Militarism is a concept that includes a socio-political process of cultural, symbolic, and material preparation for war. The militarist era is a period in the history of the Republic of China from 1916 to 1928, during which the country was divided among military rulers (Hughes, 2017, p. 54).
Officers were loyal to their superiors and organized into cliques based on geography (Hughes, 2017). The divisions were formed from members of the same provinces. This principle helped avoid problems with dialect and encouraged centrifugal tendencies. The system of Chinese militarism was a specific form of political power, characteristic of the initial republican period of modernization of Chinese society (Hughes, 2017). The democratic institutions then functioned under the control of military-political factions, which succeeded each other. Moreover, they competed for power not only politically but also militarily. The concept of militarism was designed to prevent the other military and the ideological expansion of imperialism in China (Hughes, 2017). Therefore, the first part of this worldview stipulated Confucianism as a doctrine, and the second part stated the need to use the technical achievements of the West to strengthen the country. The peculiarity of the period of militarism is a variety of ideological and political directions of public thought. The new ideas were intertwined with the old Confucian ideas in their assimilation and cultural contacts. These conditions have influenced the gradual evolution of the phenomenon of Chinese militarism (Hughes, 2017).
Thus, the advantages of Chinese militarism are forming a combat-ready army and, simultaneously, creating a common culture for the population. This has enabled China not only to become a powerful international player but also to enhance the sentiments of the people within the state.
References
Hughes, C. R. (2017). Militarism and the China model: the case of National Defense Education. Journal of Contemporary China, 26(103), 54-67. Web.
Makeham, J. (2020). Chinese philosophy and universal values in contemporary China. Asian Studies, 8(2), 311-334. Web.