Chapter 10 7. The Eight Immortals each have their own tricks

With the progress of the Industrial Revolution, all levels of British society demanded the expansion of suffrage to break the situation where the upper class controlled the regime.The bourgeoisie demanded parliamentary reforms to gain more seats in parliament.The people hope to obtain universal suffrage in order to protect their own economic and political rights.This led to the reform of Parliament in 1832 and the Chartist movement in the first half of the 19th century. In 1832, the British Parliament carried out electoral reforms, abolished the declining constituencies, changed the past seat allocation quotas, so that the industrial bourgeoisie could get more seats, strengthened the role of the industrial bourgeoisie in parliament, and provided a guarantee for the further development of industrial capitalism. Guaranteed.

After the parliamentary reform in the 19th century, some democratic rights of the people were expanded.With the development of the times, the cabinet has gradually become the center of modern British political power. Chartism had a major impact on British bourgeois political democracy.Later, the United Kingdom promulgated some laws one after another, and gradually removed various restrictions on the right to vote.By the beginning of the 20th century, universal suffrage was basically achieved. In order to obtain a majority of seats in the parliament, different political parties of the British bourgeoisie competed fiercely. The Conservative Party and the Liberal Party began to take turns in power in the middle of the 19th century, and the bourgeois parliamentary party system gradually formed and developed.In the 19th century, the British Parliament continued to reform, gradually expanding the scope of democracy.

Since 1902, the prime ministers of the United Kingdom have been civilians, and no aristocrats have served as prime ministers.Today's British aristocrats can't tell where he is expensive. There may be a big castle, and the state will help him repair it, sell some tickets, and make some money. That's all.Basically, they do not interfere in politics. If nobles want to be prime minister, they must resign their titles and their seats in the House of Lords before they can run for prime minister.Of course, ordinary senators are not willing to do this either. The British prime ministers in the 19th century were all the Duke of XX and Lord XX. Since 1902, there have been no more.

In the 19th century, in France, the democratic republic and the feudal royalist forces were still competing repeatedly. In February 1848, the people of Paris staged an uprising and overthrew the July Dynasty. The bourgeoisie took power and announced the implementation of a republic, known as the French Second Republic in history.Soon the bourgeois republicans adopted the Constitution of the Second Republic.According to the constitution, at the end of 1848, France held presidential elections, and Napoleon I's nephew Louis?Bonaparte was elected President of France, but he wanted to restore the monarchy. In 1851, he launched a coup, dissolved the Legislative Assembly, and began a personal dictatorship. In November 1852, he forced the people to vote in favor of a resolution to restore the monarchy.Soon he ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, known as Napoleon III.He represented the interests of the financial aristocracy and the great industrialists.Internally, he pursued autocratic rule; externally, he continued to invade and expand. In July 1870, in order to compete for European hegemony, France and Prussia launched a military decisive battle, and Napoleon III was captured and surrendered. In September, the people of Paris took the opportunity to launch an uprising, demanding the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a republic, and the French Third Republic was established.

In early 1875, the French National Assembly passed the Constitution of the Third French Republic, legally establishing the republic.In fact, within the National Assembly of the Second Republic, there are still a majority of members who want to restore the monarchy.But this group of people has a trumpet for each person, and each plays a different tune.The Legitimists hoped for the restoration of the Bourbon Dynasty, the Orleanists hoped for the July Dynasty to ascend the throne, and the Bonapartists of course hoped for a comeback of the Napoleonic Empire.They quarreled with each other, weakened by internal strife.The National Assembly finally adopted the Constitution of the Third French Republic with a narrow majority of one vote.

The Constitution stipulates that the legislative power belongs to the Parliament, which is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The members of the House of Representatives are directly elected by adult men; the members of the Senate are indirectly elected, and the President is elected by a joint meeting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Constitution stipulates that the executive power of the country is in the hands of the president, who is the head of state and the supreme commander of the army; he has the right to appoint the cabinet with the consent of the House of Representatives; and he has the right to dissolve the House of Representatives with the consent of the Senate.

After the promulgation of the Constitution of the Third French Republic, the bourgeois republicans finally took control of key positions such as the House of Representatives, the Senate, the cabinet and the president after arduous struggle.The establishment and consolidation of the bourgeois republic laid the foundation for the further development of French capitalism. The world's major capitalist countries, Britain, France, the United States, Russia, Germany, and Japan, have two modes of capitalist development: one is top-down reform, and the other is bottom-up revolution.Britain, France, and the United States are bottom-up revolutions, while Russia, Germany, and Japan are top-down reforms.You may have doubts, isn’t Germany carried out in the form of dynastic wars, how can it be considered a reform?As long as it is led by the old ruling class, it is considered a reform.In the American Civil War, was Lincoln the ruled class?Isn't he also the ruling class?Why is it a revolution?Because he overthrew the plantation owner.

Therefore, Britain, France and the United States are the road to revolution, and Russia, Germany, and Japan are the road to reform. Russia carried out reforms to abolish serfdom in 1861. The root cause was that serfdom hindered the development of capitalism. In the middle of the 19th century, Russian serfs were forced to work without pay in the lord's manor and had to bear heavy taxes.There were more and more serf resistances. According to statistics, there were 148 cases from 1826 to 1834, and 348 cases from 1845 to 1854.Under the serf system, Russia lacked the free labor force necessary for the industrial revolution, and could not provide the necessary domestic market, all of which made Russia's industrial development lag far behind that of Western European countries such as Britain and France. In 1860, Russia's pig iron production was only one-eighth of that of Britain, and the length of its railways was only one-tenth of that of Britain.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Russia participated in the war against Napoleon. Some young military officers went to Western European countries, felt the economic development and social progress of Western Europe, and were dissatisfied with Russia’s retention of serfdom and feudal autocracy. In December 1825 (Russian calendar), they launched an uprising in an attempt to overthrow the tsar's feudal autocracy and serfdom, but they were suppressed, known as the "Decembrist uprising" in history.This failed uprising reflected the dissatisfaction of the upper strata of Russian society with the Russian social system and the demand for reform of Russian politics.But at the lower level of society, Russian serfdom became more and more a serious obstacle to social development.

