In Revolutionary Nativism Maggie Clinton traces the history and cultural politics of fascist organizations that operated under the umbrella of the Chinese Nationalist Party (GMD) during the 1920s and 1930s. Clinton argues that fascism was not imported to China from Europe or Japan; rather it emerged from the charged social conditions that prevailed in the country's southern and coastal regions during the interwar period. These fascist groups were led by young militants who believed that reviving China's Confucian "national spirit" could foster the discipline and social cohesion necessary to defend China against imperialism and Communism and to develop formidable industrial and military capacities, thereby securing national strength in a competitive international arena. Fascists within the GMD deployed modernist aesthetics in their literature and art while justifying their anti-Communist violence with nativist discourse. Showing how the GMD's fascist factions popularized a virulently nationalist rhetoric that linked Confucianism with a specific path of industrial development, Clinton sheds new light on the complex dynamics of Chinese nationalism and modernity.

About the Author
Maggie Clinton is Assistant Professor of History at Middlebury College.

Reviews
"Historian Clinton offers an insightful analysis of what she sees as China's fascist movement after the ascendance of Chiang Kai-shek in the political arena. Highly recommended." -- P. F. Shan * Choice *
"A thought-provoking study that raises new questions." -- Anna Belogurova * Pacific Affairs *
"Maggie Clinton has opened up an important new strand in our understanding of the political and intellectual history of 20th-century China. Revolutionary Nativism is a powerful book that will shape debates for years to come." -- Rana Mitter * The China Quarterly *
"Fascinating and intriguing. . . . Revolutionary Nativism is an important contribution not only for taking fascism in East Asia seriously, but also for making us rethink the role of state led modernity via moralization of the everyday." -- Marc Andre Matten * International Journal of Asian Studies *



Book Information
ISBN 9780822363774
Author Maggie Clinton
Format Paperback
Page Count 280
Imprint Duke University Press
Publisher Duke University Press
Weight(grams) 386g