A Droplet In The Torrent Of Modern Chinese Nationalism:Analysis On Tao Xi-sheng’s Political Thoughts (1928-1949)

The rise and evolution of Nationalism exerted great influence on the ideology of Chinese intellectuals. Tao Xi-sheng was typical of such intellectuals.Tao Xi-sheng advocated continuing the revolution when he was a member of the "Gai-zu-pai" after the defeat of the first National Revolution. His views on National Revolution based on the Three People’s Principles. He defined the target inside and outside of the revolution as well as the theoretical basis and the main force. He pointed out that the Nationalist party neglected the domestic ethnic problems, not to mention solving these problems. So Tao Xi-sheng called to pay more attention and solve the problems.During his teaching period in Peking University, Tao Xi-sheng took part in the discussion about Democratic or Authoritarian in1930s. His views were between absolute democracy and absolute dictatorship. He concerned the rights of people, encouraged people to fight for freedom of speech thereby exercising power through the National Assembly. The Government could fully mobilize the people to resist the invasion of Japan imperialism. Tao Xi-sheng was also in respond to the advocates to lift the party-ban from Chinese Communist Party. He sought to end internal strife among the political parties and separatist forces, he called for uniting as one to resist foreign aggression. Tao’s democratic political ideas revealed a tendency of pragmatism.Tao’s attitude towards Japan repeated several times when he faced Japanese invasion to China. Tao Xi-sheng supported the war with Japan after the Mukden Incident. He argued for breaking off friendship with Japan and carrying out national war without relying on outside force. But he tend to avoid war after North China Incident. He explained the framework document on the anti-Japanese and national instruction using Three People’s Principles after the July7Incident of1937. But pessimism about the future war eventually led him to Peace Movement. After he got insight into the conspiracy between Wang Jingwei and Japanese fascist he decided to quilt Peace Movement. Tao Xi-sheng become one of the protagonists of the Gao Tao event which shocked the whole world.Tao Xi-sheng also concerned about the changes in the international situation during the Anti-Japanese War. He strived to" use the international situation rather than being a victim of the international situation". At the beginning of the war he expected America and Britain would constrain Japan in Far East areas, which could offer support to the War of Chinese Resistance against Japan. He predicted that Japanese would choose northward from the land rather not southward because of the containment from America and Britain. The international situation would effectively coordinate the Anti-Japanese War.Tao Xi-sheng returned to the core of the power, his spirit of freedom and independence faded out and the political thoughts tend to become orthodox. He seemed to be a mouthpiece for the Kuomintang. He spoke highly of Chiang Kai-shek, exerted all his faculties to maintain the dictatorship of the Kuomintang. At the same time, he saw Communist Party as totalitarian party without nationalism. So he made a stand against Chinese Communist Party’s participation in politics. Meanwhile, he saw America as peacekeepers, treat the Soviet Union as the destroyer of the world peace. He took evident position in pro-American and anti-Soviet.Throughout Tao’s political thought, though his political thought underwent changes, his nationalistic idea was consistent which had been the dominant factors affected his ideological transformation. The nationalist characteristic of Tao’s political thoughts made him a sparkling water droplets in the surging torrent of modern Chinese nationalism.