《走向共和》表现出了慈禧的复杂性。过去我们一讲她就是祸国殃民、卖国贼、妖后,这种认识就像毛主席在《改造我们的学习》里所批评的——好的就是绝对的好,坏的就是绝对的坏。慈禧在她活着的时候就挨骂,一直被骂到现在。实际上慈禧也搞过改革。洋务运动在改革开放后被肯定为中国近代化的开端。过去讲洋务运动的推动者在中央有奕(言字旁+右斤)、 “Toward republicanism” shows the complexity of Empress. In the past we talked about her as a disastrous person, a traitor, and a demon. This kind of understanding was like what Chairman Mao criticized in “Transforming Our Learning” - good is absolute good, bad is absolute bad. Empress scolded when she was alive, has been scolded until now. In fact Empress also engaged in reform. After the reform and opening up, the Westernization Movement was affirmed as the beginning of China’s modernization. In the past, the promoters of the Westernization Movement talked about having Yi