THE WARLORDS YSK continued to rule China until his death in 1916 warlordAfter that, China broke up into hundreds of small regions, each ruled by a local warlord Warlords often former army commanders or local landowners The government in Beijing still existed but was very weak The warlords ruled as they liked and often fought each other Armies roamed the country, looting and killing was common This disorder made China weak and allowed Japan to interfere in its affairs In 1919, when it was announced that the government had agreed to allow Japan special privileges in Manchuria, the people took to the streets in protest May Fourth movementThis was known as the May Fourth movement After the protests were stopped, it was a clear sign that people were anxious for change

THE WARLORDS Two groups in China opposed the rule of the warlords The Kuomingtang (Nationalists) and the Communists During the 1920s, the two groups sometimes worked together to reduce the power of the warlords Also cooperated to put pressure on foreign countries to give up their special privileges  NB : Western countries had sent their armed forces to seize parts of China and set up exclusive trading rights in those areas.  British took Hong Kong and Shanghai; Russians Port Arthur and the Liaodong Peninsula and the Germans (Kiaochow) also carved out their shares  Forced the weak Manchu rulers to sign UEQUAL TREATIES agreeing to whatever the westerners wanted

THE NATIONALIST OR KUOMINTANG PARTY The Nationalists followed the teachings of SYSThe Nationalists followed the teachings of SYS They wanted China to become a democracy with people having a say in the way the country was governedThey wanted China to become a democracy with people having a say in the way the country was governed They wanted to free China from the control of foreign powers and Japan, and to make her strong againThey wanted to free China from the control of foreign powers and Japan, and to make her strong again Argued among themselves the interpretation of SYS third principle of ‘socialism’Argued among themselves the interpretation of SYS third principle of ‘socialism’ Some wanted land to be taken from the landlords and given to the peopleSome wanted land to be taken from the landlords and given to the people Others opposed thisOthers opposed this KMT HQ in GuangzhouKMT HQ in Guangzhou SYS was its leader until his death in 1925SYS was its leader until his death in 1925 Chiang Kai-shek, one of the military leaders, succeeded himChiang Kai-shek, one of the military leaders, succeeded him

THE NATIONALIST OR KUOMINTANG PARTY After the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the Russian Communists supported the KMT with money and weaponsAfter the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the Russian Communists supported the KMT with money and weapons They were keen to help movements that opposed western powersThey were keen to help movements that opposed western powers The KMT was willing to receive financial and military aid from any govt prepared to helpThe KMT was willing to receive financial and military aid from any govt prepared to help But KMT was not a communist party and did not want for China the kind of society that Lenin was trying to create in RussiaBut KMT was not a communist party and did not want for China the kind of society that Lenin was trying to create in Russia CHIANG KAI-SHEK

THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY The CCP was formed in 1921The CCP was formed in 1921 The success of the Bolshevik Revolution encouraged other like-minded communists to try to do the same in their own countriesThe success of the Bolshevik Revolution encouraged other like-minded communists to try to do the same in their own countries Although the Chinese communists had the same ideas as their Russian counterparts, they saw the support of the people as vital in helping them to come to power in ChinaAlthough the Chinese communists had the same ideas as their Russian counterparts, they saw the support of the people as vital in helping them to come to power in China China was a more agricultural society than RussiaChina was a more agricultural society than Russia The CCP knew that they would have no chance of success if the peasants were not on their sideThe CCP knew that they would have no chance of success if the peasants were not on their side

THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY One of the leaders of the CCP in the early days was Mao ZedongOne of the leaders of the CCP in the early days was Mao Zedong Mao was the son of a peasant and first learned about communism while working as a library assistant at a university in BeijingMao was the son of a peasant and first learned about communism while working as a library assistant at a university in Beijing

STRUGGLE BETWEEN KMT & CCP Initially, the KMT & CCP were persuaded by the Russians to work together against the warlords [FIRST UNITED FRONT] After SYS death, situation changed CKS was an effective leader who was able to win back a lot of land from the warlords His closest supporters were mostly wealthy merchants, bankers and landowners Even his wife was a member of one of the wealthiest banking families in China These people were suspicious of the communists. Why? The CCP wanted to do away with private property and turn the existing society upside down CKS himself was trained in Moscow and he disliked what he saw and experienced at close hand

STRUGGLE BETWEEN KMT & CCP After a successful campaign against the warlords in 1926, CKS turned against his former allies Many communists (est 5,000) were killed in the purge which followed [SHANGHAI MASSACRE] - Apr 1927 Those who survived fled to the Jinggang mountains on the border of Hunan and Jiangxi CKS captured Beijing in 1928 and overthrew the government there He was now in control of most of China except for the remote areas under the control of the communists He chose Nanjing as his new capital A KMT government was set up with him as the President

Was Sun Yat-sen’s 3 Principles achieved? China under the KMT had much success in the late 1920s in persuading European countries to give up their special privileges They had forced China to grant them these privileges in earlier years Eg fixing China’s import and export taxes, control of China’s postal system SYS first principle thus had some success

Was Sun Yat-sen’s 3 Principles achieved? SYS second principle of democracy was largely ignored CKS was as autocratic as previous rulers - no elected govt, no parliament The third principle of ‘socialism’ was also ignored as CKS supporters were mostly the rich They wanted to hold on to their own positions Hostile to attempts to redistribute wealth more evenly This was one reason why the Communists continued to win a lot of support It appeared that the CCP was the only group that was concerned about the well-being of the peasants

Copyright reserved 2001 From the histerical notes of the Ancient Library of