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Socio-economic factors
In 1900,China was ruled by the Manchu Dynasty.The majority of the population were peasants who lived in extreme poor conditions. -
Political weakness and the influence of foreign powers
The European powers had humiliated and exploited China and that cause the destabilization of the Manchu Dynasty,then,China was carved up into spheres of influence by the Europeans,Americans and Japan.Foreigners refuse to obey the chinese rules and they had their own courts in China. -
The overthrow of the Manchu dynasty
By the beginning of the 20th century,China was in a desperate co ndition so the people thought that the Manchu Dynasty should be overthrown so in that way,China could be Westernized and democracy introduced.In October 1911,the Manchu Dynasty was overthrown in a revolution called the Double Tenth. -
The rule of Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai ruled China as a military dictator from 1912 to 1915.Regionalism was under Yuan's rule and became an obstacle to unified China -
Sun Yixian
Sun agreed for Yuan Shikai to be the president of the new Republic of China in February 1912,in exchange for the end of the Manchu rule in China. -
Warlord era
The warlord era started with the Taiping rebellion.The Taiping rebellion spread throughout southern China and it was about religion and political reforms.Tis cause millions of Chinese deaths by regional armies.This involvement of regional armies cause the warlord era. -
The May Fourth movement
The May fourth movement began i 1919.Students led a mass demonstration in Beijing against the warlord,traditional chinese culture and the Japanese. -
Attempt to unify China
The GMD and the CCP wanted to unified China.They were agreed that the first thing they must do was to get rid the warlords and in 1922 they create the first united front. -
The GMD attacks the CCP
The firts united front was only an alliance of convenience against the warlords.Jiang couldn't tolerate anymore the support for the communist and he said that the CPP needed to be destroyed so in that way China could be unified under the GMD. -
"Purification movement"
Jiang expelled all communist from the GMD and he continued attacking the CCP.All his attacks reached a peak in Shanghai in the "White terror"in April 1927.5,000 communist were killed.The GMD carried out similar attacks in other cities and these actions were known as the "purification movement".
