’s wife, Jiang Qing, play in t... – 06:14
7.8. How important was Lin Biao in the Cultural Revo... – 06:01
7.9. To what extent was the Cultural Revolution a su... – 07:25
8. China – Deng Xiaoping and the Opening of China, 1979-97
Prof. Frank Ching
HKUST
HKUST
8.1. From Mao to Deng – 13:17
8.2. Economic Development, 1979-97 – 11:50
8.3. US-China Relations – 1968-82 – 08:56
8.4. US-China Relations – 1979-97 – 08:03
8.5. Political Developments, 1979-97 – 09:51
8.6. China and the World in 1997 – 10:54
9. China – The Making of Modern China
Prof. Kerry Brown
King's College London
King's College London
9.1. What is China? – 08:58
9.2. Why does China have a Communist Party? – 08:12
9.3. Who was Mao Zedong? – 09:49
9.4. How did China become so rich? – 11:12
9.5. What was the Cultural Revolution? – 10:24
9.6. How long is Chinese history? – 11:31
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