-
Period: to
Qing Dynasty
Since 1644 China was ruled by the Manchus, during their ruled China faced several problems such as: poverty, low agricultural production, high amount of taxes needed to be paid, most of the society were peasants, etc. Also it was an inefficient government as inflation and corruption among local and provincial government were harming the nation´s economy. -
Period: to
First Sino-Japanese War
Conflict between Japan and China, this conflict started because both nations wanted control over Korea, they faced each other in battle and Japanese more advanced army were victorious, China signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki in which China lose their control over Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), Liadong Peninsula in Manchuria, and had to pay 7,500,000 kg of silver, this was an humiliation for China and started revolutionary activity. -
Xinhai Revolution
This revolutionary movement ended with the ruling of the Qing Dynasty, and established a Republic inside China, soldiers rebelled against the government and were no longer part of them, also most of the provinces declared themselves independent from Beijing. -
Period: to
The Rule of Yuan Shikai
Yuan ruled China as a military dictator, during his ruling, key issues from the 1911 revolution kept unsolved, and he was a big obstacle for China´s unification. In 1916 he declared himself Emperor of China. -
Period: to
Regionalism-Warlords Era
After Yuan Shikai died, China lost completely the remaining unity they had, and with that started the regionalism, that broke up China into small states and provinces controlled by a warlord, they had their own laws and currencies, and charge the amount of taxes they wanted.
Of course these brought more humiliation for Chinese people as well as the foreign influence inside the Nation. -
May Fourth Movement
Movement by students and intellectuals who desire to get rid of warlords and foreign influence in China, all of this started due to the Versailles settlement which gave Japan control over Shandong province. The students main goal was to make a change and have a rebirth of China, they were inspired by revolutionary ideology (Bolshevik Revolution). -
Creation of a Communist Party (CCP)
At first were not an actual threat to the GMD as they were mainly intellectuals who wanted a change, but this weakness made them collaborate with GMD and eventually split that alliance as the whole alliance was only a friendship of convenience. -
Period: to
First United Front
Both GMD and CCP wanted to get rid of the warlords, so they made an alliance to accomplish that mission. Even if GMD was anti-communist they continued with the mission. Together they launched the Northern Expedition which crushed the warlords. By 1928 GMD had taken Hangzhou, Shangai, Nanjing and Beijing, also they declared the new legitimate government of China, with no election nor any signs of democracy. -
Purification Movement
After the white Terror event happened the massacre of thousands of communists, trade unionists, and peasant leaders continued, about 250,000 people were killed and this violent movement spread through different cities, and forced CCP to escape into the Mountains of Jiangsi. -
White Terror
Jiang Jieshi expelled all communists from the GMD, and in the Shanghai massacre, many communists were killed ordered by Jiang himself, he even killed former GMD members.
