Chinese Civil War
Fall of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty Empress Dowager Cixi (1835 -1908) De facto Chinese monarch (1861 -1908) Conservative and anti-foreign Yet her time in power led to growing dependency from West Blamed by many Chinese foreign imperialist power in China
Fall of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty Emperor Puyi – the “Last Emperor” Lived 1906 -1967 Ruled China 1908 -1912, and as a puppet for 12 days in 1917 Puppet emperor of Manchukuo (Japanese-ruled Manchuria), 19321945 Spent ten years in a Soviet prison after WWII Lived a quiet life as a regular citizen in communist China Died of disease during the Cultural Revolution (1967) Bertoluchi’s the Last Emperor (1989)
Republican Revolution (1912) Sun Yat-sen (Sun Yixian) Founded Kuomintang (KMT) – Nationalist party Overthrew Manchu (Qing) dynasty Established a republic President of Chinese Republic who succeeded him – Yuan Shih-k’ai Kuomintang symbol
Republic of China: Weaknesses Disunity Local warlords fought Kuomintang for control Wars raged between 1912 and 1928 Foreign imperialists Americans, Europeans, and Japanese Poor transportation 1914 – only 6, 000 miles of railroad track 225, 000 miles in the smaller United States Few decent roads
China joined the allies in the Great War hoping to regain at least the territories run by the Germans but the treaty of Versailles awarded them to the Japanese. On May 4 th 1919 demonstrations broke out in many Chinese cities and people of all classes protested and joined parties like the Guo Min Dang or the newly founded Communist Party. They united in 1922 to end warlord rule and western domination of China. Despairing of the imperial powers they turned to Communist Russia for help. They realised the need for an efficient army of their own, if China was ever going to be free and strong.
Following the Russian revolution the GMD turned to Russia for help. The Comintern sent Mikhail Borodin (left) to organise the new Chinese Communist Party and to assist the GMD to unite and overthrow the warlords.
They organised a military academy outside Guangzhou at Whampoa to train officers to create an effective army.
Unfotunately Sun died in 1925 before his plans could come to fruition. His funeral train is seen with his picture on the front.
His brother in law and leader of the new army Chiang Kai Shek quickly took command established himself as leader moving against the War Lords in the successful Great Northern Expedition.
New political parties Nationalist Party (GMD) was established Sun Yat-Sen died in 1925 Chiang Kai-Shek was the military leader Communist Party was established in 1921 Mao Ze. Dong was one of its founding members
Chiang Kai-shek Leader of the Nationalist ( Kuomintang) Leader of China (19281949) Military leader of China Used a tyranny ideology to unite a country Strong sense of national independance
Main political thought Also influenced by Russian Revolution Received military training in Moscow Main revolutionary force is workers Favored political and economical modernization of Chinese society Drifted from radical communism to more of a rightwing socialism
Commuist Party of China Formed in July 1921 as an study society Was allied with the Nationalist (Kuomintang) in 1922 - 1927 Rely on peasants and peasant riots against warlords and Kai-shek’s forces. During the Long March period party drifted away from international communist movement and received national leader – Mao Zedong, more national oriented philosophy and wide national support
MAO ZEDUNG • Future leader of Comunist Party of China. • Start his political career in Kuomintang in early ‘ 20 es • Became communist even earlier • Drift away from the Nationalist after Northern Expedition • Leader of China Red Army(1927) • Chairman of self proclaimed Soviet Republic of China(1931) In time of Long March
Main Political Thought Under a strong influence from Russian Revolution Made his own understanding of Marxism-Leninism Unlike other Communist believed in peasants as a major revolutionary force Used guerilla tactics as a main form of warfare Believed as other communist in violent revolution
Northern Expedition (1925 -1927) Began as united front of the Communist and the Nationalist under supervision of Soviet Union “Enemy of my enemy is my… ( There was never an unity among CCP and KMT) Goal was to unified China and defeat main warlords on North-West of country With better organization, equipment and military training victory came ease Having become a prominent military leader Chiang Kaishek lead an assault against Communist party in Shanghai and other cities thus starting a new civil war
Warlords in 1920 s
Northern Expedition GMD & CCP merged in 1924 split in 1927 CCP was decimated
Some communists escaped the purges like Mao and Zhou and took communism to the country side, starting the civil wars again.
Communist Party in Retreat Communist Party turned to rural areas revolutionary bases in Jiangxi Province revolts in other areas the “Long March” to Northwest China 1934 -35
Chinese Soviet Republic (19311937) Capital – Rujin(south-east china) Leader – Mao Zdong
Chinese Soviet Republic Established on 7 November 1931 Expand over 30000 km², population – 3 mln Strong army and better economy Heavily relied on intelligence Came to decay right after the Long March and dissolved on 22 september 1937 right after Second United Front was announced
Long March(16/10/1934 -19(22)/10/1935) After the Nationalist waged a war against Communist in Central China the remnants of Red Army were forced to withdraw. Mao used this failure to his benefits of proclaiming Communist and Red Army as the only forces who truly cared of the week and poor. Lasted for 6000 km and cost roughly 90% of red army troops’ lives.
"The Long March is a manifesto. It has proclaimed to the world that the Red Army is an army of heroes, while the imperialists and their running dogs, Chiang Kai-shek and his like, are impotent. It has proclaimed their utter failure to encircle, pursue, obstruct and intercept us. The Long March is also a propaganda force. It has announced to some 200 million people in eleven provinces that the road of the Red Army is their only road to liberation. "