A Century of Humiliation 1839-1949 - by Andrew Hyde (Hardcover)

About the Book

An exploration of international relations at a time when Western powers exploited Eastern resources and sought to dominate the economic and political landscape. A powerful insight into the history that helped shaped current political and economic realities.

Book Synopsis

From 1839 to 1949, Imperial and Republican China was ruthlessly subjected to territorial, economic and political exploitation by Europe, Japan and the United States. This unrelenting series of shattering blows was to become known as the 'Century of Humiliation'. These indignities were achieved through a combination of threats, intimidation and wars that yielded a series of 'Unequal Treaties'. They granted territorial concessions, extraterritorial rights and other privileges which left China impotent, and millions outcasts in their own country. Thousands more were exploited in faraway lands, working as labourers on railways and plantations, and becoming collateral damage in foreign wars. Consequently, the country faced dissolution and civil war as it struggled to throw off foreign domination.

Seared into the memories of generations of China's intellectual and political elites, these ordeals serve to explain Beijing's contemporary political worldview. This has revealed itself in bullish revanchism towards Taiwan and other parts of Asia-Pacific (APAC), border disputes with states as diverse as India, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines, and wider global economic aspirations, stretching from Europe to Africa and beyond.

Review Quotes

'The book remains well written and engaging, particularly from an historical angle, and can be recommended for history lovers.'--David Scott, The Historian, Summer 2025

About the Author

Andrew Hyde is the author of Europe: Unite, Fight, Repeat and Jihad: The Ottomans and the Allies 1914-1922. He also co-wrote a major three-volume work on The Blitz and has been a contributor to the BBC's Timewatch programme.