What did Chiang Kai-shek do as the leader of China's Nationalist Party in the early twentieth century?

Answer 1

Chiang Kai Shek was a lieutenant of Sun Yat-Sen, who had guided the revolution of 1911 that overthrew the imperial Manchu throne and gave the people of China their chance for freedom. In 1927 Chiang emerged from the civil wars that ravaged China after the revolution as the leader of the Kuomintang Party and the general of the small but well-trained army. His dream was the unification and modernization of his country. The sprawling land of china was disunited by the enmities of civil war, by age-long sectionalisims, by difference in languages, and by lack of inter-communication among the provinces. Opposed to Chiang were the communists, a growing power in the rural districts; the provincial governors, jealous of their loss of power from the days of the Manchus; and the warlords, those bizarre brigands who gouged the land and the people at every turn. Chiang actually had to conquer China to save the country from itself. Much of this conquest was in the field, but much of it was by negotiation. But even in victory, he still had to awaken the sleeping citizens to the necessity of a strong China. And looking over the whole scene was Japan. Chiang knew that Japan had its eyes on China and he knew he did not have much time before they would invade. So in a short time, he had to modernize China. By 1930 he had made great strides in that attempt. Modern schools and industries were firmly established in all great cities of eastern china. The country was well on its way to a place in the sun when Japan did indeed attack the Chinese province of Manchuria in 1931. In 1932 they attacked Shanghai. After some other invasions, in 1937 they struck at the heart of China-Peiping.