Chiang Kai-shek and Kuomintang (KMT)

Sun Yat-sen and the Kuomintang

When the Qing dynasty fell in 1911, warlords controlled different parts of China. Yuan Shikai became the president of the country but part of his plan was to restore the empire with him as the emperor.

When he died in 1916, Sun Yat-sen regained control of China with the help of the organisation he founded in 1898, called the League of the Common Alliance. This was later renamed to Guomindang or Kuomintang (KMT), a nationalist party that sought assistance from foreign governments to defeat the warlords.

3. Nationalism

Creating a united China of all ethnicities and advocating Chinese Nationalism. Also operating without any involvement from foreign powers or imperialist domination.

Principles of the Kuomintang

1. Democracy

Installing a democratic government was vital to creating a united, prosperous China.

2. Society

Often referred to as 'livelihood', this principle is slightly more difficult to define as Sun died before he could fully explain his concept and it has been debated ever since. Often referred to as social welfare, we know that it included the implementation of a land tax system that would create greater economic equality.

In 1922, Sun Yat-sen accepted the beliefs of the Kuomintang so that they would be accepted by the CCP, which was founded in 1921. As a result, he got assistance from Russia and helped set up an effective structure for the KMT in Canton. He created a system of local KMT cells all over southern China so that the party would be more disciplined.

The KMT wanted to unify China and create a government that was operated by the people, for the benefit of the people. It became the main opposition to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), with the two parties struggling for control of the country since the formation of the CPC in 1921.

Chiang Kai-shek

When Sun Yat-sen died in 1925, Soviet-educated Chiang Kai-shek became the leader of the KMT. Chiang Kai-shek had been a lieutenant for Sun Yat-sen in the Revolution and spent his life learning from Sun. Chiang was also an incredible military man.

NRA troops preparing to attack Wuchang

He allowed the unification of the CCP with his government in order to defeat the warlords. The CCP, which only had an estimated three hundred members at that time, joined the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the KMT and the First United Front to defeat the warlords was created.

From 1926 to 1927, the First United Front participated in the Northern Expedition to defeat the warlords and create a unified government. In 1927, the front ended when the 'White Terror' occurred. This was an event in which communists were killed or purged from the Nationalist Party and was the start of the ten-year Civil War in China (1927-1937).

The CCP leaders were forced to flee to the Jiangxi hills as Chiang Kai-shek took control of Beijing. By 1931, the CCP members had regrouped and formed the Jiangxi Soviet. At that time, the CCP had organised its armed forces, the Red Army.