Chiang Kai-shek

Chiang Kai-shek ONG OBSWS OST OBJ OPC OCB OBS HSAL
蔣介石
Official portrait, 1955
Chairman of the National Government of China
In office 10 October 1943 – 20 May 1948 Acting: 1 August 1943 – 10 October 1943
Premier	T. V. Soong
Vice Chairman	Sun Fo
Preceded by	Lin Sen
Succeeded by	Position abolished
In office 10 October 1928 – 15 December 1931
Premier	Tan Yankai T. V. Soong
Preceded by	Tan Yankai
Succeeded by	Lin Sen
Chairman of the Military Affairs Commission
In office 15 December 1931 – 31 May 1946
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
1st President of the Republic of China
In office 1 March 1950 – 5 April 1975
Premier	Yan Xishan Chen Cheng Yu Hung-Chun Yen Chia-kan Chiang Ching-kuo
Vice President	Li Zongren Chen Cheng Yen Chia-kan
Preceded by	Li Zongren (acting)
Succeeded by	Yen Chia-kan
In office 20 May 1948 – 21 January 1949
Premier	Chang Chun Weng Wenhao Sun Fo
Vice President	Li Zongren
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Li Zongren (acting)
Premier of the National Government
In office 1 March 1947 – 18 April 1947
President	Himself
Vice Premier	Weng Wenhao
Preceded by	T. V. Soong
Succeeded by	Chang Chun
In office 20 November 1939 – 31 May 1945
President	Lin Sen
Vice Premier	H. H. Kung
Preceded by	H. H. Kung
Succeeded by	T. V. Soong
In office 9 December 1935 – 1 January 1938
President	Lin Sen
Vice Premier	H. H. Kung
Preceded by	Wang Jingwei
Succeeded by	H. H. Kung
In office 4 December 1930 – 15 December 1931
President	Himself
Vice Premier	T. V. Soong
Preceded by	T. V. Soong
Succeeded by	Chen Mingshu (acting)
Chairman of the Kuomintang
In office 12 May 1936 – 1 April 1938
Preceded by	Hu Hanmin
Succeeded by	Himself
In office 6 July 1926 – 11 March 1927
Preceded by	Zhang Renjie
Succeeded by	Woo Tsin-hang and Li Yuying
Director-General of the Kuomintang
In office 1 April 1938 – 5 April 1975
Deputy	Wang Jingwei Chen Cheng
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Chiang Ching-kuo
Personal details
Born	Chiang Jui-yüan (1887-10-31)31 October 1887 Xikou, Zhejiang, Qing dynasty
Died	5 April 1975(1975-04-05) (aged 87) Taipei, Taiwan
Resting place	Cihu Mausoleum, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Nationality	Chinese
Political party	Kuomintang
Spouses	Mao Fumei ​ ​ (m. 1901; div. 1921)​ Yao Yecheng (concubine) ​ ​ (m. 1913⁠–⁠1927)​ Chen Jieru ​ ​ (m. 1921⁠–⁠1927)​ Soong Mei-ling ​ ​ (m. 1927)​
Children	Chiang Ching-kuo Chiang Wei-kuo (adopted)
Alma mater	Baoding Military Academy Tokyo Shinbu Gakko
Awards	ONG OBSWS OST OBJ OPC OCB OBS HSAL
Signature
Nicknames	"Generalissimo"[1] "Red General"[2] "Big Gun" "The Napoleon of China"
Military service
Allegiance	Empire of Japan Republic of China
Branch/service	Imperial Japanese Army National Revolutionary Army Republic of China Army
Years of service	1909–1975
Rank	General Special-Class[a]
Battles/wars	Xinhai Revolution Northern Expedition Central Plains War Sino-Tibetan War Kumul Rebellion Soviet invasion of Xinjiang Chinese Civil War Second Sino-Japanese War Kuomintang Islamic insurgency
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	蔣介石
Simplified Chinese	蒋介石
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Jiǎng Jièshí Bopomofo ㄐㄧㄤˇ ㄐㄧㄝˋ ㄕˊ Gwoyeu Romatzyh Jeang Jiehshyr Wade–Giles Chiang3 Chieh4-shih2 Tongyong Pinyin Jiǎng Jiè-shíh IPA [tɕjàŋ tɕjê.ʂɻ̩̌] ⓘ Wu Shanghainese Romanization tɕiã˧˥ ka˧˥ zàʔ˨˧ Tsian Ka Zah Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Jéung Gaai-sehk Jyutping Zoeng2 gaai3 sek6 Hong Kong Romanisation Cheung Kai-shek IPA [tsœŋ˧˥ kaj˧ sɛk̚˨] Southern Min Hokkien POJ Chiúⁿ Kài-se̍k
Register name
Traditional Chinese	蔣周泰
Simplified Chinese	蒋周泰
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Jiǎng Zhōutài Bopomofo ㄐㄧㄤˇ ㄓㄡ ㄊㄞˋ Gwoyeu Romatzyh Jeang Joutay Wade–Giles Chiang3 Chou1-tʻai4 Tongyong Pinyin Jiǎng Jhou-tài IPA [tɕjàŋ ʈʂóʊ.tʰâɪ] Wu Shanghainese Romanization tɕiã˧˥ tsɤ˥˨ tʰa˧˥ Tsian Tseu Tha Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Zoeng2 zau1 taai3 IPA [tsœŋ˧˥.tsɐw˥ tʰaj˧] Southern Min Hokkien POJ Chiúⁿ Chiu-thài
Milk name
Traditional Chinese	蔣瑞元
Simplified Chinese	蒋瑞元
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Jiǎng Ruìyuán Bopomofo ㄐㄧㄤˇ ㄖㄨㄟˋ ㄩㄢˊ Gwoyeu Romatzyh Jeang Ruey'yuan Wade–Giles Chiang3 Jui4-yüan2 Tongyong Pinyin Jiǎng Ruèi-yuán IPA [tɕjàŋ ɻwêɪ.ɥɛ̌n] Wu Shanghainese Romanization tɕiã˧˥ zø˩˧ɲyø˩˧ Tsian Zoe Yoe Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Zoeng2 seoi6 jyun4 IPA [tsœŋ˧˥ sɵɥ˨ jyn˩] Southern Min Hokkien POJ Chiúⁿ Sūi-gôan
School name
Traditional Chinese	蔣志清
Simplified Chinese	蒋志清
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Jiǎng Zhìqīng Bopomofo ㄐㄧㄤˇ ㄓˋ ㄑㄧㄥ Gwoyeu Romatzyh Jeang Jyhching Wade–Giles Chiang3 Chih4-chʻing1 Tongyong Pinyin Jiǎng Jhìh-cing IPA [tɕjàŋ ʈʂɻ̩̂.tɕʰíŋ] Wu Shanghainese Romanization tɕiã˧˥ tsɨ˧˥ tɕʰiɲ˥˨ Tsian Tsy Tshin Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Zoeng2 zi3 cing1 IPA [tsœŋ˧˥ tsi˧ tsʰɪŋ˥] Southern Min Hokkien POJ Chiúⁿ Chì-chheng
Adopted name
Traditional Chinese	蔣中正
Simplified Chinese	蒋中正
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng Bopomofo ㄐㄧㄤˇ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄓㄥˋ Gwoyeu Romatzyh Jeang Jongjenq Wade–Giles Chiang3 Chung1-cheng4 Tongyong Pinyin Jiǎng Jhong-jhèng IPA [tɕjàŋ ʈʂʊ́ŋ.ʈʂə̂ŋ] Wu Shanghainese Romanization tɕiã˧˥ tsoŋ˥˨ tsəɲ˧˥ Tsian Tson Tsen Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Jéung Jūng-jing Jyutping Zoeng2 zung1 zing3 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Chiúⁿ Tiong-chèng
Chiang Kai-shek's voice Portion of Chiang's speech on the end of World War II in Asia Recorded 1945
^ traditional Chinese: 特級上將; simplified Chinese: 特级上将; pinyin: tèjíshàngjiàng