In the 1840s and 1950s, Russian progressive intellectuals Herzen, Chernyshevsky and others founded magazines, advocating the liberation of peasants and openly criticizing the old system. The fuse of Russia's abolitionist reform was the Crimean War.In order to expand its influence in the Mediterranean and West Asia, Russia invaded the Ottoman Empire in 1853.Soon, Britain and France signed an alliance with the Ottoman Empire and sent troops to join the war.The war was mainly limited to the Crimean Peninsula, known as the "Crimean War" in history.The British and French allied forces soon arrived at Sevastopol, an important base of the Russian navy. The Russian army defended the fortress, but the equipment was scarce and outdated, the transportation was primitive and backward, the command system was corrupt and incompetent, and the soldiers who were born as serfs were of poor quality. The Russian army was defeated. 300,000 Russian troops fought on the mainland, and 60,000 British and French allied troops came from afar. When they arrived in the Crimea Peninsula, more than 20,000 people were infected with cholera and lost their combat effectiveness. The number of troops actually engaged in combat was only one-tenth of that of Russia.From 1853 to 1856, Sevastopol fell and Admiral Nakhimov was killed. In 1856, the two sides signed a peace treaty, and Russia withdrew its fleet in the Black Sea and handed over strategic locations along the Danube River.

This war is a bit like the Opium War in China. Tsar Nicholas I died in despair. Chinese textbooks said it was suicide, but it was actually a heart attack.In Russia, I asked my tour guide about the cause of Tsar Nicholas I’s death. The tour guide said that you dare to talk nonsense. Orthodox Christians cannot commit suicide.Unlike our emperor, after the Opium War, his health was improved, he ate mango, and lived for another 10 years.With this defeat, Russia's expansion into Europe was curbed.Russia is clearly aware of the gap between itself and the Western powers: the contest between sailboats and ships, and the contest between horse-drawn carriages and trains.Western countries used ships to transport troops, and Russia used sailboats. After they landed, they laid 8 miles of railroad tracks, transported shells from the ships, and transported them to the fortress of Sevastopol, where they bombarded the fortress.Every piece of military supplies in Russia has to be transported by horse-drawn cart. When it rains and the ground is muddy, the cart will be stuck in it and will not move.No matter how many people there are, it is useless if the military supplies cannot be delivered.People are a pile of flesh, and those armed with steel are warriors.Russia learned from the painful experience, why did we lose so badly in this war?Because our economy is too backward.Why are we economically backward?Because we have serfdom.So Tsar Alexander II began the abolitionist reforms.Among the previous tsars, Alexander II has the most statues. There are statues in Moscow and St. Petersburg because he liberated the serfs. Alexander II made the newspapers openly discuss the peasant question, and at the same time ordered the formation of a secret committee to discuss the emancipation of the serfs.With the increasing criticism of serfdom by public opinion, some feudal landlords saw that the abolition of serfdom was the general trend, and expressed their willingness to conditionally liberate the peasants. On March 3, 1861, Alexander II signed the decree and declaration of the abolition of serfdom: declaring that from the date of the promulgation of the decree, serfs will gain personal freedom.Landlords can no longer buy and sell them as private property.The decree stipulates that farmers can redeem a piece of land.Landlords distributed barren and uncultivable land to peasants. When farmers get their land, they have to pay a ransom that is two or three times higher than the actual price of the land at that time, and the government will pay for the shortfall, and farmers must repay the principal and interest within 49 years.At the same time, it is also stipulated that every male laborer must serve the landlord for 40 days in each year for the first two years, and then it will be converted into service rent and continue until he pays off the ransom. Peasants were freed from the domination of individual landlords, but came under the control of the village community.Soon after the reform, the majority of peasants realized that they had been deceived and staged riots one after another. The reform of serfdom in 1861 promoted the disintegration of the Russian feudal economy and the rapid development of the capitalist economy.The reform of serfdom also promoted the development of industry, provided sufficient free labor for industrial production, and expanded the domestic sales market of industrial products. However, the overall level of Russia's capitalist economy is still far below that of the United States and Western European countries. After the reform of serfdom, the political changes in Russia were also proceeding slowly, mainly in the reform of local self-government and judicial reform.At the local level, local and municipal self-government bodies are established.The self-government institutions are elected, but there are strict property restrictions, and the industrial and commercial bourgeoisie can enter the self-government institutions.Self-governing institutions functioned in the areas of health, education, and the economy, but actual local and municipal power remained in the hands of administrative bureaucrats appointed by the tsar. In terms of judicial reform, it is stipulated that all people should be tried in the same court, according to the same law, and follow the same procedure. A jury and lawyer