Introduction
The development of nationalism in China has been examined from multiple standpoints, with no consensus having been reached. However, given the context in which China gained the sense of national identity, the described change could be seen as the urge for liberation against the colonist interests of European states (Spence 11). According to Erez Manela, from the described perspective, the events in China could be regarded as comparable to those of the Wilsonian moment in the United States. Pointing to the bitter disappointment in the seemingly innocent intentions of liberal internationalists that colonized nations tend to feel, Manela explains that the specified failure has contributed to reinforcing nationalist ideas and sympathies across colonized countries, thus building premises for the development of liberation movements such as the one in China.
Main Thesis
In his essay on the nature of anti-colonialist nationalist movements, Manela contemplates that the colonialist attitudes that countries representing the dominant power on the political, economic, and cultural levels incite the development of rebellion and the resulting nationalist tendencies in colonized nations. Although the specified point could be seen as self-explanatory, it, in fact, raises multiple issues that could be interpreted as somewhat controversial. For instance, the rise in nationalist movement as a response to colonialist actions and attitudes of dominant cultures does not necessarily imply the increase in the development of self-sufficiency and independence from the colonizing nation. Instead, the author points to the scenario observed in China as an example of how colonialism shapes the development of nationalism and the further creation of a regime that stifles the voice of any opposition (Deng et al. 25). Thus, the author outlines in his thesis the controversial nature of nationalist movements sparked by the forceful actions of colonial states.
Main Points
In his book addressing the problem of well-meaning yet ignorant and often selfish actions of colonialists, Manela explains the problematic aspects of the specified scenario using the examples of China and the U.S. Specifically, the very concept of the Wilsonian movement is borrowed from the U.S. history and the ideas promoted by Woodrow Wilson (Forster 52). Using the idea of Wilsonianism as the efforts aimed at promoting peace across cultures and the enhancement of mutual understanding and cross-cultural communication might seem like a reasonable step in preventing the instances of international conflicts.
However, Manela warns that the described solution is likely to return adverse outcomes that are much more severe in their impact than the ostensible positive effects. Manela uses the example of China to illustrate his point. Namely, he explains that once captured by the movement that was supposed to become its force for liberation, the state was quickly seized by the proponents of the Communist regime. With the following establishment of the Committee for Public Information, the right to free speech was quickly curbed, and the state authorities gained endless control over information, thus creating a premise for the introduction and promotion of an authoritarian regime.
Cultural differences in understanding the challenges and struggles of people from different states and belonging to other ethnicities is another fair point that Manela makes. Consequently, the necessity to intervene only when necessary ad analyzes the chosen strategy of negotiations very carefully to avoid unforeseen results is a crucial conclusion to which Manela comes in his essay. Specifically, the author explains that the integration of the Wilsonian principles into the Chinese setting was not expected to produce the effects that it had. As Manela asserts, “Wilson admitted that applying his principles to the Far East would be difficult,” yet opted for following through with his plan nonetheless (Manela 177). The resulting disruption in the political interactions between China and the U.S., as well as the rapid development of Communist ideas in the Chinese setting, showed that gaining cultural insight is critical prior to applying the measures that have proven to produce expected results in a different cultural setting.
Conclusion
Manela’s work shows that the well-meaning intentions of the West as the nation that used to have quite prominent colonist tendencies are still highly likely to produce detrimental effects on the nations that have suffered colonization. Due to the lack of the required level of cultural insight and the inability to adjust the suggested solutions to the cultural, sociopolitical, and socioeconomic context of the target setting, the efforts aimed at making a positive change often lead to unforeseen side effects. Therefore, a more careful and delicate attitude toward vulnerable cultures is needed to understand their context and extend help to their representatives.
Works Cited
Deng, Peng, et al. A Century of Student Movements in China: The Mountain Movers, 1919–2019. Lexington Books, 2019.
Forster, Elisabeth. 1919–The Year That Changed China: A New History of the New Culture Movement, vol. 2, Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG, 2018.
Manela, Erez. The Wilsonian Moment: Self-Determination and the International Origins of Anticolonial Nationalism. Oxford University Press on Demand, 2007.
Spence, Jonathan D. The Search for Modern China. WW Norton & Company, 1990.