Establishing the Republic The Manchu empire was overthrown and a republic established in under Sun Yat-sen ( - ) who is unanimously regarded as the founder of modern China. He came from a poor family and studied in missionary schools where he was introduced to democracy and Christianity. He studied medicine but was greatly concerned about the fate of China. His programme was called the Three Principles ( San P ATHS TO M ODERNISATION T HEMES IN W ORLD H ISTORY min chui ).
These were nationalism – this meant overthrowing the Manchu who were seen as a foreign dynasty, as well as other foreign imperialists; democracy or establishing democratic government; and socialism regulating capital and equalising landholdings. The social and political situation continued to be unstable. On May , an angry demonstration was held in Beijing to protest against the decisions of the post-war peace conference. Despite being an ally of the victorious side led by Britain, China did not get back the territories seized from it.
The protest became a movement. It galvanised a whole generation to attack tradition and to call for saving China through modern science, democracy and nationalism. Revolutionaries called for driving out the foreigners, who were controlling the country’s resources, to remove inequalities and reduce poverty. They advocated reforms such as the use of simple language in writing, abolishing the practice of foot-binding and the subordination of women, equality in marriage, and economic development to end poverty.
After the republican revolution the country entered a period of turmoil. The Guomindang (the National People’s Party) and the CCP emerged as major forces striving to unite the country and bring stability. Sun Yat-sen’s ideas became the basis of the political philosophy of the Guomindang. They identified the ‘four great needs’ as clothing, food, housing and transportation.
After the death of Sun, Chiang Kai- shek ( - ) emerged as the leader of the Guomindang as he launched a military campaign to control the ‘warlords’, regional leaders who had usurped authority, and to eliminate the communists. He advocated a secular and rational ‘this-worldly’ Confucianism, but also sought to