Chiang Kai-shek^[a] (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975) was a Chinese statesman, revolutionary, and military commander. He was the head of the Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) party, commander-in-chief of the National Revolutionary Army, and the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) in mainland China from 1928 until 1949. After being defeated in the Chinese Civil War by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1949, he led the Republic of China on the island of Taiwan until his death in 1975. He was considered the legitimate head of China by the United Nations until 1971.

Born in Chekiang, Chiang was a member of the Kuomintang, and a lieutenant of Sun Yat-sen in the revolution to overthrow the Beiyang government and reunify China. After the Soviet-led Comintern re-organized the Kuomintang and Chinese Communist Party, he headed the Whampoa Military Academy. As commander-in-chief of the National Revolutionary Army, he led the Northern Expedition from 1926 to 1928, nominally reunifying China under a Nationalist government in Nanjing. Midway through the Northern Expedition, the KMT–CCP alliance broke down and Chiang massacred communists and KMT leftists inside the party, triggering a civil war with the CCP, which he eventually lost in 1949.

As the leader of the Republic of China during the Nanking decade, Chiang sought to modernise and unify the nation, although hostilities with the CCP continued. His government presided over economic and social reconstruction while trying to avoid a debilitating war with Japan. In December 1936 he was kidnapped in the Sian Incident, and obliged to form an Anti-Japanese United Front with the CCP. Following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937, he mobilised China for the Second Sino-Japanese War. For eight years, he led the war of resistance against a vastly superior enemy, mostly from the wartime capital Chungking. As the leader of a major Allied power, Chiang met with British prime minister Winston Churchill and American president Franklin D. Roosevelt in the Cairo Conference to discuss terms for the Japanese surrender. When the Second World War ended, the civil war with the Communists (by then led by Mao Zedong) resumed. Chiang's nationalists were mostly defeated in a few decisive battles in 1948. In 1949, Chiang's government and army retreated to the island of Taiwan, where Chiang imposed martial law and persecuted critics during the White Terror. Presiding over a period of social reforms and economic prosperity, Chiang won five elections to six-year terms as President of the Republic of China in which he faced minimal opposition or was elected unopposed. Three years into his fifth term as president, and one year before the death of Mao, he died in 1975. He also held the position of Director-General of the Kuomintang until his death. Chiang was one of the longest-serving non-royal heads of state in the 20th century and the longest-serving non-royal ruler of China, having held the post for 46 years.

Like Mao, Chiang is a controversial figure. Supporters credit him with a major role in unifying the nation and ending the Century of Humiliation, leading the Chinese resistance against Japan, countering communist influence, and economic development in both mainland China and Taiwan. Critics portray him as a brutal dictator and the head of a corrupt authoritarian regime, who massacred civilians and suppressed political dissent, and often accuse him of being a fascist. He is also criticized for flooding the Yellow River and allowing the Honan Famine during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Other historians argue that Chiang's ideology differed from right-wing dictators of the 20th century and that he did not espouse the ideology of fascism. They argue that Chiang made genuine efforts to improve mainland China and Taiwan's economic and social conditions, such as land reform. Chiang is also credited with transforming China from a semi-colony of various imperialist powers to an independent country by amending the unequal treaties signed by previous governments, as well as moving various Chinese national treasures and traditional Chinese artworks to the National Palace Museum in Taipei during the 1949 retreat.

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