The Republic of China

‘All too often the Chinese Republic is overlooked as a wretched interlude between imperial collapse and communist victories. Yet its contribution to a Chinese modernity that a century later is still in the making was essential. Paulès’ nuanced and erudite synthesis introduces us to the paradoxes of these creative and dramatic decades like no other book I know of.’ Pierre-Etienne Will, Collège de France ‘The Republic was a short but transformative period for China.  Xavier Paulès shows its importance as a time of political possibility, covering conflict, economics and culture with flair and precision.’ Rana Mitter, University of Oxford ‘Paulès presents a fascinating account of the decades that followed the collapse of China’s imperial order, highlighting the effects of political fragmentation, imperialism, industrialization, domestic and international migration, and world war. This lively book analyses current debates about the politics and personalities of the era, arguing that the decades before 1949 demonstrate the fluidity and resilience of Chinese culture.’ Kristin Stapleton, University at Buffalo