Nationalistic sentiments and democratic initiatives under Woodrow Wilson inspired Chinese citizens that China could modernize and that a republic would flourish in spite of Yuan Shikai’s military dictatorship. Chow observes that “Wilson’s political idealism, and his guarantee of political independence of small states and self determination had great appeal to the Chinese.” Along with these new alignment with the United States in World War I , China was ambitious to join other Western powers. Spence claims that the thought process of aligning with France and Britain was the economic benefits for China. Spence explains,” that if the Germans were defeated, then strategically important German concession areas in Shandong could be reclaimed by China.” The result would be that China could stimulate economic and politically recovery from the small concessionary gains that it would obtain in a winning war
Nationalistic sentiments and democratic initiatives under Woodrow Wilson inspired Chinese citizens that China could modernize and that a republic would flourish in spite of Yuan Shikai’s military dictatorship. Chow observes that “Wilson’s political idealism, and his guarantee of political independence of small states and self determination had great appeal to the Chinese.” Along with these new alignment with the United States in World War I , China was ambitious to join other Western powers. Spence claims that the thought process of aligning with France and Britain was the economic benefits for China. Spence explains,” that if the Germans were defeated, then strategically important German concession areas in Shandong could be reclaimed by China.” The result would be that China could stimulate economic and politically recovery from the small concessionary gains that it would obtain in a winning war