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The '''Republic of China''' was an era of Chinese history that extended from 1912 until 1949. It was preceded by the [[Qing dynasty]] and followed by the [[People's Republic of China|People's Republic]]. The country was divided among rival warlord cliques in the 1920s, but reunited by the Nationalist Party, or KMT, in 1928. The KMT moved the capital from [[Beijing]] in the North to [[Nanjing]], a city near [[Shanghai]] in eastern China. Shanghai was the Republic's metropolis and an international city. This party had been founded by [[Sun Yat-sen]] and was led by [[Chiang Kai-shek]]. Much of China was occupied by Japan from 1937 until 1945. The Republic was a pivotal era of Chinese history that included modernization of culture and gender roles, economic development, World War II, civil war, and Communist conquest. When the Communists gained control of the mainland in 1949, the KMT fled to [[Taiwan]].

The '''Republic of China''' was an era of Chinese history that extended from 1912 until 1949. It was preceded by the [[Qing dynasty]] and followed by the [[People's Republic of China|People's Republic]]. The country was divided among rival warlord cliques in the 1920s, but reunited by the Nationalist Party, or KMT, in 1928. The KMT moved the capital from [[Beijing]] in the North to [[Nanjing]], a city near [[Shanghai]] in eastern China. Shanghai was the Republic's metropolis and an international city. This party had been founded by [[Sun Yat-sen]] and was later led by [[Chiang Kai-shek]]. Much of China was occupied by Japan from 1937 until 1945. In World War II, American pilots flew [[lend-lease]] aid to Nationalist China across the Himalayas ("the Hump"). The Republic was a pivotal era of Chinese history that included modernization of culture and gender roles, economic development, World War II, civil war, and Communist conquest. When the Communists gained control of the mainland in 1949, the KMT fled to [[Taiwan]].

==Overthrow of the monarchy==

==Overthrow of the monarchy==

Anxious to counter the Japanese threat so he could focus on Hitler, Stalin signed a non-aggression pact with Chiang in August 1937. Stalin had no desire to repeat the bloody betrayals and double crosses of 1927. Chuikov, Stalin's man in China, was instructed to follow the agreement strictly.<ref>"Relevant treaties were concluded with Chiang Kai-shek's government," Stalin told Chuikov. "You will act in strict accordance with them." (''[http://books.google.com.tw/books?id=yCDv67C2BzkC&dq= The Soviet Union and Communist China, 1945-1950: The Arduous Road to the Alliance]'' by Dieter Heinzig, p. 21. "Any delivery of weapons from the USSR to the special region would be in violation of the agreement with central government in Chungking and would lead to the collapse of the anti-Japanese alliance," as Petr Vlasov, the Soviet representative in Yan'an explained.</ref> At this point, the Nationalists had about 2 million soldiers, the Chinese Communists about 100,000.<ref>Heinzig, p. 21.</ref> Bowing to Moscow's pressure, Communist leader [[Mao Zedong]] mounted the "Hundred Regiments Offensive" in late 1940. The Japanese responded with the savage "three all" reprisals ("kill all, burn all, and destroy all"). The Communists never seriously challenged them again.<ref>Hienzig, p. 30.</ref>  

Anxious to counter the Japanese threat so he could focus on Hitler, Stalin signed a non-aggression pact with Chiang in August 1937. Stalin had no desire to repeat the bloody betrayals and double crosses of 1927. Chuikov, Stalin's man in China, was instructed to follow the agreement strictly.<ref>"Relevant treaties were concluded with Chiang Kai-shek's government," Stalin told Chuikov. "You will act in strict accordance with them." (''[http://books.google.com.tw/books?id=yCDv67C2BzkC&dq= The Soviet Union and Communist China, 1945-1950: The Arduous Road to the Alliance]'' by Dieter Heinzig, p. 21. "Any delivery of weapons from the USSR to the special region would be in violation of the agreement with central government in Chungking and would lead to the collapse of the anti-Japanese alliance," as Petr Vlasov, the Soviet representative in Yan'an explained.</ref> At this point, the Nationalists had about 2 million soldiers, the Chinese Communists about 100,000.<ref>Heinzig, p. 21.</ref> Bowing to Moscow's pressure, Communist leader [[Mao Zedong]] mounted the "Hundred Regiments Offensive" in late 1940. The Japanese responded with the savage "three all" reprisals ("kill all, burn all, and destroy all"). The Communists never seriously challenged them again.<ref>Hienzig, p. 30.</ref>  

The Chinese cause received much sympathetic attention in the U.S. press, and the [[Flying Tigers]], a volunteer squadron of American aviators led by [[Claire Chennault]], was lionized. First Lady [[Song Meiling]], a U.S.-educated Christian, was even more admired as a resistance leader. The Burma Road was built to allow U.S. "lend-lease" aid to reach the Chinese army. After the Japanese conquered Burma in 1942, supplies were flown over the Himalayas until the Ledo Road was completed in January 1945.

The Chinese cause received much sympathetic attention in the U.S. press, and the [[Flying Tigers]], a volunteer squadron of American aviators led by [[Claire Chennault]], was lionized. First Lady [[Soong Mei-ling]], a U.S.-educated Christian, was even more admired as a resistance leader. The Burma Road was built to allow U.S. "lend-lease" aid to reach the Chinese army. After the Japanese conquered Burma in 1942, supplies were flown over the Himalayas until the Ledo Road was completed in January 1945.

U.S. General [[Joseph Stilwell]] was given nominal command of the Chinese army in 1942. His disputes with Chiang were epic. Like Seeckt and Falkenhausen before him, Stilwell wanted a smaller force trained to the standard of his own country's soldiers. He also accused Chiang of hording supplies for later use against the Communists. There is little evidence to support such claims. Some 98 percent of the supplies flown over "the Hump" went to U.S. forces in China.<ref name=Taylor>Jay Taylor, ''Stilwell's The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China'', pp. 271.</ref> The U.S. reequipped and retrained two elite Chinese armies, the X Force and the Y Force. The rest of the Nationalist army received a pittance, only a few hundred guns.<ref name="Taylor" /> The Y Force drove back the Japanese in Yunnan during a May–June 1944 offensive. Aside from this modest success, the U.S. had little to show for its extensive involvement in China.

U.S. General [[Joseph Stilwell]] was given nominal command of the Chinese army in 1942. His disputes with Chiang were epic. Like Seeckt and Falkenhausen before him, Stilwell wanted a smaller force trained to the standard of his own country's soldiers. He also accused Chiang of hording supplies for later use against the Communists. There is little evidence to support such claims. Some 98 percent of the supplies flown over "the Hump" went to U.S. forces in China.<ref name=Taylor>Jay Taylor, ''Stilwell's The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China'', pp. 271.</ref> The U.S. reequipped and retrained two elite Chinese armies, the X Force and the Y Force. The rest of the Nationalist army received a pittance, only a few hundred guns.<ref name="Taylor" /> The Y Force drove back the Japanese in Yunnan during a May–June 1944 offensive. Aside from this modest success, the U.S. had little to show for its extensive involvement in China.