Changes

* The communists, defeated in April 1927 and in a number of ill-planned urban uprisings later that year, had regrouped in the countryside and established a number of 'base areas' (most notably that of [[Mao Zedong]] in southern [[Jiangxi]] province). These bases were expanding, and efforts to eliminate the Jiangxi Soviet in a series of 'encirclement campaigns' in the early 1930s had failed. The fifth encirclement campaign of 1933-34 succeeded in destroying the Jiangxi base, and the communist Red Army went into retreat on the [[Long March]].  

* The communists, defeated in April 1927 and in a number of ill-planned urban uprisings later that year, had regrouped in the countryside and established a number of 'base areas' (most notably that of [[Mao Zedong]] in southern [[Jiangxi]] province). These bases were expanding, and efforts to eliminate the Jiangxi Soviet in a series of 'encirclement campaigns' in the early 1930s had failed. The fifth encirclement campaign of 1933-34 succeeded in destroying the Jiangxi base, and the communist Red Army went into retreat on the [[Long March]].  

* When the [[Japan]]ese invaded [[Manchuria]] in 1931, Jiang gave precedence to defeating the internal threat posed by the Chinese communists over resisting the Japanese invasion. Jiang expressed the view that 'communism was a disease of the internal organs, the Japanese a disease of the skin', and that to build a strong China it was necessary to defeat communism first, to an increasing number of Chinese his attitude appeared capitulationist and unpatriotic.

* When the [[Japan]]ese invaded [[Manchuria]] in 1931, Jiang gave precedence to defeating the internal threat posed by the Chinese communists over resisting the Japanese invasion. Jiang expressed the view that 'communism was a disease of the internal organs, the Japanese a disease of the skin', and that to build a strong China it was necessary to defeat communism first, to an increasing number of Chinese his attitude appeared capitulationist and unpatriotic.

* Jiang became increasingly distanced from the Guomindang and increasingly autocratic. He became reliant on a small clique of wealthy supporters, particularly the Song (Soong)family, into which he had married (his wife, Song Meiling (1897-2003), was the sister of Sun Yat-sen's leftist widow, Song Qingling (1892-1981)). One brother in law, T.V. Soong, was his Finance Minister. In 1932 Jiang founded a quasi-fascistic 'Blue Shirts' organisation, and in 1934 Jiang launched the 'New Life Movement', emulating fascist developments in Italy and Germany.  

* Jiang married into the wealthy Song (Soong) family, his wife, Song Meiling (1897-2003), was the sister of Sun Yat-sen's leftist widow, Song Qingling (1892-1981)). One brother in law, T.V. Soong, was his Finance Minister.  

=== The Xi'an Incident and the Second United Front ===

=== The Xi'an Incident and the Second United Front ===