-
Protest of students at Gate of Heavenly Peace
Students in Beijing gathered at the Gate of Heavenly Peace to protest the Chinese government's weak resistance to Japanese expansion in China. Patriots had been outraged at the influence given to Japan in the Twenty-One Demands in 1915, the complicity of Duan Qirui’s Beiyang Government, and the betrayal of China at the Treaty of Versailles by allowing Japan to receive territories in Shandong which had been surrendered by Germany. These demonstrations ignited the nation-wide May Fourth Movement -
Two new political Forces
Central authority had almost ceased to exist in China. Two political forces emerged as competitors fought the right to rule China: Sun Yat-Sen's Nationalist Party and the Chinese Communist Party. -
Chinese Communist Party
A group of young radicals, including faculty and staff members of Bejing University, founded the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the Commercial & industrial city of Shanghai. -
Driving Imperialist Powers Out of China
The 2 parties, Nationalists & Communists, formed an alliance to oppose the warlords & drive the imperialist powers out of China. -
Sun Yat-Sen Dies and Chiang Kai-Shek Rules Nationalist Party
Tensions between the parties eventually rose to the surface. Sun Yat-Sen died & General Chiang Kai-Shek succeeded him as head of Nationalist Party. -
Northern Expedition
Over 3 years, the 2 parties overlooked their mutual supicions & worked together. They formed a revolutionary army to march north and sieze control over China called the Northern Expedition. -
the kills of April
When Chiang pretended to support the allience with the communist until , the alliance in Shanghai,killing thousands. This was called the Shanghai massacre, and after, the Nationalist - communist alliance creased to exist. -
Founding of new chinese republic
Chiang Kai -Shek found ed a new chinese republic at Nanjing. During the next three years he worked at the unify China. Although chiang saw Japan as a threat but believed communist were worse. -
Tried to root the communist
Chiang Kai-Shek now tried to root the Communists out of their urban base in Shanghai and their urban base in Jiangxi Province. He succeeded in the first task. Most of the Party leaders in Shanghai were forced to flee to Mao's base in Southern China. Chiang Kai-Shek then turned his forces against Mao's Stronghold in Jaingxi Province. Chiang's forces far outnumbered Mao's, but Mao made effective use of guerrila tactics. This is when they used unexpected methods like sabotage to fight the enemy. -
Stronger side
Chiang's troops, with their superior military strength, surrounded the communist baser in Jiangxi and set up a blockade of the stronghold. This was important because it showed that Chiang was suck a powerful leader he was able to create such a powerful blockade -
Long March
Chiang and his troops had built small forts to prevent communist raids. However, Mao Zedong's army, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), broke through the nationalist lines and and began it's famous Long March. Both Mao and Chiang knew that unless Mao's army could cross the Chang Jiang, it would be wiped out. Mao's army began a desperate race and many of his troops froze or starved. -
Major Loss of Men.
During the Long March, Mao Zedong became the sole leader of the chinese communist party. After a slippery slope, Mao's troops reached safety in the dusty hills of northern China. Of the 90,000 troops who went on the journey, only 9,000 lived. -
Chiang Kai-Shek tries to destroy Mao Zedong's communist forces while running a country
Chiang was trying to root outMao Zedong's communist forces, while also tring to build a new Chinese nation. He publically declared his commitment to Sun Yat-Sen's plans for a republican government. With keeping Sun's program, Chiang announced a period of political training to prepare the chinese people for a final stage of a constitutional government. -
Weakened Political, Economic, and Social effects of Chinese nation
Years of neglect and civil war had severly weakened the political, economic and social fabric of the nation. Most people that lived in the country side were drainded by civil strife and warfare. Rural peasants, up to 80% of China's population, were still very poor and over whelmimgly illiterate, This event is important because it shows the effects that the wars had on the society and it's people. -
Support in Chiang Kai-Shek's modern world
During this weakening in China, a westernized middle class had begun to form in the cities. Here, observers believed Kai-Sheck lifted China to a modern world. In the cities, is where Chiang's new government found it's most support. The people of westenized middle-class pursued the middle class values of individual achievement and the accumulation of wealth. -
Hard Working Kai-Shek
Chiang Kai-Shek was aware of the problems when introducing foreign ideas to an area that was still culturally conservative. While attempting to build a modern industrial state, he tried to bring together modern western innovations with conn fucian values of hard work, obedience, and integrity. This was important because it showed that Chiang was working really hard to push ideas on a developing state. This made it harder because it made some people suspicious about Chiang's intensions. -
New Life Movement
With Chiang Kai-Shek's U.S.-educated wife Meiling Soong, Chiang set up a "New Life Movement". It's goal was to promote traditional confucian social ethnics. At the same time, it rejected what was viewed as the excessive individualism and material greed of western capitalist values. This movement was important because it changed the economy majorly. -
TIME's man and wife of the year
Generalissimo and Madame Chiang Kai-Shek were named TIME's man and wife of the year for their leadership in China. It was significant because it was a great way to show how graet of leaders they were and how great they were a a couple, and how powerful they were. It also spread the word how great of a duo they were.
