China timeline 20th century

By Kitty Chan

  • Military revolts

    (1911-1912) In October of 1911, a group of revolutionaries in southern China led a successful revolt against the Qing Dynasty, establishing in its place the Republic of China and ending the imperial system.

  • Sun Yatsen Government Fails

    Sun Yat-sen's new government did not have enough money or soldiers to hang on to their new power. Sun had to turn the president position to Yuan Shikai, who had money and soldiers.

  • Nationalist Come Into Power

  • Mao Tse-tung Founded Communism

    Mao was "Chairman Mao" untill he died in 1976

  • Sun Yatsen Dies and Chiang Kaishek Takes Over

    (1925) After Sun's death in March 1925, Chiang Kai-shek became the leader of the KMT. Chaing takes the spot as leader of China. He leads the nationalist party.

  • Chiang Controls Most of Southern China

  • Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention

    1928 April: Mao Zedong promulgates the Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention, a document instructing the Red Army on tactics, method and behaviour.

  • Month-long party

    1928 July 11th: The CCP concludes its month-long party congress in Moscow, having affirmed that China was semi-feudal and “in a state of the bourgeois-democratic revolution”.

  • Jiang Jieshi is elected chairman of the National government of China

    1928 October 1st: Jiang Jieshi is elected chairman of the National government of China, based in Nanjing. His government is quickly recognised by most foreign powers.

  • Communist troops

    1929 February 10th: Communist troops commanded by Mao Zedong and Zhu De establish a base at Ruijin, Jiangxi province.

  • ‘Li Lisan Line’

    1930 February: The CCP implements the ‘Li Lisan Line’, named for one of its leaders, urging large uprisings of workers in urban areas. This stands in contrast to the peasant-based revolution promoted by Mao Zedong.

  • The Hunan Soviet is established.

  • July-August: Following the Li Lisan Line, the CCP attempts a series of assaults on urban centres

  • Mao Zedong’s second wife

    1930 November 14th: Yang Kaihui, Mao Zedong’s second wife, is tortured and executed by a pro-Nationalist warlord in Changsha, after refusing to renounce her husband.

  • The Futian Incident

    1930 December 8th: The Futian Incident: a Red Army regiment in Futian mutinies, in protest against Mao’s attacks on the Jiangxi Action Committee. The Futian regiment is later purged on Mao’s orders.

  • November: The Second Red Army under He Long embarks on its own march to Shaanxi.

  • The Battle of Luding Bridge

    1935 May 29th: The Battle of Luding Bridge: the Red Army takes control of a key river crossing in Sichuan province.

  • The Xi’an incident

    1936 December 12-25th: The Xi’an incident. Jiang Jieshi is kidnapped by Zhang Xueliang and forced or persuaded to an anti-Japanese military alliance with the CCP.
    December: As Red Army numbers in Shaanxi province increase, the CCP moves its headquarters from Baoan to Yan’an.

  • The Sino-Japanese War and the Second United Front

    1937-45: the Sino-Japanese War and the Second United Front: The Guomindang and CCP agree to suspend the civil war and coordinate their resistance against the Japanese. This alliance will prove fragile, with little cooperation and many skirmishes between both groups.

  • Japan has overrun most of eastern China

    Japan has come into China and begun invading most of eastern China. Chaing retreats with his Guomindang army. Main communist army retreat as well but the red army soldiers continue to fight.

  • Japan attack Pearl Harbor

    The U.S. naval base in Oahu, Hawaii gets attacked by the Japanease. 6 are known to be dead and 21 more are injured.

  • U.S. enters war after Imperial Army attack on Pearl Harbor

  • Civil War between Nationalists and Communists

  • Atomic Bombs hit Japan

    Soviet Union enters war against Japan (August 9th) invading Manchuria. First atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima (August 7th) and Nagasaki (August 9th.) Japan surrenders August 15, 1945. End of World War II in Asia.

  • Civil War

    International Military Tribunal for the Far East, or the Tokyo Trials begins. The United States occupies Japan under provisions of surrender. Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal also begins.

  • Mao wins

    October - Mao Zedong, having led the Communists to victory against the Nationalists after more than 20 years of civil war, proclaims the founding of the People's Republic of China. The Nationalists retreated to the island of Taiwan and set up a government there.

  • Land reform

    Mao and his new government create land reform. They want to give more power to the peasants. The previous owners are put on trial and often killed.

  • Five Year Plan

    The Russians drew up a five-year plan. They did this to help the industry.

  • Great Leap Forward

    Mao launches the "Great Leap Forward", a five-year economic plan. Farming is collectivised and labour-intensive industry is introduced. The drive produces economic breakdown and is abandoned after two years. Disruption to agriculture is blamed for the deaths by starvation of millions of people following poor harvests.

  • Chinese forces suppress large-scale revolt in Tibet.

  • Brief conflict with India over disputed Himalayan border.

  • "Cultural Revolution"

    "Cultural Revolution", Mao's 10-year political and ideological campaign aimed at reviving revolutionary spirit, produces massive social, economic and political upheaval.

  • US President Richard Nixon visits. Both countries declare a desire to normalise relations.

  • "Gang of Four"

    Mao dies. "Gang of Four", including Mao's widow, jockey for power but are arrested and convicted of crimes against the state. From 1977 Deng Xiaoping emerges as the dominant figure among pragmatists in the leadership. Under him, China undertakes far-reaching economic reforms.