system has also been established to implement public trials.However, in the vast rural areas, cases are still tried according to the old system, and farmers have been treated unfairly. Reforms promoted the development of Russian capitalism, and objectively promoted the spread of Western bourgeois ideas in Russia.But after the reform, Russia still retained a large number of feudal remnants, and the peasants suffered from the double oppression of capitalism and feudalism.A group of civilian intellectuals opposed serfdom.However, the reforms failed to transform the decadent tsarist autocratic rule, and revolution was inevitable. The unification of Germany also belonged to a top-down reform, which was completed in the form of dynastic wars.Germany was unified because there was no unified domestic market, and it was impossible to develop; without the backing of a powerful country, it could not compete with foreign countries in the international market.These two factors make it necessary for Germany to complete the unification. The core state that completed the unification of Germany was the Kingdom of Prussia.At that time, in the German Confederation, it was Prussia and Austria that were qualified to complete the unification, but Prussia had more advantages, first of all, it had a developed economy. The British later said that the unification of Germany was not so much built on iron and blood. on coal and steel.Furthermore, the whole nation is martial, with strong militarism, and the ruling class is ambitious.The Prussians were the earliest Germanic barbarians who destroyed the Roman Empire by force.Many military aristocrats living on the banks of the Rhine went to eastern Poland and Lithuania to establish their own territories. In the process, they continued to fight with the eastern peoples, including the Mongols who conquered the west, which made their military quality very strong.German aristocrats have the three letters VON in their names, which translates to "Von", as do Austrians.During the First World War in Germany, none of the generals and marshals was VON. VON is equivalent to FROM in English. The name of a German nobleman is generally where I came to the east from, which means that I will not forget my life.Otto?Feng?Bismarck, Otto came to East Prussia from Bismarck.These nobles were called Junkers, and they established the Kingdom of Prussia during their perennial battles.Some people describe it this way, other countries are countries with an army, but Prussia is an army with a country. The whole of Prussia is a large barracks. On average, there is one soldier in every 28 adult men and women. This ratio is the highest among European countries. of.There is one soldier in more than 70 people in France, more than 80 in Britain, and one soldier in 130 people in Russia. The King of Prussia, Frederick the Great, was Frederick I, whom Hitler admired the most. He only wore military uniforms throughout the year, and he was never seen wearing casual clothes. Unless there were state guests, he slept in a tent on the lawn of the Potsdam Palace. A thin military blanket throughout the year, regardless of whether it is snowing heavily or scorching hot; when sleeping at night, a piece of wood is used as a pillow, in a military posture. If the sleeping position is not correct, the wood will roll and the king will wake up. , Practice yourself according to the standards of the captain of the guard of honor.The entire Prussian people are martial, which is very different from the weak and weak in China!Today's men's uniforms have a row of buttons on the sleeves. These buttons serve no purpose other than decoration.And this row of buttons was originally on the sleeves. Frederick the Great found that the soldiers' cuffs were dirty during a military parade. After thinking about it, the soldiers must have wiped their sweat with their sleeves, so they installed a row of shiny copper buttons. You only need to wipe them again. The nose goes down halfway.Later, because the row of buttons affected the removal of the gun, it was moved under the sleeve.But today, the buttons of the uniforms of the armies of all European countries are still on the sleeves. The brass buttons are shiny and can reflect the shadows of the people, the leather shoes can also reflect the shadows of the people, and all the metal parts on the guns have been polished so that the shadows can be seen.Soldiers must be neat and tidy, and cannot be free and undisciplined like ordinary people, and their trouser legs are so fat that they can hold a hundred catties of rice.A king pays careful attention to the cuffs of his soldiers, and nothing, it seems, interests him more than the army. The core figure of German unification was the then Prussian Prime Minister Otto ?Feng?Bismarck, he implemented the policy of iron and blood, iron and blood means war.During World War II, killing 1 German soldier on the Eastern Front cost 10 Soviet soldiers; killing 1 German soldier on the Western Front cost 3 Allied soldiers.The British reporter at the time asked Marshal Montgomery, why did it take so much effort to fight Germany with such a powerful material force?Montgomery said, there is no way, we fight because the country makes us fight, they fight because they love to fight by nature, and they will do it.We Chinese generally think it’s great to have been in the army for three generations. You ask the Germans, how many generations of your family have been in the army? 25 generations!He has been a soldier since the Song Dynasty. With a history of 850 years of military service, many German officers claim to be born with swords in their mouths. Every cell in their bodies was born for fighting.Don't you want to die if you fight against this number of people?So the two world wars were started by