First United Front (1924-1927)
The First United Front was the alliance between the Guomindang (GMD) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), formed in 1924 under Comintern guidance. CCP members joined the GMD as individuals while retaining their party membership. The front enabled the Northern Expedition (1926-1928), which defeated many northern warlords, but it collapsed in 1927 when Jiang Jieshi turned on the CCP in the Shanghai Massacre.
Sun-Joffe Manifesto (1923)
The Sun-Joffe Manifesto was a joint statement issued in January 1923 by Sun Yixian and Soviet representative Adolf Joffe. It announced Soviet support for Chinese national unification under the Guomindang, while stating that communist conditions were not yet ripe for China. The manifesto opened the way for Soviet advisers, funding, and Comintern organisational expertise to flow into the GMD.
Whampoa Military Academy
The Whampoa Military Academy (Huangpu Military Academy) was founded near Guangzhou in 1924 with Soviet funding and advisers. It trained the officer corps of the National Revolutionary Army, combining military training with political indoctrination in Guomindang ideology. Jiang Jieshi served as its first commandant. Several future Communist military leaders, including Zhou Enlai, also served there.