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Chinese soldiers in Wuhan mutinied in October 1911. In a panic, the regent recalled [[Yuan Shikai]], who was supported by the army leaders. On January 1, 1912, a republic was proclaimed in Nanjing with [[Sun Yat-sen]] as president. Sun negotiated with Yuan, who was still premier in Beijing. In March, Yuan and Sun agreed to end the dynasty. Sun resigned as president in favor of Yuan.

Chinese soldiers in Wuhan mutinied in October 1911. In a panic, the regent recalled [[Yuan Shikai]], who was supported by the army leaders. On January 1, 1912, a republic was proclaimed in Nanjing with [[Sun Yat-sen]] as president. Sun negotiated with Yuan, who was still premier in Beijing. In March, Yuan and Sun agreed to end the dynasty. Sun resigned as president in favor of Yuan.

Sun's faction merged with several other groups to form the Nationalist Party, or KMT. Nationalist ideology is based on Sun's "Three Principles of the People" (nationalism, democracy, and the livelihood of the people). The party gained a majority in the 1913 parliamentary elections. Backed by the army, Yuan assassinated parliamentary leader Song Jiaoren, dissolved the Nationalist Party, and ruled as a dictator. In 1915, Japan's Twenty-One demands aroused much public opposition. Yuan eventually accepted thirteen of these demands. Yuan proclaimed himself emperor in 1915. Yuan had reorganized the Chinese army for the Qing Empire. Many of the army leaders felt they owed their positions to him. As good Confucian students, they were loyal to Yuan. But few looked forward to serving his playboy son, who was heir apparent in Yuan's empire. Face with nearly unanimous opposition, Yuan renounced his imperial pretensions after a few months.  

Sun's faction merged with several other groups to form the Nationalist Party, or KMT. Nationalist ideology is based on Sun's "Three Principles of the People" (nationalism, democracy, and the livelihood of the people). The party gained a majority in the 1913 parliamentary elections. Backed by the army, Yuan assassinated parliamentary leader Song Jiaoren, dissolved the Nationalist Party, and ruled as a dictator. In 1915, Japan's Twenty-One demands aroused much public opposition. Yuan eventually accepted thirteen of these demands. Yuan proclaimed himself emperor in 1915. Yuan had reorganized the Chinese military for the Qing Empire, so many of the army leaders felt they owed their positions to him. But few looked forward to serving his playboy son, who was heir apparent in Yuan's empire. Faced with nearly unanimous opposition, Yuan renounced his imperial pretensions after only a few months.  

After Yuan died in 1916, central government weakened. By 1919, the army leadership had devolved into three rival factions: Anhui, Zhili, and Fengtian. The Japanese backed the reactionary warlord Zhang Zuolin in Manchuria, leader of the Fengtian clique. He gained control of Beijing, the seat of China's international recognized government, in 1926. The economy of the Manchuria, overtaxed to support Zhang’s adventurism, collapsed in 1927–28. The Russians under Stalin backed the Nationalist Party, which was allied with the Communists. The Nationalists established a rival "national government" in Guangzhou in 1925.

After Yuan died in 1916, central government weakened. By 1919, the "Beiyang clique" that had supported Yuan had devolved into three rival factions: Anhui, Zhili, and Fengtian. Cao Kun, head of the Zhili clique, gained the presidency in 1923 by paying out bribes of 5,000 silver dollars each to members of the National Assembly. The Japanese backed Zhang Zuolin, warlord of Manchuria and leader of the rival Fengtian clique. In 1926, he gained control of Beijing, the seat of China's internationally recognized government. Beijing received revenue from the Chinese Maritime Customs Service, which had an international administration. But Manchuria was overtaxed to support Zhang's adventurism, and the revenue was not enough to prevent an economic collapse in 1927–1928.

 

In spite of Beijing's militarism and Zhang's reactionary coup, the 1920s can still be viewed as China's "high modern" period. It was characterized by a reverence toward all things modern and "scientific." Writers of the May Fourth Movement abandoned Classical Chinese, a script based on the works of Confucius and other writers of ancient times. Instead, they wrote in Mandarin, the spoken language of modern northern and central China. This can be compared to the shift from Latin to vernacular that occurred earlier in Europe. There were campaigns against footbinding, concubinage, and other abusive practices toward women. Most shocking of all, the "modern girl" began to appear on Chinese streets in unbound feet and sporting a ''qípáo'' or other fashionable attire.

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In the Northern Expedition of 1926-1928, [[Chiang Kai-shek]] led the Nationalists to a surprisingly easy victory over the far larger, but now bankrupt, forces of the Beiyang warlords. Furious with his failure to stop Chiang’s advance, the Japanese murdered Zhang. Chiang also purged the treacherous Communists and married Song Meiling, a Christian woman who would become greatly admired internationally as China’s first lady. The capital was moved to Nanjing in 1928.

Meanwhile, the Russians were building up Sun's Nationalist Party and supplying it with money and weapons. The Nationalists, who at this time were allied with the communists, proclaimed an alternative "national government" in Guangzhou in 1925, soon after Sun's death. Whampoa Academy was established to train a new generation of army officers who would be free of clique loyalties. In the Northern Expedition of 1926-1928, [[Chiang Kai-shek]] led the Nationalists to a surprisingly easy victory over the far larger, but now bankrupt, forces of the Beiyang warlords. Furious with his failure to stop Chiang’s advance, the Japanese murdered Zhang. Chiang also purged the treacherous Communists and married Song Meiling, a Christian woman who would become greatly admired internationally as China’s first lady. The capital was moved to Nanjing in 1928. Nanjing's authority was established in 1930 when Chiang put down a brief but bloody revolt by warlords in central China.

Under the Nationalists, China experienced industrialization and modernization, but there was also conflict between the government in Nanjing, the Communist Party, remnant warlords, and Japan. Nation-building took a backseat to war with Japan in 1937–1945. Japan occupied coastal areas and cut off China's access to seaports, while the Nationalists retreated to Chongqing. The Chinese cause received much sympathetic attention in the U.S. press, and the [[Flying Tigers]], an aviation squadron, was lionized. The Burma Road, and later the Ledo Road, were built to allow US "lend-lease" aid to reach the Chinese army. The Nationalists' Y Force drove back the Japanese in Yunnan during a May–June 1944 offensive, but otherwise military results were disappointing.

Under the Nationalists, China experienced industrialization and modernization, but there was also conflict between the government in Nanjing, the Communist Party, remnant warlords, and Japan. Nation-building took a backseat to war with Japan in 1937–1945. Japan occupied coastal areas and cut off China's access to seaports, while the Nationalists retreated to Chongqing. The Chinese cause received much sympathetic attention in the U.S. press, and the [[Flying Tigers]], an aviation squadron, was lionized. The Burma Road, and later the Ledo Road, were built to allow US "lend-lease" aid to reach the Chinese army. The Nationalists' Y Force drove back the Japanese in Yunnan during a May–June 1944 offensive, but otherwise military results were disappointing.