Germany.The nation is warlike, you have nothing to do, he can fight, and he will fight, unlike Japan, who always cuts his stomach, that's boring, who are you scaring?You ask an American military officer, what did you do before enlisting in the army?postman.You can't ask the Germans that way, they are all professional military officers, so his way to solve the problem is very simple, just fight if it doesn't work. Three dynastic wars, the first was when Prussia united with Austria to fight against Denmark and occupied two small German states in southern Denmark, Schleswig and Holstein. went.You don't want to be separated from Prussia, why one person?As soon as the Pudan War ended, Prussia immediately attacked Austria.In the war, Prussia was able to achieve such a great victory because of three major inventions: the railway, the general staff and the breech gun.The railway can quickly move its troops from east to west, north to south; the Prussian army was the first to establish a general staff in the world, so the battle plan was very careful; The front-loading gun cannot shoot in a prone position, but the Prussian army adopted a breech-loading gun and fought against Austria. More than 4,600 people were killed in Austria in one morning. Get up, and the Prussians will shoot.Let's look at the Napoleonic Wars. How long did it take to kill so many people?The cruelty of industrialized warfare is very obvious.The last time was the Franco-Prussian War.After three dynastic wars, Prussia completed the unification of the country. In early 1871, the German Empire was established.Soon, the Constitution of the German Empire was promulgated, establishing a constitutional monarchy in Germany.The emperor holds the power of the country and is the head of state and commander in chief of the army.The emperor has the power to appoint and remove officials, convene and dissolve parliament, and decide foreign policy.The prime minister presides over the work of the cabinet and is appointed by the emperor rather than elected by the parliament. The term of office is determined by the emperor and is only responsible to the emperor.The Parliament is the legislative body, consisting of the Federal Parliament and the Reichstag.The Federal Parliament is made up of representatives from each state.Elected by grown men, the Reichstag played a minor role, and bills it passed had to be ratified by the Federal Diet and the Emperor to take effect. The constitution also stipulates that the German Empire is a federal state, the imperial government has mastered military, diplomatic and other powers, and the states retain some autonomy.Prussia occupies a dominant position in the empire, its king and chancellor are at the same time the emperor and chancellor of the empire. Prussia completed the unification of Germany, and also brought Prussian autocratic traditions to the unified Germany, resulting in conservative and incomplete German bourgeois democratic reforms.However, the establishment of national unity and constitutional monarchy pushed Germany into a new period of historical development.Since then, capitalism in Germany has developed rapidly, and it soon ranks among the capitalist powers.The unification of Germany changed the pattern of Europe and even the whole world.It turns out that when it comes to Europe’s powerful countries, they are Britain, France, Russia and Austria. Now no one can avoid Germany. It provoked the two world wars, so it has changed the pattern of state relations in Europe.In addition, a country like Germany, as a rising star, needs overseas colonies even more, and most of the colonies have been divided up by established European countries, so Germany is called a problem child in Europe, often smashing glass, kicking people's doors, and provoking.In addition, it has a militaristic tradition, is brave and good at fighting, and knows how to fight.More than 60 years have passed since the end of World War II, and it has been so many years since Germany's "Peace Constitution" was promulgated. The Bundeswehr is still the most powerful armed force in Europe.The German nation started World War I and was beaten like that; 20 years later, when World War II was started, it was even worse and was split in half; now it is number one in Europe.In terms of military strength, it is also a European military power. Compared with Britain and France, except for having no nuclear weapons, tanks, aircraft, and warships are sold to all countries in the world. Japan, the only Asian country among the six capitalist powers, embarked on the capitalist road through the Meiji Restoration.Why was the Meiji Restoration successful?Because the establishment of any country's political system is inseparable from its historical traditions.After the Dahua reform in 646, Japan began to enter a feudal society.Before the Dahua reform, the Japanese regime was in charge of the Soga family and the Monobe family in turn. Later, the Soga family killed the Monobe family.During the Dahua reform, the emperor killed the Soga family and began to take power in person.Less than 200 years after the emperor came to power, the regime fell into the hands of his relative Fujiwara.The Fujiwara clan served as the regent and Guanbai of Japan for generations. The regent ruled for the emperor when the emperor was young, just like Dorgon. Deal with government affairs.Therefore, these two or three hundred years have been called the politics of photography in Japanese history.The power of the emperor falls to the side, and the Fujiwara family has the final say. The Fujiwara family is the emperor's grandfather, uncle and father-in-law. The emperors of the past 200 years were all born by girls from the Fujiwara family. So it often happened at that time, the elder sister married the father, the younger