Nanjing Government

The National Government of the Republic of China (Chinese: 中華民國國民政府), also known as the Nationalist or Nanjing Government (Chinese: 南京政府), governed southern China and challenged the Beiyang Government's legitimacy in the north after the death of Yuan Shikai. From 1917 to 1927, the Kuomintang (KMT) led various unsuccessful campaigns to unify China, enduring war fatigue and interprovincial conflicts. The Northern Expedition in 1927, led by Chiang Kai-shek, aimed to unify China but faced setbacks, including the Nanjing Incident and the Shanghai Massacre, which ended Soviet support and the KMT-CCP United Front. Internal conflicts within the KMT led to the establishment of the Wuhan Nationalist Government and further factionalism.
The Central Plains War and subsequent conflicts, including the Kuomintang Civil War, weakened the KMT. The Anguojun launched the Southern Reclamation War (known in Beiyang government as Central Plains Pacification War) against Chiang in 1930, with Japan and White Russia providing support. Corruption and incompetence led to a withdrawal to the south of the Yangtze River. Eventually, the Truce of Wuhan was signed in 1931, officially ending the Northern Expedition and resulting in a partial KMT victory only in the south of Yangtze River Line.
== Summary ==
In 1926, Chiang Kai-shek and the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) launched a major campaign to unify China, aiming to consolidate the fractured republic into a single polity. Many warlords joined Chiang against the old Beiyang regime. However, the Soviet Russia withdrew support from the Kuomintang (KMT) after the Shanghai Massacre in April 1927, which ended the KMT-CPC (Communist Party of China) United Front. This significantly slowed Chiang's military efforts due to a lack of funds and weapons from the Soviets. The event angered the left-wing KMT and the Communists, leading to the establishment of the Wuhan Nationalist Government.
Despite these challenges, the NRA's march north met with moderate success, thanks to support from Feng Yuxiang's Guominjun and Yan Xishan's Shanxi clique. The Jinan Incident in 1928, however, saw Japan send military support to the Beijing government and some White Russian forces from Vladivostok, disrupting the KMT-Beiyang war momentum. Weakened by corruption and a lack of funds, the KMT's military operations slowed after entering Beijing, resulting in a partial victory for the Nanjing government.
The Wuhan government ceased operations after Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei reached an agreement to reunify the KMT, proposing Chiang's resignation from all key positions and the expulsion of Communists from the Wuhan government. This decision led to the Nanchang Uprising by the Communists, triggering the KMT-CPC Civil War. Meanwhile, some left-wing KMT members returned to southern China, the former base of Sun Yat-sen, while others rejoined the Nanjing government under the leaders' agreement.
After the Beiyang forces retreated to Manchuria, Chiang has been reelected in the position of Chairman of Nationalist Government upon resignation of Tan Yankai, former government chairman, Chiang Kai-shek declared victory and began forming a new government filled with his supporters. His neglect of the northern military cliques that had helped defeat the Beiyang regime led to dissatisfaction and the Central Plains War. The right-wing factions within the KMT split further when Hu Hanmin was removed from his position as Legislative Yuan speaker and reassigned as chairman of the Southwest Political Council, a move by Chiang to control southern warlords, particularly those from Guangdong and Guangxi.
This dismissal angered many politicians and southern warlords, leading to the establishment of the Guangzhou government by Lin Sen, Sun Ke, and Hu Hanmin to overthrow Chiang's Nanjing government. The KMT Civil War coincided with the Central Plains War and the KMT-CPC Civil War, providing an opportunity for the Beiyang forces in the north. In early 1930, the Anguojun military council launched the Southern Reclamation War. Shanxi warlord Yan Xishan declared neutrality to avoid further conflict and withdrew from the Central Plains War, disbanding the Beiping government and leaving Feng Yuxiang's Guominjun to fight alone in northern China.
With diplomatic, military, and financial support from Japan and White Russia has strengthen the Anguojun, Hu Hanmin proposed an alliance with Chiang to combat the advancing Anguojun forces, forming the Guangzhou-Nanjing alliance. However, corruption within the Nanjing government weakened the army, and the loss of foreign support forced Chiang to withdraw to the south of the Yangtze River. Despite forming an alliance, the agreement required the Guangzhou forces to follow Chiang's orders, leading to an inevitable withdrawal and rendering the alliance ineffective. Chiang's withdrawal order led to pressure within the KMT to agree to a truce with the Beiyang government, resulting in the Truce of Wuhan in 1931, officially ending hostilities. 
== History ==
=== Guangzhou Military Government ===
=== KMT's Leadership Crisis ===
=== KMT-CCP United Front ===
==== Canton Coup ====
=== Northern Expedition ===
==== Nanking Incident ====
==== Shanghai Massacre ====
==== Nanjing-Wuhan Split ====
=== KMT-CCP Civil War ===
=== Jinan Incident ===
=== Central Plains War ===
==== Hu-Chiang Conflict ====
=== Kuomintang Civil War ===
==== Nanjing Government (Chiang's Government) ====
==== Beiping Government (Yan's Government) ====
==== Guangzhou Government (Lin's Government) ====
=== Anguojun Reclamation War ===
==== Guangzhou-Nanjing Alliance ====
=== Truce of Wuhan ===
Category:Far Eastern Countries
Category:Chinese Warlords
Category:Asian Countries
Category:China