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Boxer Rebellion
Rebellion in rural China to oust foreign powers. Gains support of Government, International task force humiliates them. -
Revolution
Qing dynasty ousted. -
Republic established
GMD formed under Moscow educated Sun Yat Sen -
Dictatorship
Yuan Shikai establishes himself as dictator. Ousted after provinces rebel -
Fourth of May movement
Area of China which was conquered by Germany given to Japan instead as part of the peace terms. China understandably upset and begins movement to become more powerful along western lines, linked to abuse by foreign powers. -
CCP Formed
Group of intellectuals form communist party, initially just a collection of various socialist ways of thinking but changed to Leninism quickly. Mao a librarian when he joined -
Death of Sun Yat Sen
GMD now led by Jiang Jieshi, far more right wing and anti communist, changes GMD from its socialist/communist leanings. -
Northern expedition
Jiang Jieshi launches joint attacks on warlords in north with now more powerful CCP. Throughout the campaign he begins to grow suspicious and paranoid of the Communists as they grew closer to radical left wing elements of GMD and gained support of peasants they liberated from the warlords. -
Shanghai Massacre
GMD and Jiang Jieshi ally with "Green gang", a group of thugs and mobsters in Shanghai and organise slaughter of communists, including beheadings. Between 5000 and 10,000 killed. -
Autumn Harvest Uprising
300k people killed in communist revolt in response. Still incredibly harsh, heads pickled and hearts eaten. Similar pattern in other areas, uprisings brutally crushed. -
Period: to
Encirclement Campaigns
Communists go to ground and the GMD begin campaigns and attacks using encirclement tactics to surround the Jiangxi Soviet, using the famous block houses. -
Long March
Groups of Communists break out, fighting their way through warlords territory and leading to large amounts of desertion and death due to harsh conditions in mountains and marshes.