sister married the son, the empress and the empress dowager turned out to be sisters, some emperors married girls from the Fujiwara family, and they could marry grandparents and grandchildren for three generations, from grandma to granddaughter .For two or three hundred years, the Fujiwara family was in power, and the power of the emperor fell to the side. In the 12th century, the samurai class in Japan rose.It turned out that the samurai were just a bunch of dogs who guarded the manor, and then gradually developed.The two major samurai groups, the Ping family and the Genji family, fought fiercely in Japan.Heira and Genji are both descendants of the Japanese emperor. The emperor had too many children to support, so he was reduced to a subject and given a surname, Minamoto Heira.The melee went on for 30 years, and finally Minamoto Yoritomo, the leader of Genji, won the victory and established the first shogunate in Japanese history. This shogunate was called the Kamakura Shogunate because it was located in Kamakura not far from Tokyo today.Japan began a period of shogunate rule, which lasted for more than 600 years. Minamoto Yoritomo, the first general of the Kamakura shogunate, received the title of Great General of Subjugation from the Emperor.From this era, the supreme ruler of Japan became the shogun, and the Kamakura shogun ruled from 1192 to 1333, which was from the Southern Song Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty in our country.The failure of Kublai Khan's expedition to Japan was the period of the Kamakura shogunate.In the last years of Kamakura, the shogunate was in decline. The Japanese emperor wanted to regain power, but was defeated by the Muromachi shogunate. The emperor left Yoshino, and Japan was divided into the era of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. In the popular Japanese cartoon "Smart Ikkyu" when I was a child, the protagonist Ikkyu is the heir of Emperor Komatsu after the Southern Dynasty.Everyone in Japan knows him, he does everything from marrying a wife, taking concubines, drinking, and eating meat, and they don't know how he can become an eminent monk?Perhaps the standards of eminent monks in Japan are different from those in China. The turmoil in Japan's Southern and Northern Dynasties lasted for more than 60 years. The Japanese Insurrection in the early Ming Dynasty was caused by frustrated samurai colluding with pirates. More than 60 years later, Yoshimitsu Ashikaga, the third general of the Muromachi Shogunate, unified Japan. 150 years after the Muromachi shogunate unified Japan, Japan was in chaos again. It was originally a small country, divided into dozens of small pellets.Japanese history has entered the Warring States Period, which is equivalent to the middle and late Ming Dynasty in China, and it was also the period when Japanese pirates were most rampant.In the end, Tokugawa Ieyasu completed the unification of Japan and established the last shogunate in Japan, the Tokugawa shogunate.For more than 600 years from 1192 to 1868, the emperor had no power. Before the Taika reform, the Soga and Monobe clans were in power, and the emperor had no power.After the reform, the emperor had power for 200 years, and then began the Fujiwara clan's politics.After the foreign relatives stood aside, they entered the shogunate period, which means that Japan has the tradition of Xu Jun.Why is it able to establish a constitutional monarchy, because the emperor is used to having no power, and he is not used to having power.When Little Japan competed with China, it was always said that our Great Japan Emperor has a lineage of ten thousand generations. From the legendary Emperor Jimmu to the current Emperor Heisei, there are 125 generations, and the imperial line has not been cut off.You Chinese emperors are not sacred, your emperors are always changing, Li and Tang, Zhao and Song, and Zhu Ming, so you are not enshrined in heaven, but our emperor is enshrined in heaven. The question is, why did you change the emperor?It’s raining heavily outside, and it’s raining lightly in the Emperor’s Palace. Sleep all night, move a few places, and catch the rain with a basin. This is the Emperor’s Palace.The emperor sells his characters, and the court ladies sell their bodies, so they can only live like this.When princes from other places came to see the emperor, the first thing the emperor did was to go to the pawn shop to redeem the court clothes.As soon as the minister came, the emperor cried poor, no money, please lend me some money.When the minister gave the money, the emperor was very happy. You said how many officials you want, don't be embarrassed, I will give you a promotion.Some emperors only had the money to hold the enthronement ceremony 20 years after their ascension to the throne, and 20 years after their death before they could be buried in the ground.Who wants to live this kind of life?So no one wanted to replace him, so he was in the line of ten thousand generations, a bunch of unlucky ones.In Japan, the people who are really in power change very frequently, every 100 years. This is a change of dynasty in Japanese history.The emperor is equivalent to Confucius in China. No matter which dynasty or dynasty changes, the descendants of Confucius are all Yan Shenggong. In the Republic of China, he is still Yan Shenggong, for a reason.Japan's emperor does not hold power, and has the tradition of a false monarch. After the Meiji Restoration, a constitutional monarchy was able to be established. When it comes to the background of the Meiji Restoration, the first is the disintegration of the feudal lord economy.This also involves an important reason for the success of the Meiji Restoration in Japan.The social structure of Japan is different from that of China, but it is the same