Nationalist Rule of China Notes

Guomindang Leadership and Ideology

1. The Guomindang (GMD), founded by Sun Yixian, aimed to unify China under a centralized republic guided by his Three Principles of the People: nationalism, democracy, and people’s livelihood.
2. After Sun’s death in 1925, Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-shek) emerged as leader, reshaping the party into a more militarized and authoritarian movement.
3. Jiang’s primary goal was national unity, achieved through the Northern Expedition (1926–1928), which defeated regional warlords and established the Nanjing Government.
4. The GMD sought to build a strong, modern state by restoring order, improving infrastructure, and promoting industrial development.
5. Jiang’s rule was heavily influenced by Confucian values, emphasizing discipline, hierarchy, and loyalty to the nation and leader.

Political Consolidation under Jiang Jieshi

1. Jiang ruled through a one-party system, suppressing political opposition, especially Communists, after the Shanghai Massacre (1927).
2. The Blue Shirts Society, modeled after European fascist movements, promoted loyalty, discipline, and anti-communism among elites.
3. The New Life Movement (1934) aimed to revive moral values based on Confucian ethics and national discipline, blending traditionalism with nationalism.
4. Jiang centralized power in Nanjing, reorganizing the military and creating a central bureaucracy, but real authority often depended on regional warlords who pledged nominal loyalty.
5. Political control relied on censorship, surveillance, and secret police, alienating intellectuals and rural reformers.