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The long history of cultural exchanges between China and the West continues to flow, and it is undeniable that Western culture has exerted a profound and extensive impact on China, which has a 5,000-year civilization heritage. Especially in the 19th century, German culture, as part of Western culture, brought a multifaceted impact to China. Its influence spread to China's educational, literary, and military fields, shaping many aspects of China's modernization process.
The impact of the education sector is undoubtedly the most obvious. Protestant missionaries actively advocated the establishment of schools that spread Christian doctrine while introducing the Western school system. This initiative quickly flourished in 19th-century China. The Protestant Missionary Society founded numerous schools, including primary, secondary and seminaries, to meet the needs of students at all levels. The establishment of these schools had a profound impact on Chinese society at that time, so that the Western education system and knowledge system began to penetrate into China. The curriculum of these schools covers not only religious content, but also knowledge of Western science and culture, and even some language courses such as Latin. This initiative provides Chinese students with a broader knowledge experience and enriches their horizons.
Not only that, but these missionary schools have strengthened religious beliefs through religious lessons, Bible readings and the recitation of hymns, influencing generations of students. After graduation, they can choose to continue their seminary or attend a secular school to learn practical skills in order to gain a foothold in society. This has led to the increasing diversification of China's education system, attracting more young people to receive education and training more talents for the country's development.
It was this wave of Protestant education that promoted the rise of the Western movement. In the 40s and 50s of the 19th century, Wei Yuan introduced an overview of Western education, while in the early 60s, Feng Guifen further studied the education systems in Britain, France, the Netherlands and Sweden. However, their understanding of modern Western education is still relatively limited. It was not until the 60s of the 19th century that the German missionary Hua Zhi'an arrived in China, bringing Germany's excellent education system and ideas into China, paving the way for the rise of the Westernist movement. Hua Zhi'an is credited with being the first missionary to detail the Western school system, and his arrival injected new impetus into China's modernized educational reform.
In the field of literature, German literature was gradually introduced to China in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This historical stage witnessed the rise of two outstanding literary artists, Lu Xun and Guo Moruo. Lu Xun had a soft spot for German literature, and his literary creations not only introduced the German Romantic movement and poetry genre, but also tried to use the representative role of German Romantic poets as a weapon against the old system and dark rule. Through German literature, Lu Xun explored ways to save the country and promote China's modernization. German Romanticism profoundly influenced Lu Xun's literary creation, shaping his literary style and thought.
Similar to Lu Xun, Guo Moruo was also deeply influenced by German literature. He studied German and Chinese while studying in Japan and was inspired by German literature courses. This influence is reflected in his literary works, especially in defiance, self-expression and respect for individuality. Guo Moruo's literary style is somewhat related to German literature, and he was inspired by German writers such as Shelley, Whitman and Tagore to form his own unique literary style.
In the military field, Germany has also had a profound impact on China. In the process of China's modernization, military reform is an indispensable part. China found itself clearly lagging behind the West in terms of weaponry, equipment and technology, so it put forward the slogan "mastering and destroying with skill". Foreign Minister Li Hongzhang witnessed the Prussian army's victory over France using Krupp artillery and was inspired to set his sights on Germany. The Chinese Army began to learn from Germany, and the arms procurement center gradually moved to Germany. The introduction of Krupp artillery from Germany and the translation of artillery science provided key support to China's military level. The Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau set up a special translation hall to translate German artillery books into Chinese, which promoted the development of China's military industry.
The study and translation of these books promoted the progress of Chinese military thought and provided an important impetus for China's modernization of military level. At the same time, a large number of military students have also gone abroad to Germany to study military science and technology, making valuable contributions to China's military modernization process. It is precisely these efforts that have enabled China's modernization process to achieve remarkable achievements in the military field.
Under the influence of different fields, China gradually absorbed culture and knowledge from Germany, enriched its own traditions, and promoted the process of modernization. The influence of German culture, education and military has provided valuable resources for China's development and left a deep trace for cultural exchanges between China and the West.
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