as that of the West. On the surface, Japan is the same as China, with four classes of people—scholar, farmer, industry, and businessman. But the most different thing from China is the identity of the four peoples. It cannot be transformed. Chinese farmers and businessmen can become scholars, and they can be transformed into each other, and it can be realized through the imperial examination. We look at the Shanxi merchants in Shanxi, who opened a drug store, set up a four-rank Daotai, and sat in a sedan chair to show off during the festivals. It’s no problem, just donate an official, so the foundation of China’s ruling class is solid.Once the imperial examination system was implemented, any force that was dissatisfied with the ruling class was transformed into a force of support.If Hong Xiuquan could pass the exam, would he rebel?The Qing Dynasty may have one more Heshen second, or directly overshadow Heshen.In ancient China, it was not easy to carry out a revolution to overthrow the rule, because the foundation of the ruling class was too solid.If you want to be successful, there is a shortcut, you don’t need to rebel, just study, no matter how hard it is, it’s better than losing your head. Not in Japan, the status cannot be changed.When Japan learned from China in an all-round way, there were two things it didn’t learn, eunuchs and imperial examinations.Without the imperial examination, how to select officials?In Japan, officials are hereditary, which is equivalent to the pre-Qin period in China, when Shi Qing Shi Lu.If you want to be the regent Guanbai, you must be from the Fujiwara family. The Fujiwara family was later divided into 5 families, Konoe, Eagle Division, Ichijo, Nijo, and Kujo. Only these 5 families can serve as the regent Guanbai.Regardless of whether the Regent Guanbai is useful or not, at least in name it is the highest official position in Japan.If you want to serve as the Great General of Conquering Yi, you must be born in Genji, the Muromachi shogunate is the Ashikaga family, and the Tokugawa shogunate is the Tokugawa family, but their ancestors all came from Genji, which formed Japan's strict social hierarchy. Nominally the emperor is the emperor, and the shogunate gave him an annual salary of 50,000 shibai with a 30% discount. In addition, he was often in arrears.So I can't even afford to have a son, so I can only be reduced to a ministerial status, given a surname, and find my own way out.I'm sorry, you are 18 years old, I don't care.The emperor is the supreme ruler in name only. Below the emperor is the shogun, the de facto ruler of Japan.The general occupies 1/4 of the richest land in Japan, and the remaining 3/4 is distributed to more than 260 daimyo. The daimyo is equivalent to the princes in the pre-Qin period of our country, and there are three types: genealogical daimyo, pro-vassal daimyo, and foreign daimyo.The genealogical daimyo has the same surname as the general, Tokugawa, Mito, Hitohashi, etc., and they are descended from the Tokugawa family.There are a total of 7 such daimyos, and among the 260 daimyos, there are only 7 daimyos with the same surname as the general.When we were in the pre-Qin period, King Wu of Zhou enfeoffed 71 vassal states, and 40 vassal states with the surname Ji, because he was afraid that the vassals with different surnames would rebel.Japan is not so bad, there are only 7 princes with the same surname.The pro-vassal daimyo were either married to Pudai, or belonged to Shun Tokugawa before the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, and the number was not large.The vast majority of daimyos belong to foreign daimyos.The general doesn't want to see them, and they don't want to see the general.Now that you have a strong army, I will temporarily pretend to be a grandson. One day, I will rise up and rebel.The final success of the Meiji Restoration relied on the power of the four powerful domains in the southwest. Choshu, Satsuma, Tosa, and Hizen were all foreign daimyos.For example, Shimadzu, the lord of the Satsuma domain, was dissatisfied with Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, and fought fiercely. The daimyo is down to the samurai.The samurai are also divided into levels, and the most senior samurai is called Banner.Japan had a population of 32 million at the time, and samurai accounted for 2 million of them, while Banner samurai numbered less than 5,000.Banner samurai can serve as officials at all levels of the shogunate, such as Shinyouemon in "Smart Ikkyu". In today's words, his official position is the mayor of Beijing, the commander of the Beijing Garrison, the director of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau and the State Council Director of the Religious Affairs Administration.You can see that he is laughing and laughing all day long, playing with the little monk, but he is actually quite a senior official.Why does he play with Yixiu all day long?Because he is the official in charge of the temple.The annual salary of some banner warriors can exceed ten thousand stones, which is even higher than that of poor daimyo, and they are deeply trusted by the shogunate. The banner is down, it is the royal family warrior.There are less than 20,000 imperial family members in Japan, and they can generally serve as daimyo's official positions at all levels. When fighting, they are all generals with helmets and crowns. Further down, it is commonly known as middle and lower-level samurai, and the worst samurai is called ashigaru.As the name suggests, they are infantry in war, "foot" means feet, "light" means insignificant, and when they die, they die.The ashigaru samurai did not have armor in battle. They had a bamboo hat on their heads, straw sandals underneath, and bamboo spears. They went up to fight with people.If it