Chapter 7 Summary and Analysis

China reaches its greatest imperial dimensions during the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty, from 1644-1911. The Qing rulers conquer much of Indochina, Tibet, the Korean Peninsula, Kazakhstan, Taiwan, Myanmar, eastern Siberia, the Sakhalin Islands, Mongolia, and Xingjian. China's present day claims to some of these territories are based on these imperial boundaries. The 19th Century brings problems for China. The nation is overextended; it also endures invasions from European colonialists, and it suffers economic woes. When the Qing Dynasty collapses in 1911, the empire's territorial losses are severe, but the worst is yet to come. Nationalists, Communists, and Japanese fight a three-way battle over the ravaged nation. During the early 20th Century, while Europe is busy colonizing Africa and Southeast Asia, China quietly exists within its self-imposed isolation. After declaring China the People's Republic of China in 1949, Mao Zedong implements collectivization on farms throughout...