Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a Chinese nationalist politician and military leader who was President of the Republic of China, born in Xikou on October 31, 1887. His father was a merchant who died when Chiang was eight years old. Chiang became an officer in the army of the Manchu empire, but supported the Chinese Xinhai Revolution of 1911 that converted China into a republic.
Chiang Kai-shek | |
---|---|
蔣中正 蔣介石 | |
Chairman of the National Government of China | |
In office October 10, 1943 – May 20, 1948 Acting from August 1 to October 10, 1943 | |
Premier | Soong Tse-ven |
Vice Chairman | Sun Fo |
Preceded by | Lin Sen |
Succeeded by | Himself (as President of the Republic of China) |
In office October 10, 1928 – December 15, 1931 | |
Premier | Tan Yankai Soong Tse-ven |
Preceded by | Tan Yankai |
Succeeded by | Lin Sen |
Chairman of the Military Affairs Commission | |
In office December 15, 1931 – May 31, 1946 | |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Position abolished |
President of the Republic of China | |
In office March 1, 1950 – April 5, 1975 | |
Premier | Yen Hsi-shan Chen Cheng Yu Hung-Chun Chen Cheng Yen Chia-kan Chiang Ching-kuo |
Vice President | Li Zongren Chen Cheng Yen Chia-kan |
Preceded by | Li Zongren (Acting) |
Succeeded by | Yen Chia-kan |
In office May 20, 1948 – January 21, 1949 | |
Premier | Chang Chun Wong Wen-hao Sun Fo |
Vice President | Li Zongren |
Preceded by | Himself (as Chairman of the Nationalist Government) |
Succeeded by | Li Zongren (Acting) |
Premier of the Republic of China | |
In office March 1, 1947 – April 18, 1947 | |
Preceded by | Soong Tse-ven |
Succeeded by | Chang Chun |
In office November 20, 1939 – May 31, 1945 | |
President | Lin Sen |
Preceded by | Hsiang-hsi Kung |
Succeeded by | Soong Tse-ven |
In office December 9, 1935 – January 1, 1938 | |
President | Lin Sen |
Preceded by | Wang Jingwei |
Succeeded by | Hsiang-hsi Kung |
In office December 4, 1930 – December 15, 1931 | |
Preceded by | Soong Tse-ven |
Succeeded by | Chen Mingshu |
Chairman of the Kuomintang | |
In office May 12, 1936 – April 1, 1938 | |
Preceded by | Hu Hanmin |
Succeeded by | Himself as Director-General of the Kuomintang |
In office July 6, 1926 – March 11, 1927 | |
Preceded by | Zhang Renjie |
Succeeded by | Woo Tsin-hang and Li Yuying |
Director-General of the Kuomintang | |
In office April 1, 1938 – April 5, 1975 | |
Deputy | Wang Jingwei Chen Cheng |
Preceded by | Himself as Chairman of the Kuomintang |
Succeeded by | Chiang Ching-kuo (as Chairman of the Kuomintang) |
Personal details | |
Born | Fenghua, Zhejiang, Qing dynasty, China | October 31, 1887
Died | April 5, 1975 Taipei, Taiwan | (aged 87)
Resting place | Cihu Mausoleum, Taoyuan, Taiwan |
Nationality | Chinese |
Political party | Kuomintang |
Spouse(s) | Mao Fumei Yao Yecheng Chen Jieru Soong Mei-ling |
Children | Chiang Ching-kuo Chiang Wei-kuo (adopted) |
Alma mater | Baoding Military Academy, Imperial Japanese Army Academy Preparatory School |
Awards | Order of National Glory, Order of Blue Sky and White Sun, 1st class Order of the Sacred Tripod, Legion of Merit |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Nickname(s) | "Generalissimo" or "Red General"[1] |
Allegiance | Kuomintang |
Branch/service | Republic of China Army |
Years of service | 1911–1975 |
Rank | General Special Class (特級上將) |
Battles/wars | Xinhai Revolution, Northern Expedition, Sino-Tibetan War, Kumul Rebellion, Soviet invasion of Xinjiang, Chinese Civil War, Second Sino-Japanese War, Kuomintang Islamic Insurgency in China (1950–1958) |
He led the Republic of China from 1930 to 1949 on mainland China until he was overthrown by Mao Zedong[2] in the Chinese Civil War. He fled to Taiwan where he ruled from 1950 until his death in 1975, although his government was still officially called the Republic of China.
Biography
changeChiang Kai-Shek was born on October 31, 1887, in Zhejiang province, China. He received a military education at the Baoding Military Academy and later studied in Japan at the Tokyo Shinbu Gakko. These formative years laid the groundwork for his future role as a military and political leader. Chiang's exposure to different ideologies and military strategies influenced his approach during pivotal moments in Chinese history. After his father died, Chiang joined the army. At first, he went to Baoding in northern China to study military science. Later, he went to Japan to learn more about the military.
In 1918, he joined the Nationalist Party of Sun Yat-sen. Sun Yat-sen helped Jiang Kai-Shek make a military academic school called Huangpu Military School. In 1926 and 1927 he led the Northern Expedition to conquer local warlords and unify China. After Sun Yat-sen died, he pushed out the Communists in 1927. In 1928, he made a new government in Nanjing, and became head of the state.[3] He focused on fighting the Communists and the Empire of Japan.[4] In 1937, Japan began to invade China, and Chiang was in charge of the Nationalist Chinese Army, until the war ended in 1945. Chiang ruled China until 1949, when Mao Zedong, who led the Communist Party of China, attacked Chiang and his officials, and they were forced to flee to Taiwan. Chiang established the Republic of China on the Island of Taiwan in 1949. He governed Taiwan until his death in 1975, leaving a complex legacy of authoritarian rule and anti-communism.
References
change- ↑ Pakula, Hannah (2009). The last empress: Madame Chiang Kai-Shek and the birth of modern China. Simon and Schuster. p. 346. ISBN 978-1-4391-4893-8. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
- ↑ "Chiang Kai-shek - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com". HISTORY.com. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
- ↑ "Chiang Kai-shek - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com". HISTORY.com. Retrieved 2017-05-22.
- ↑ "Chiang Kai-shek | Chinese statesman". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2017-05-30.
Other websites
change- Chiang Kai-shek, Citizendium