were in China, it would be possible for the ashigaru samurai to rise to the banner.Isn't Yue Fei from a small soldier background, he became a Jiedu envoy at the age of 32.But not in Japan. Official positions at all levels in Japan are hereditary. The descendants of Hashimoto will always be Hashimoto, the descendants of the Mikami family will always be the Mikami, and the descendants of the Ashigaru will always be Ashigaru.This stuff is irritating. Today's army doesn't fight any battles. After three years as a second lieutenant, I'm still promoted to lieutenant. After three years as a lieutenant, I'm promoted to captain. After four years as a captain, I'm a major.I have to be promoted level by level, you can't make me a second lieutenant forever.It turns out that in the Warring States Period, warriors who made meritorious deeds on the battlefield and beheaded the enemy could also be promoted.The Tokugawa shogunate ruled for more than 200 years. In a peaceful and prosperous age, swords and guns were put into storage, and horses were released on Nanshan. What chance do low-level samurai have to stand out?Their salaries are very meager.The salary of the Japanese samurai is to distribute white rice, and they have to sell the white rice for money. When selling rice, the price of rice is decided by the rice merchant. Obviously, the samurai will lose money in this way.Otherwise, you can eat rice, wear rice, drink rice, and do what you like.I had no choice but to be exploited by others, and I got very little. Originally, samurai were very proud. They had two privileges—surname and saber.Japanese people don't have surnames, only samurai have surnames.The emperor does not have a surname until now. The emperor's name is X Ren. At first glance, the names of the Japanese emperors thought they were brothers.Emperor Meiji's name is Muren. You see, the name came from it. He is harmonious and benevolent. In fact, he is the grandson of the emperor.Afterwards, Emperor Taisho was called Jiaren, Emperor Showa was called Hirohito, today's Emperor Heisei is called Akihito, and the crown prince is called Naruhito.Only samurai have surnames, ordinary people don't have surnames, just have a name to greet, Sanshiro, Qihachiro, two hundred and five, take the number for auspiciousness. After the Meiji Restoration was successful, the Japanese government felt that the common people were ashamed to have no surnames, and that they were not a civilized country, so they promulgated the "Miao Characters Must Be Called Order", within the specified time limit, everyone must have a surname, and no surname will not be registered.The Japanese do not have such a long tradition of surnames as in China, so they have to pick up their surnames: Yamamoto, Yamagami, Yamashita, Yamada, and Tanaka.At that time, there were no refrigerators or color TVs, otherwise the Japanese would have this last name.The one whose surname is Quanyang, their family raises dogs; the one whose surname is Zhukai, their family raises pigs;No matter what it is, when you come to Japan and see this sign hanging on the door of someone's house, don't think it is a public toilet. There are 1.3 billion people in China, counting ethnic minorities, there are more than 5,000 surnames.Japan has 130 million people and more than 200,000 surnames.If any surname exceeds one million, it is definitely a big surname.Such as Sato, Tanaka.If you call Ms. Zhang on the road in China, countless people will turn their heads and don't know who you are calling.If you want to call someone's surname on the street in Japan, only one person will look back at you, only his surname, there is no second person. Japanese samurai have two knives stuck in their waists, the short ones are called ribs, and they are used to cut off the heads of enemies or cut their own stomachs.If it is long, if it is worn with the blade facing up, it is called a Dato, and if it is worn with the blade facing down, it is called a Taidao. The hairstyle of the samurai is different from that of ordinary people. There is a knot on the top, the middle is shaved off, and the back is braided and tied with a rope. It is called "Yuedai".It is a privilege for a samurai to call him Saber.衣衫褴褛的武士，遇到了锦衣玉食的商人，你不给我让路，拔刀斩之，不负任何责任。武士打造出一把新刀，要试试这刀快不快，夜里上街砍人，碰上流浪汉或者晚上经过的市民，一刀劈死。嘿，我这刀挺快的嘛。第二天警察一看，这儿有一个人身首异处，肯定是武士练刀呢，得了，哥们儿，你认倒霉吧，报了案也没人管。 日本人最崇拜武士，武士可不是一帮莽夫，他们相当于中国的士这个阶层，知识分子阶层。他们能文能武，本来很骄傲，现在随着德川幕府的衰落，经济水平不断下降，武士惨了，腰里的两把刀不带了，肩膀上多了一把锄头，穿着短裤，下地了。有的说锄禾日当午，我受不了，所以糊伞、糊扇子，日本的手工艺品非常漂亮，美轮美奂。还有这些苦都吃不了的人，干脆给富商当干儿子，或者给富商当上门女婿。在日本，谁要做上门女婿，姓女家的姓，那跟奴隶的地位差不多，受歧视，公司都不要你，觉得你这个人没本事。你活不下去，可以自杀，好歹像个武士一样。当上门女婿，你生活倒是无忧了，身份可就变了。 中下级武士对现实的不满，是日本明治维新能够成功的又一个重要原因。 日本的土地制度跟中国的大不一样，是领主土地所有制，土地不能买卖。不像中国，土地可以买卖。你读了书，科举做官，买了地，你就由农民变成了地主。岳飞那么爱兵如子，那么廉洁，冤死的时候被抄家，还4000多亩地呢。像韩世忠这些大将，家里都拥有良田几万顷，原来都是小兵、穷出身。有了钱，就可以买地，就变成了大地主。但在日本不可能，在欧洲不可能，土地是领主的，领主的土地是分封下来的，相当于中国先秦时代。所以要想获得土地，要想改变这种局面，必须造反推翻这个制度，除此之外没有别的选择。封建领主土地所有制也是促成明治维新成功的原因。 这时候的日本，既有内忧，又有外患。1853年，美国亚洲舰队司令、海军准将佩里率领四艘军舰来到日本的舞鹤港，要求日本开港。此前，日本闭关锁国200年，只留长崎一地与中国、朝鲜、荷兰三国通商，没有幕府的特许状，日本船是不能出海的，日本渔民出海捕鱼，船被吹到别国，如果回国，就是斩首。因此日本渔民漂到俄罗斯就不回来了，回来就是找死。 200年闭关锁国，现在美国军舰来了，要求日本开港，日本人拒绝了。日本武士穿上祖传的华丽的大铠，骑上宝马，系上宝刀，带着随从，去跟美国人干仗。美国300名海军陆战队员登陆，佩里将军下令鸣枪前进，一开枪，日本所有的战马全惊了，没听过这声音，转身就跑。日本人划着小船，准备火烧“赤壁”，给美国军舰点厉害。美国人一开炮，打不着日本船，太小了，炮弹掀起的浪，就把日本的船全弄沉了。日本人明白，这回面对的是前所未有的对手。 中国闭关锁国的时候，对外界的事情不屑于了解，英国在哪儿关我什么事，我知道这个干吗啊？日本不一样，每一艘来日本的船和日本归国的船，都要给幕府交“风说帖”，哪怕道听途说的事都可以，在国外有什么见闻，现在世界形势怎么样，你必须给我个交代。幕府利用这个来了解外部，虽然它闭起了国门，但对外部世界并不陌生，所以日本人一看就明白了，这是工业文明的产物，我们打不过人家。人家的船是蒸汽动力，几层楼高，自己那小船，还没有人家一片螺旋桨大呢，干脆别打了，开关！这一开，国门就被打开了，西方列强开始侵略日本。我到现在也没弄明白，日本有什么可侵略的？要啥没啥，市场、原料它哪有呀？ 被侵略中的日本，处境跟中国一样。领事裁判权、片面最惠国待遇、通商口岸租地造屋……但是今天日本人提起佩里，热泪盈眶，认为是开国恩人。如果没有佩里打开日本大门，我们还是那样闭关锁国。日本国内给佩里立像，立纪念碑，纪念碑上写着：北米合众国水师提督佩里登陆处，落款是内阁总理大臣伊藤博文。每年将佩里登陆的日子，作为日本的狂欢节，老百姓扮演成佩里威武的样子。小日本太搞了，真想得开，谁打败了我，我跟谁学，我玩你的东西，还能玩得比你更好。咱们一说辉煌就是四大发明，但是我们发明了火药，人家打响了鸦片战争，什么都是我们发明的，但是人家都玩得比我们好，还能战胜我们。