legacy. Personally ascetic, he allowed corruption to flourish. A darling of Western democrats, he imposed martial law on Taiwan--though after his 1975 death his son and successor Chiang Ching-kuo eventually lifted it. Like Sun, he tried and failed to unify a divided nation. But unlike his predecessor, Chiang Kai-shek left behind a prosperous economy that grew into a genuine democracy. (Reese 8)In the history of China he is remembered as an important military leader and president of China amongst other things. Without Chiangs help the Nationalist party would not have gotten as far as it did. I will conclude with a quote from Chaing in which I feel you can understand his passion. It demonstrates the struggles he had already overcome and how willing he was to continue fighting for what he really believed in. My fellow countrymen: History shows that freedom is never won cheaply and that victory must be earned...All our people must be decisively prepared for the counteroffensive and national recovery, and must stand ready to respond to anti-Communist uprisings whenever and wherever they may occur. We cannot afford to let such a fateful opportunity slip from our grip...We should invigorate our revolutionary spirit and fuse it into strong combat formations. All our blood, sweat, and toil, and all our resources, she be expended for the sake of our sacred war of national recovery...All the evils of Communism must be eradicated so as to eliminate the danger of a destructive world war and restore a lasting peace and well-being for mankind. Only thus can the spirit of Dr. Sun and the revolutionary martyrs rest in peace in Heaven. (Internet)...
