ship, and emerged as the preeminent Guomindang leader. The Soviet Union, still hoping to prevent a split between Chiang and the CCP, ordered Communist underground activities to facilitate the Northern Expedition, which was finally launched by Chiang from Guangzhou in July 1926. (Internet) In 1928 his army reached Peking and being the chief of the Nationalist party, he became head of the Republic of China. Chiang initiated the long civil war between the Nationalist government and the Communists. General Chang Hsueh-liang who hoped to unite in defense of the approaching Japanese ended this in 1936. Many felt that unity could not be achieved unless Chiang were removed as commander-in-chief even before the expedition was completed. High-level Kuomintang officers were growing complacent--and corrupt--with an influx of Western money and military aid. Chiang sought to increase his party's strength with ties to China's wealthy landlords, alienating the peasants who represented more than 90% of the population. By the end of World War II, the communists, with their large numbers and relatively coherent ideology, were formidable rivals. After four years of civil war, Chiang and the nationalists were forced to flee to the island of Taiwan. There they established a government-in-exile and dreamed of retaking the mainland. (Reese 8) When he resigned from his position, he issued a public statement to the newspapers, which said, I am willing to sacrifice my position in order to assist the unification of the party and to make possible the accomplishment of the chief objective of Kuomintang. After many years and many hard battles he finally made peace with Japan. In the process he was elected Chinas president in 1943 and reelected in 1948. When the Communists won control of China in 1949, Chiang escaped to Taiwan and set up a Nationalist China government there. Chiang was reelected in 1954, 1960, 1966, and 1972.Like Sun Yat-sen, Chiang left an incomplete...
