Local Militarization And Rural Society, 1920s-1930s

The political change of modern state-nation has accelerated the militarization course of grassroots society, especially in 1920s and 1930s. Local militarization was a complicated history process. For village society, this process was a reaction of local people to the social change; hence the reactions were not all the same in different regions. The dominance of local militias between government and local elite has been changing in this process, which reflected the transition of relationship between government and society.The dissertation sets Hui'an for example, analyses various militias in 1920s and 1930s, and discusses the relationship between militias and regional society, and the role militias played in the modern local politics. Chapter1 starts with the social and ecological condition, analyses the different environment and exploitation between southeast and northwest Hui'an, and the different reactions of the two districts in turmoil. Chapter2 mainly discusses the reasons of local militarization re-rising in Republican China, and the situations of local militias. Chapter3 focuses on the structure of local militias and the relationship between local militias and rural society. Chapter4 briefly analyses the relationship between local militias and local government, and the relationship between the Kuomintang and Communist Party. Then gives the conclusion.