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Britain had defeated China in the Opium Wars, and subsequently the great Chinese Empire was carved up into spheres of influence by the Europeans, Americans and, at the end of the 19th century, by Japan.
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China had been forced to sign unequal treaties that gave the imperialist powers extraordinary controls over Chinese trade, territory and ultimately sovereignty.
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Taiping Rebellion wich was a part religious movement, and part political reform movement spread throughout southern China.
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China was ruled by the imperial Manchu dynasty. Majority of the population were peasants. Plots of land were reduced, although at the same time landlords increased rents.
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China lost more territory to Japan when it was part of the settlement in the Russo-Japanese War.
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Political weakness of the Manchu dynasty intensified with the death of the Emperor and the succession of a two-year-old boy, Pu Yi.
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The ruling dynasty was overthrown in a revolution known as the Double Tenth. A Republic was created. Most provinces declared themselves independent of Beijing.
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Delegates from the "independent" provinces gathered in Nanjing to declare the creation of a Chinese Republic. A political exile, who had been in the USA during the revolution , was invited to be China's first president: Dr Sun Yixian.
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Republican constitution had created regional assemblies.
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Sun agreed for Yuan Shikai to be president of the new republic in exchange for the end of Manchu rule in China. Pu Yi abdicated.
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Yuan's final miscalculation was to proclaim himselft Emperor. He died three months later.
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Two political movements developed in response to both the warlords and foreign influence in China. Students led a mass demonstration in Beijing against the warlords, traditional Chinese culture and the Japanese. It was dedicated to change and the rebirth of China as a proud and independent nation.
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Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was officialy set up.
CCP agreed to work with the GMD. -
The GMD and the CCP wanted a unified China, so they formed the First United Front.
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General Jiang Jieshi took leadership of the GMD.
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Together with the communist, the GMD set out on the "Northern Expedition" to crush the warlords of central and northern China.
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The GMD and the communist had captured Hangzhou, Shanghai and Najing. They took Beijing in the following year.
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Jiang now expelled all communists from the GMD, and his attacks on the communists reached a peak in Shanghai in the "White Terror".
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The GMD announced that it was the legitimate government of China and the new capital and seat of government would be Nanjing.
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CCP was nearly crushed by the end of 1927. They decided that its only hope of survival was to flee into the mountains of Jiangsi. The GMD pursued them determined to destroy the communists. The civil war had begun.
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Increasing lack of unity in the country.
