Kuomintang

The **Kuomintang**, **KMT,** usually translated as the **Chinese Nationalist Party** (CHI: 中國國民黨, *Zhōngguó Guómíndǎng)* is a Chinese nationalist political party active in Taiwan (Republic of China), and the Chinese mainland until their defeat in the Chinese Civil War in 1949. Founded by Dr. Sun Yat-Sen in 1912, the party originally held anti-imperialist, revolutionary positions, but became a more moderate conservative/nationalist party after Dr. Sun's death.

## Chinese Nationalist Party

### Preceded By

Tongmenghui
Revive China Society

### Ideology(s)

**Modern**
Chinese nationalism
Conservatism
Anti-communism
Three Principles of the People
**Historical**
Socialism
Anti-imperialism
Fascism

### Political Position

**Modern**
Center-right
**Historically**
Big tent

The KMT emerged out of several Republican secret societies active during the twilight years of the Qing Empire. Originally called the *Tongmenghui* (Chinese United Alliance), the KMT participated in and supported the anti-monarchist Xinhai Revolution in 1911, which toppled the Qing and led to the creation of the first Republic of China. The Republic was, however, overthrown by Yuan Shikai, who declared himself Emperor in 1915. The Empire rapidly disintegrated, beginning the Warlord Era, as former generals fought amongst themselves. Sun Yat-Sen and the Kuomintang fled to the southern province of Guangdong. In 1926, the Kuomintang, now led by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, launched the Northern Expedition with the support of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with the goal of uniting the country. The expedition generally succeeded, and the Kuomintang was able to (at least de jure) unite China under their rule. However, almost immediately after this, the Kuomintang split apart after Chiang Kai-Shek decided to begin anti-communist purges. Wang Jingwei, leader of the "left-wing" faction, set up a rival goverment to Chiang's in Wuhan. The "left-wing" of the KMT leaned more heavily into the anti-capitalist elements of Dr. Sun's thought, and were more open to an alliance with the Communists. Jingwei reunited with Chiang in 1927.

In the period after this, China became more decentralized as local warlords seized control of certain regions of the country. The KMT under Chiang continued to repress the CPC until the Xi'an Incident in 1936. KMT General Zhang Xuelang kidnapped Chiang and forced him to sign a peace treaty with the Communists. Shortly afterwards, Japan staged the Marco Polo incident, initiating the Second Sino-Japanese War. The KMT formed an alliance with the CPC as well as several warlord factions in order to resist the better-equipped and better-organized Japanese army. Despite this, the Japanese pushed into China, committing several war crimes, including the Rape of Nanjing, in which 300,000 Chinese civilians were raped, tortured, and killed by Japanese forces in less than 3 weeks. Despite taking heavy losses, the Chinese forces eventually managed to slow down the Japanese advance, and began receiving aid from the Soviet Union and later the US and UK. Wang Jingwei also defected to the Japanese and served as head of state of the Reorganized Nationalist Government of China, a client state of Japan. By 1945, Japan was rapidly losing ground to the Allies. A Soviet invasion of Manchuria combined with the detonation of two US atom bombs over the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima forced Japan to surrender. Thus, the KMT and CPC scrambled to take as much Japanese-controlled land as they could.

Not long after the end of World War II, hostilities resumed between the KMT and CPC. Chiang launched a massive attack on CPC-controlled territory in 1946, causing the Civil War to reignite. Despite early success, the corrupt and weakened KMT were rapidly pushed south by the CPC. By 1949, the KMT were forced to flee to the island of Taiwan, and CPC leader Mao Zedong declared the People's Republic of China on the mainland.