Establishment of the Republic of China - 1911-1949

Republic of ChinaAD 1911-1949The Republic of China was established in the ashes of the Qing Dynasty. Dr. Sun Yat-sen, an intellectual who committed himself to China’s reform, was elected president of the republic. Soon infighting created a weakened republic which led to the rise of warlords and gave the communist revolution a foothold.Sun ruled from Guangzhou. After his death in 1925, Gen. Chiang Kai-Shek took control of the Kuomintang (KMT) Nationalist party. Meanwhile, communism was gaining strength and grew in power as warlords and the KMT wrestled for power.

The Japanese invasion in 1937 forced a KMT-communist alliance but they were no match for Japan's organized forces. The KMT fled west and established a capital in Chongqing, where they holed up letting the communists capture the heart of the Chinese people.

Civil war ensued after the end of WWII and with the ultimate communist victory under Mao Zedong in 1949, the KMT fled to Taiwan.

Xia Dynasty ca 2000-1500BC
Shang Dynasty 1700-1027BC
Zhou Dynasty 1027-221BC
Qin Dynasty 221-207BC
Han Dynasty 206BC - AD 220
Three Kingdoms 220-280
Western Jin Dynasty 265-420
Southern and Northern Dynasties 420-588
Sui Dynasty 581-617
Tang Dynasty 618-907
Five Dynasties & Ten Kingdoms 907-979
Liao Dynasty 916-1125
Song Dynasty 960-1279
Yuan Dynasty 1279-1368
Ming Dynasty 1368-1644
Qing Dynasty 1644-1911
Republic of China 1911-1949
People’s Republic of China 1949-present