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===Nationalist China: 1925-1971===

===Nationalist China: 1925-1971===

Meanwhile, the Soviets were built up Sun's Nationalist Party, revived in 1917 in Guangzhou, and supplied it with money and weapons. A united front was formed with the Communists in 1923. The Whampoa Military Academy, established in 1924, trained a new generation of officers to put nation before clique. Soon after Sun's death in 1925, the party proclaimed itself an alternative "national government." 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.

Meanwhile, the Soviets were built up Sun's Nationalist Party, revived in 1917 in Guangzhou, and supplied it with money and weapons. A United Front was formed with the Communists in 1923. The Whampoa Military Academy, established in 1924, trained a new generation of officers to put nation before clique. Soon after Sun's death in 1925, the party proclaimed itself an alternative "national government." 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.

Chiang conducted a bloody purge of the Communists when he captured Shanghai in April 1927. Left-wing Nationalists in Wuhan under Wang Jingwei continued the United Front until July. But they too were finally forced to conduct a purge when the Communists attempted a coup. The two wings of the Nationalist Party were then reunited and the capital was moved to Nanjing in September. Furious with his failure to stop Chiang’s advance, the Japanese murdered Zhang in June 1928. Zhang was China's internationally recognized head of state at this time. The United States recognized Nationalist China in July, the first nation to do.<ref>''[http://books.google.com.vn/books?id=HuB6gPHeP_cC&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=#v=onepage&q&f=false China White Paper: August 1949]'', p. 12.</ref> The U.S. signed a treaty with Nanjing restoring China's tariff autonomy.

Chiang conducted a bloody purge of the Communists when he captured Shanghai in April 1927. Left-wing Nationalists in Wuhan under Wang Jingwei continued the United Front until July. But they, too, were finally forced to conduct a purge when the treacherous Communists attempted a coup. The two wings of the Nationalist Party were reunited and the capital was moved to Nanjing in September. The Beijing government dissolved in May 1928 as Chiang approached, and Zhang fled to Manchuria. Furious with his failure to stop Chiang’s advance, the Japanese murdered Zhang in June 1928. The United States recognized Nationalist China in July, the first nation to do.<ref>''[http://books.google.com.vn/books?id=HuB6gPHeP_cC&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=#v=onepage&q&f=false China White Paper: August 1949]'', p. 12.</ref> The U.S. also signed a treaty with Nanjing restoring China's tariff autonomy. In December, Zhang Xueliang, Zhang Zuolin's son, agreed to fly the Nationalist flag in Manchuria and China was reunited, at least nominally.

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. The warlords were finally brought to heel in 1930 when Chiang put down a brief but bloody revolt in central China. One party rule, described as "political tutelage," was established. In Nationalist ideology, this was explained as a period in which the nation would be educated and prepared for full democracy. The Japanese seized Manchuria in the "Mukden Incident" of 1931. They created a puppet state to administer this region with Puyi as emperor. Nation-building took a backseat to war with Japan in 1937–1945. Japan occupied the coastal areas and cut off China's access to seaports, while the Nationalists retreated to Chongqing. A puppet state led by Wang was set up in Nanjing. The Chinese cause received much sympathetic attention in the U.S. press, and the [[Flying Tigers]], an aviation squadron, was lionized. So was Chiang's wife, first lady Song Meiling, a U.S. educated Christian. 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. The warlords were finally brought to heel in 1930 when Chiang put down a brief but bloody revolt in central China. One party rule, described as "political tutelage," was established. In Nationalist ideology, this was explained as a period in which the nation would be educated and prepared for full democracy. The Japanese seized Manchuria in the "Mukden Incident" of 1931. They created a puppet state to administer this region with Puyi as emperor. Nation-building took a backseat to war with Japan in 1937–1945. Japan occupied the coastal areas and cut off China's access to seaports, while the Nationalists retreated to Chongqing. A puppet state led by Wang was set up in Nanjing. The Chinese cause received much sympathetic attention in the U.S. press, and the [[Flying Tigers]], an aviation squadron, was lionized. So was Chiang's wife, first lady Song Meiling, a U.S. educated Christian. 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.