WI: Successful Hundred Days' Reform

Honestly I think you need a Guangxu emperor whose much less in thrall to Kang and gives him and his cronies less political power, while maintaining some level of contact. It was this cronyism and fear that Kang was using "reform" as simply a way of gaining personal power that made Cixi incredibly intolerant of the reforms, when it had usually been her heading the reformist elements in decades previous.

Alternatively one thing that could help is reducing Japanese ability to interfere in China and lessen the fear that Kangs reforms would make China a Japanese tributary.
 
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Honestly I think you need a Guangxu emperor whose much less in thrall to Kang and gives him and his cronies less political power, while maintaining some level of contact. It was this cronyism and fear that Kang was using "reform" as simply a way of gaining personal power that made Cixi incredibly intolerant of the reforms, when it had usually been her heading the reformist elements in decades previous.

Alternatively one thing that could help is reducing Japanese ability to interfere in China and lessen the fear that Kangs reforms would make China a Japanese tributary.

Maybe Cixi succesfully getting rid of Kang would be a good start. Plus she'd have a better reputation than OTL since there wouldn't be one person permanently insulting her openly in Japan. She could manage the other hardline reformists to her and her son's advantage, instead of having them following their Queen Bee.

Personnal hate between her and Kang was probably a third of why she totally blocked these reforms. The two other thirds would be refusal to become a Japanese protectorate and the will to keep things respectful of traditions (she was very concerned about the tumbs that would be moved for rails and the impact they could have on Earth's balance of elements).


Also I don't know about the English article but the French one is terribly biased against Cixi
 
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