Chinese Revolution

Nationalists

• Overthrew last Qing emperor in 1911

• Led by Sun Yixian – Chinese need unity, not

freedom• “Three Principles of the

People”– End to foreign control– Democracy– Economic security

• Local warlords seized power - civil war

May Fourth Movement

Protests erupted throughout China against how China had been treated by Europe

After World War I, China expected to get back the lands that Germany had controlled, but instead the Treaty of Versailles

gave those lands to Japan.

Communists

• One of founders: Mao Zedong

• Changed Marx’s ideas - peasants, not workers, would rise up

First United Front

• Alliance between Nationalists and Communists against warlords

• Nationalists led by Jiang Jieshi

Shanghai Massacre

• Jiang’s troops turned on Communists and killed them in streets

• Communists never forgave Nationalists

Nationalist Republic of China

• Jiang became president of new government in 1928

• Reforms only felt in cities, peasants still suffered

The Long MarchNationalists surrounded Communists and cut off supplies

100,000 fled and marched 6,000 miles to northern China

Second UnitedFront

Jiang’s men forced him to

ally with Communists against real

threat:

Japan

Japan Invades

• End of 1937 - Japan controlled most coastal cities and industrial areas

• Massive bombings, starvation, atrocities killed millions of Chinese

War of Resistance• Communists fought Japan in the north - Mao

used guerilla tactics• Nationalists dominated south and got aid from

allies– Most aid ended up

in hands of corrupt officers

– Jiang used aid to build up army to fight Communists, and let America fight Japan

Civil War• Nationalists outnumbered

Communists 3 to 1, and had aid from U.S.

• But Nationalists faced:– Little popular support– Economy collapsing– Corrupt officials– Soldiers deserting

to Communists– Less disciplined

troops – Communists had

popularity - gave land to poor

People’s Republic of China• Mao gained control of entire country and

Nationalists fled to Taiwan• China became a Communist country in 1949