摘要
对于参战案的探讨,以往较多集中于府院之争、派系之争、南北之争上,对参战一事颇多贬斥。从外交史的角度来进一步探讨这一问题,实有必要。欧战爆发之初,北京政府宣布中立。这一政策看似稳妥,但在当时中国所处的特殊境况下却蕴藏着危机。虽曾有人提出对德采取积极进取政策的建议,惜未被采纳。1915年末,北京政府暗中与协约国有接洽之举,但在日本的反对下退缩。1917年,转机出现。围绕着中国是继续保持中立还是对德绝交宣战,外交家、政治家、军事将领及社会各界都卷入了争论。总体而言,主张对德绝交的力量超过了主张中立的力量。北京政府不仅希望通过参战获得战后处分权这一远期利益,还希望获得延付庚款、提高关税等现实利益。以参战为筹码,北京政府与协约国列强展开了并不轻松的谈判。中方的要求获得了部分的满足。可以认为,参加欧战标志着中国外交政策从消极到积极的一个重大转变,北京政府后期的积极外交可说由此而发端。
Past studies of China’s participation in World War Ⅰ have mainly focused on the conflicts between the government and the parliament, between various cliques, and between South and North, and have mainly been critical of joining the war. It is necessary to explore the problem from the angle of diplomatic history. At the beginning of the European war, the Peking government declared a policy of neutrality. The policy seems appropriate at first glance, but in the special situation faced by China at the time, it contained the seeds of a crisis. Though some people suggested taking a more active policy against Germany, their suggestions were unfortunately not accepted by the government. In late 1915, the Peking government secretly contacted the Entente nations, but pulled because of Japan’s objections. The turning point came in 1917. Diplomats, politicians, military leaders and all social circles were involved in debates over the question of whether China should continue to maintain neutrality or break off relations with Germany and declare war. Generally speaking, the forces in favor of breaking off relations with Germany were greater than those that advocated maintaining neutrality. The Peking government not only hoped that participation in the war would gain the future benefit of having the right to participate in the post-war settlement, it also hoped to gain benefits in the present, such as delayed payment of the Boxer indemnity, increased tariffs, and so on. Using participation into the war as a bargaining chip, the Peking government undertook intense negotiations with the Entente nations, and the Entente partially met China’s demands. We can say that joining the war was a mark of China’s diplomatic policies changing from passivity to activity. It was the start of the active diplomacy of the Peking government in its later period.
出处
《近代史研究》
CSSCI
北大核心
2005年第4期1-31,共31页
Modern Chinese History Studies
