🏓History of Modern China Unit 9 – First United Front & Northern Expedition

Background and Context

• China faced political fragmentation and instability following the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911
• Warlords controlled various regions of China, leading to a period known as the Warlord Era (1916-1928)
• The May Fourth Movement (1919) sparked a surge in Chinese nationalism and anti-imperialist sentiment
  • Inspired by the Treaty of Versailles, which granted German concessions in Shandong to Japan
  • Intellectuals called for modernization, democracy, and science
• Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Kuomintang (KMT), sought to unify China under a republican government
• The Communist Party of China (CPC) was founded in 1921, advocating for a socialist revolution
• The Soviet Union, under Lenin's leadership, supported both the KMT and CPC to further its interests in China

Key Players and Factions

• Sun Yat-sen: Founder of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Republic of China, advocated for the Three Principles of the People (nationalism, democracy, and livelihood)
• Chiang Kai-shek: Military leader of the KMT, later became the leader of the party after Sun Yat-sen's death
• Wang Jingwei: Left-wing leader within the KMT, supported collaboration with the CPC
• Mao Zedong: One of the founding members of the Communist Party of China (CPC), later became its leader
• Chen Duxiu: Co-founder and first General Secretary of the CPC
• Li Dazhao: Co-founder of the CPC, played a key role in the May Fourth Movement
• Soviet Union: Provided political, military, and financial support to both the KMT and CPC
  • Sent advisors, such as Mikhail Borodin, to help organize and train the KMT and CPC

Formation of the First United Front

• Sun Yat-sen, seeking support to unify China, turned to the Soviet Union for assistance
• The Soviet Union, recognizing the opportunity to expand its influence, agreed to support the KMT
  • Provided military advisors, weapons, and financial aid to help modernize the KMT's army
• Sun Yat-sen and the Soviet Union encouraged cooperation between the KMT and CPC
• The CPC, following the Comintern's instructions, joined the KMT as individuals while maintaining their separate organization
• The alliance between the KMT and CPC, known as the First United Front, was formally established in 1923
  • Aimed to unite revolutionary forces against the warlords and imperialist powers
• Sun Yat-sen's death in 1925 led to a power struggle within the KMT, with Chiang Kai-shek emerging as the new leader

Goals and Objectives

• Unify China under a centralized government, ending the Warlord Era and regional fragmentation
• Establish a republican system based on Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People (nationalism, democracy, and livelihood)
• Resist foreign imperialism and regain control over territories and concessions held by foreign powers
• Modernize China's economy, military, and society to strengthen the nation
• Implement land reform and improve the lives of peasants and workers
• Promote nationalism and foster a sense of Chinese identity
• Spread revolutionary ideology and mobilize the masses to support the cause
• Eliminate the power and influence of regional warlords and militarists

Military Campaigns of the Northern Expedition

• The Northern Expedition, launched in 1926, aimed to unify China by defeating the warlords in the north
• Chiang Kai-shek, as the commander-in-chief of the National Revolutionary Army (NRA), led the campaign
• The NRA, consisting of both KMT and CPC forces, made significant gains against the warlords
  • Captured key cities such as Wuhan, Nanchang, and Shanghai
  • Received support from peasants and workers who were attracted to the revolutionary message
• The success of the Northern Expedition was aided by the political and social mobilization of the masses
  • The KMT and CPC organized labor unions, peasant associations, and student movements
  • These organizations provided support, intelligence, and recruits for the NRA
• The NRA's victories weakened the power of the warlords and brought much of southern and central China under the control of the KMT-CPC alliance
• However, tensions between the KMT and CPC began to surface as the campaign progressed, leading to the breakdown of the First United Front

Political and Social Impacts

• The Northern Expedition and the First United Front significantly reduced the power of the warlords, paving the way for a more unified China
• The success of the campaign bolstered the prestige and authority of the KMT, particularly Chiang Kai-shek
• The mobilization of peasants, workers, and students during the Northern Expedition led to increased political awareness and activism
  • Labor unions and peasant associations gained strength, demanding better working conditions and land reform
  • The CPC's influence among these groups grew, as they were seen as champions of the poor and oppressed
• The KMT's left-wing, led by Wang Jingwei, pushed for more radical social and economic reforms
  • This created tensions with the more conservative elements of the party, led by Chiang Kai-shek
• The presence of Soviet advisors and the growing influence of the CPC within the KMT caused concern among right-wing nationalists and anti-communists
• The political and social changes brought about by the Northern Expedition laid the groundwork for the later conflict between the KMT and CPC

Breakdown of the Alliance

• As the Northern Expedition progressed, tensions between the KMT and CPC intensified
  • The KMT's right-wing, led by Chiang Kai-shek, grew increasingly wary of the CPC's growing influence and the radical social and economic changes advocated by the left-wing
  • The CPC, emboldened by its success in mobilizing the masses, sought to expand its power and push for a more revolutionary agenda
• In April 1927, Chiang Kai-shek launched a surprise attack on the CPC in Shanghai, known as the Shanghai Massacre or the April 12th Incident
  • Thousands of CPC members and supporters were arrested or killed, decimating the party's presence in the city
• The Shanghai Massacre marked the end of the First United Front and the beginning of the Chinese Civil War
  • The KMT, under Chiang Kai-shek's leadership, turned against the CPC and sought to purge communists from its ranks
  • The CPC, forced into hiding, began to regroup and adopt a more rural-based strategy of revolution
• The breakdown of the alliance was also influenced by the shifting priorities of the Soviet Union
  • Stalin, who had come to power after Lenin's death, began to prioritize the interests of the Soviet Union over the global communist movement
  • The Soviet Union's support for the KMT and CPC became more conditional and less reliable

Legacy and Historical Significance

• The First United Front and the Northern Expedition marked a crucial period in the history of modern China
  • It demonstrated the potential for cooperation between the KMT and CPC in the face of common enemies
  • It also highlighted the deep ideological and political differences that would later lead to the Chinese Civil War
• The Northern Expedition's success in weakening the warlords and unifying much of China under the KMT laid the foundation for the Nanjing Decade (1927-1937)
  • During this period, the KMT government sought to modernize China and assert its authority, but faced challenges from regional factions, the CPC, and Japanese aggression
• The mobilization of the masses during the Northern Expedition had a lasting impact on Chinese politics and society
  • The experience of organizing labor unions, peasant associations, and student movements provided valuable lessons for both the KMT and CPC
  • The CPC, in particular, would later draw on these experiences in its own revolutionary struggle
• The breakdown of the First United Front and the subsequent Chinese Civil War shaped the course of Chinese history for decades to come
  • The conflict between the KMT and CPC, interrupted by the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), would eventually lead to the CPC's victory and the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949
• The legacy of the First United Front and the Northern Expedition continues to influence Chinese politics and society to this day
  • The CPC, now the ruling party of China, often invokes the spirit of the United Front and the struggle against imperialism and feudalism in its official narratives
  • The KMT, now based in Taiwan, maintains its commitment to Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People and the goal of a unified, democratic China