而小日本的国门一被打开，日本人就更了解外部的情况了，认识到再这样统治下去不行。特别是有的日本人认识到幕府统治是日本发展的最大阻力，于是掀起了倒幕运动。 日本的倒幕派是以中下级武士为首组成的。1860年，一艘叫千龙丸号的日本船来到了中国上海，船上有后来明治维新的几位领导者。他们到上海一看，中国人住的地方，房屋低矮、污水横流，华人衣衫褴褛，面有菜色，看见洋人就点头哈腰。而洋人衣着光鲜、屋宇壮阔、街道整齐，下水道、排水沟之类的弄得特别科学。再一看清军士兵装备的武器低劣，日本武士说，给我一万铁骑，纵横大江南北，打这兵，一万人足够了。日本武士的发型比较怪异，英国兵没见过，围着看，中国人就够搞的了，男人留根大辫子，日本人更搞，发型更酷，非主流啊。英国人上来就要夺日本武士的刀，日本武士对刀比对他老婆都好，就是卖老婆，也不能卖刀。英国兵想夺，日本武士把宝刀拔出来，随手一挥，英国兵手中的枪全都给砍断了，削铁如泥！阳光下的宝刀，晃得周围人都睁不开眼。中国兵手里的刀砍树都会崩，破铁片子怎么跟人家的百炼精钢打仗？日本人认识到，我们跟中国学了一千多年，唐化了一千多年，现在中国被洋人打成这样，“不虞清国疲弱之至斯也”，再跟他学，没好下场，必须改弦更张，学习欧洲。当务之急，打倒幕府。 倒幕派形成之后，就开始进行倒幕战争，推翻幕府的统治，建立了以睦仁天皇为首的明治政府。日本天皇的年号都取自中国的古籍，明治天皇的年号就是出自：“圣人南面而听天下，向明而治。”“昭和”出自《尚书》：“百姓昭明，协和万邦。”今天平成天皇的年号出自《史记》。他们学会了中国文化之后，背信弃义、忘恩负义。 明治政府成立，通过战争的手段推翻了统治日本长达265年的德川幕府，开始了明治维新的措施。 明治维新的措施，第一就是废藩置县，四民平等。原来的大名被废掉，这事中国在秦始皇的时候就开始干了。日本在中国唐朝的时候取法唐朝的制度，推行大化改新，也是这么干，实行中央集权，但是不到200年。武士阶层崛起之后，长达六七百年的分裂，到了明治维新，废藩置县，中央委派知事管理地方。日本国今天的行政区划是一都一道二府四十三县：一都是东京都，一道是北海道，二府是大阪和京都，还有四十三个县。都府道县的级别，相当于中国的省，实际上日本一共就中国一个省那么大，所以你到日本会发现县长比市长级别高得多，县长叫知事，跟我们过去的知县一样，而市长相当于咱们的区长。二战以前，日本的官员是有品级的，不知道现在有没有，知事是正二位，市长是正六位。废藩置县，为资本主义发展提供了统一的市场。 四民指的是原来的士、农、工、商，维新时日本把农、工、商合并成了一个族。明治维新之后，社会等级划分为皇族、华族、士族和平民。皇族就是皇室贵族；华族就是原来的大名、明治维新的功臣，有爵位的；原来的武士称之为士族；原来的农工商都称为平民。除了皇室不跟平民通婚之外，剩下的三个等级可以通婚，身份也可以转化，这样一来就形成了四民平等。四民平等能够为资本主义发展提供劳动力。其实不光提供劳动力，也提供资本家。武士阶层的俸禄由朝廷出资赎回，武士拿这个钱去经商。原来商居四民之末，这个阶层是很被人看不起的，武士又不会经商，所以中下级武士往往大量破产，破产之后又没有固定的俸禄收入，他们就只能出卖劳动力。而高级武士和原来一些大名们，俸禄被国家赎回，给的钱比较优厚，他们就可以投资、做买卖。这样日本的资本家阶层和劳动者阶层，通过四民平等，都得到了壮大，所以这两项措施为日本资本主义的发展，提供了市场和充分的自由劳动力。 原来日本的土地是不允许买卖的，明治维新后，土地变成私有，承认了新兴地主的土地私有权，也就解决了土地问题。由原来的等级占有变成了绝对私有，只要有钱，想买几亩买几亩，想买多少买多少，这就叫解决了土地问题，至于这地在农民手里还是在谁手里，不是资产阶级革命要解决的问题。当然，日本也就确立起了小农经济，对工业发展是有阻力的。 第二点措施就是殖产兴业。1871年，日本政府派出一个高级代表团，右大臣（相当于首相）岩仓具视，率领着名的岩仓使团，与大久保利通、木户孝允、伊藤博文等重要官员花了一年多的时间，访问了欧美十几个国家，探求改革之道。这个使节团的官员总数占了明治政府高官总数的65%，所花经费占到当年日本政府财政支出的2%。他们对于西方发达工业文明的表现是始惊，次醉，终狂。一开始看到西方发达的物质文明，他们表现得很惊讶，人家都过上这日子了，楼上楼下，电灯电话，咱还灯笼呢；次醉，看到这些太刺激了，就晕了，陶醉了；终狂，最后发狂，我们日本也要学习，也要做到这些。 受了刺激的日本人，坚定不移地要把国外好的东西移植到日本国来，发展日本的经济。中国在1875年派出了第一批驻外使节，正使郭嵩焘还好一点，副使到了外国之后，这儿不好，那儿不好，哪儿都不如我们大清，出去老挑人家短，这样的话你跟谁学？反过来看日本，全面地学习西方，发展本国的资本主义。大搞殖产兴业，最高明的一招就是扶植私人企业。中国的洋务运动也是学西方，但洋务派的企业都是官办，官办企业发展起来后，对私人企业进行打击、打压，怕私人企业跟它竞争，这样一来就形成了官与民争利。为什么说洋务运动不具有资本主义性质呢？因为它不但对私人企业不支持，相反还压制。直到甲午战争之后，朝廷才不压制私人企业，放宽了对民间设厂的限制。如果说朝廷彻底抛弃了重农抑商的政策，得到实行新政的时候了。 而日本国在明治维新一开始，就对私人企业进行扶植。因为私人资本薄弱，所以政府兴办工厂，兴办工厂之后低价卖给私企，基本上跟送差不多。比如日本的兵库县造船厂，国家投资59万日元，创办了这家造船厂，那会儿日元是银洋，不像现在这么不值钱。若干年后，这个造船厂的固定资产有110万日元，账面上的流动资金是9.1万日元，还有造好的3艘船，所有这些东西，以12.5万日元的价格，卖给了三菱，实际上相当于白送给它了。三菱拿到这个造船厂之后，用了半年时间，就垄断了从日本到上海的航线。又过了一两年，基本上远东地区的海上航运都被三菱公司给垄断了，原来处于优势的是英国的太古轮船公司。你想，政府扶植私人企业，私企发展起来，政府就只管收钱，工人下岗了，也不会上市政府门口坐着去，那得上三菱他们家门口坐着去，跟政府没关系。二战以后，西欧资本主义国家也搞国有制，但没有一个国有制企业能搞好。不是自家的东西谁都不心疼，就这么个道理。所以发展扶植私人企业，对于国计民生的贡献是相当大的，这一点日本人是很能整明白的。 第三个措施就是建立新式军队。明治维新的目的是要富国强兵，日本建立起了一支所谓的皇军，效忠于天皇。原来的日本军职被武士垄断，明治维新之后废除了武士佩刀的特权，变成了什么人都可以参加到军队当中，形成了义务兵。这样一来，就出问题了。武士大量破产，他们只会打打杀杀，最希望的就是在战场上出人头地，让他们到工厂开机器去，或者让他们到村里种地，这活儿他们不爱干，所以武士纷纷加入到日本军队当中。日本的军队虽然是现代化装备，但他们的思想意识水平，基本上还停留在战国时代，强调武士道精神。日本军队在战场上的表现，不是以善战闻名，而是以野蛮闻名，虐杀俘虏，虐待平民，这干得最来劲儿。第二次世界大战的时候，世界各国军队军纪最败坏的就是日本皇军。德国军队胡作非为的是党卫军，而且还不是武装党卫军，是看守集中营的那帮人，那帮人在德国也是人渣。 日本军队的野蛮残忍跟它的民族传统、武士道精神是有关的。日本人跟中国人表面上看起来都讲儒家思想，但中国的儒家思想核心是仁，仁者爱人，己所不欲，勿施于人，所以中国人不会野蛮。小日本给我们来个南京大屠杀，有中国愤青主张给他们来个东京大屠杀，说穿了，你这也就是过过嘴瘾，真让你杀，你下得去手吗？你知道南京大屠杀不对，知道狗咬人不对，那人能咬狗吗？日本人为什么就干得出这事儿来？因为日本的儒家思想以忠为核心，强调忠君爱国，所以孟子在日本是最不受欢迎的，孟子讲民贵君轻。日本武士道也强调以忠为核心，而且在日本传统文化当中，认为人死后就变成了神，而中国是圣人死了才能变成神，岳飞、关羽、文天祥，他们是圣人，死了才是神。日本不是这样，所以靖国神社里边供着300多万个“神”，既然死人就是神，神能犯错误吗？所以“神”在成“神”之前杀人、放火、强奸都是对的，都是对日本国尽忠的表现。他们不觉得这么做有什么可耻的，我杀的是敌人，我不觉得我心里有负罪感，我忠于天皇，忠于我的国家。日本人只有羞耻感，没有罪恶感，没有是非观念。日本军队建立起来之后，邻国的巨大灾难就到来了，这帮武士不会干别的，整天就琢磨着怎么对外侵略。 第四个措施是文明开化。今天日元的最大面值是一万，还有五千、一千，再往下就是钢镚儿了。一万日元上印着一个人，叫福泽谕吉，这个人被称为日本的伏尔泰，是明治维新的思想理论家。他指导明治维新，所以一万日元上印的是他。五千日元上边印的是1899年用英文写《武士道》一书的人——新渡户稻造。一千的是夏目漱石。福泽谕吉的主张就是四个字儿——脱亚入欧，与欧美强国共进退，完全学欧洲。他认为日本是亚洲国家，但是亚洲太落后了，我们不能跟亚洲一起成长繁荣，而是要学习欧洲，特别是他在对外政策上提出了失之欧美，取之邻国。英国在我们这儿有不平等条约，有治外法权，那我们也到朝鲜、中国弄这玩意儿去。欧美国家怎么对付我们，我们也怎么对付其他亚洲国家，把自己定位成欧美国家的一员。这个思想对日本的影响根深蒂固，一直到现在，也许还有将来。从明治维新到现在140年了，140年的欧风美雨，已经使得日本人在心理上完全不是亚洲人了，他们永远是背对着亚洲。日本给自己定位为西方七国成员，现在算上俄罗斯是G8了，而它在地理位置上最靠东。这时候不说自己是日出之国了，给自己定位成西方七国成员、太平洋沿岸国家，只是地理上位于亚洲，坚决不承认自己是亚洲国家。现在有的中国人头发染得跟鹦鹉似的，眼珠给弄蓝了，这种风气最早是从日本学来的。 日本讲文明开化，就是什么都跟欧美学。明治维新以前一千多年，日本人是不吃肉的，只吃粮食和海产品，飞禽走兽都不吃，因为信仰佛教。明治维新之后，说就是因为不吃肉，日本人身体素质才不好，身高总是一米五。于是天皇带头，早餐吃牛肉、牛奶，不吃寿司了。你说天皇爱吃那玩意儿吗？要是一直不吃肉的话，猛地尝到肉的味道，还真接受不了。天皇说我们老吃海产品容易得霍乱，我们争取得疯牛病，大家一起吃肉吧。 同时，日本人都穿西装，武士把发髻都剪掉。日本的建筑物也都仿效西方，你看日本国会，盖得跟凡尔赛宫似的，全都文艺复兴式的、巴洛克式的，一概西化。有人跟天皇讲，应该废除日语，以英语为国语，1900年全民说英语。天皇觉得这主意可以啊，就开始推广了。一推广发现，不行，日本人的舌头构造有问题，很多音发不出来，你像“see”，日本人就说“细”，但即便是这样，日本人也坚持说英语，只不过他们说的老外都听不懂。有一个笑话：日本的大使在联合国发言，主席是英国人，越听越不爽，问你能说英语吗？日本大使说，我说的就是英语啊。英国人无语了。英国人越看他越别扭，说你能站起来发言吗？他说我一直站着呢。甚至还有人跟天皇建议，禁止日本人通婚，只能跟白人结婚，改变人种。天皇可不干了，那得跟皇后离了，这很困难，再说男的要是一米五，女的一米八，太不配套。但是不管怎么讲，日本文明开化，全面学西方，最后成为帝国主义六强之一。如果从人种的角度说，抛开国家民族的概念不谈，证明了黄种人不比白人差。你看我学的你，用你的玩意儿，结果我也不比你差，这个真是挺了不起的，所以有时候善于学习比善于传播更重要。咱们老说我们发明了指南针，人家利用指南针，有了地理上的大发现；我们发明了印刷术，人家利用印刷术，搞文艺复兴、启蒙运动；我们发明了火药，结果你让人家打成这样。什么都是你发明的，你都没玩好，都被人家玩了之后战胜了你。 日本文明开化里最重要的一点，就是对教育的重视程度超乎想象。日本人在明治维新之前识字率就达到54%，武士阶层识字率达到100%。明治维新后，对教育更加重视。1904年日俄战争爆发的时候，日本普及了小学教育，当时连英国都做不到，英国三百年的殖民帝国都做不到，日本做到了。“九？一八”事变爆发的时候，日本普及了初中教育。日本的军队在侵华战争爆发的时候是40万，抗日战争转入相持阶段是60万，投降的时候是130万。1944年以后日军的素质已经很差了，精壮的都在中国和太平洋战场上战死了，130万人一直保持着在中国战场上进攻的态势，这证明它的战斗力相当强，除去武器装备的因素，就是士兵的文化水平高。人人都能鼓捣迫击炮、照相机、指南针，都能看得懂地图。 日本明治维新能够成功的原因还有一点，就是那时西方侵略者集中进攻中国，给了日本比较宽松的环境。西方侵略者为什么集中进攻中国？因为中国又大又弱；为什么不进攻日本？因为日本又小又强。日本人太强横了，实实在在的“小强”。西方要侵略，就是要那里的市场和原料，日本最缺的就这东西，傻子才侵略它呢。加上日本民风强悍，骁勇好斗，中国掌权的都是文人，手无缚鸡之力。明朝末年，你要是一个秀才，带着弓箭出去，你爸能抽你，不好好读书，舞枪弄棒的，跟武夫一样。但是在日本，大学问家腰里也插两把刀。 日本某个藩的藩主，到江户城朝见完将军回国，走在路上，藩主的队伍过来了，老百姓应该赶紧低下头跪在路边，或者九十度鞠躬。诸侯不能平视，天子不能仰视。不能平着看你的藩主，天皇出来你抬头看都不行，那是太阳神，看一看，小命送，别把眼睛给刺瞎了，赶紧趴在那儿吧。可就是有三个法国水手，他们不管那套，我是外国人，管你什么诸侯、天子，就跟着藩主的队伍撞进仪仗队了，日本武士二话不说，拔刀斩之，把仨法国水手全宰了。法国人可不干了，日本人太野蛮了，我们法国提倡自由、平等、博爱，进你的队伍里参观一下，怎么给杀了？这你不能说是反侵略吧？于是法国炮舰就开来了，日本藩主傻了，这人可能也不是藩主让杀的，宝刀肯定打不过炮舰。法国领事就说了，你杀了我们三个人，你得赔钱给我们，另外你要用30个武士偿命，除了动刀杀人的那几个人，你还得出人偿命。 藩主一听小意思，不就30个武士嘛，贴一个招贤榜，征募志愿者。现在需要30个武士剖腹，谁愿意去？