A History of the Kuomintang to 1948

This chapter surveys the origin and evolution of the KMT from its beginnings to the period of its establishment as the single-party ruler of the ROC on the island of Taiwan. It will particularly note changes in the internal structure of the KMT as these shed led upon the current structure and functioning of the party as it struggles to cope with the process of democratization on Taiwan.

Foundation of the KMT as a Revolutionary Party

The historical connection between Sun Yat-sen and the KMT is widely known. Less well known but no less important for the present study are the origins of the party in Sun's personal career as an anti-imperialist revolutionary influenced by European models. KMT history charts the birth of the party from the vestiges of the first revolutionary organization in modern China in 1894 (Hsing Chung Hui, later Tung Meng Hui or TMH). In 1895, Sun was targeted by the imperial Manchus as a revolutionary conspirator and went into exile until 1911. Meanwhile, from 1905 to 1911, the TMH organized anti-imperial uprisings throughout China. When in late 1911 the TMH persuaded the imperial military garrison in Wuchang to leave its barracks, other garrisons followed, resulting in the abdication of Manchu Emperor Pu Yi and the proclamation of Dr. Sun as first provisional president of the Republic of China (KC, 1994). The KMT's history declares that when Sun "ceded his position to Yuan Shih-kai on April 1, 191

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ideology, although the KMT is commonly referred to as Leninist democratic centralist (Gold, 1986), to distinguish it from the Marxist-Leninist parties of the USSR, CCP, and Cold War Communist states. The KMT's own account of its revolutionary history (carefully) makes no mention of Lenin or CCP influence in the revolutionary configuration and ideology of the KMT, of Sun's friendship with Lenin, of Sun's sending Chiang Kai-shek to Moscow in 1923 for military training and ideological indoctrination to correspond with training and indoctrination being received by KMT forces from Russian advisors (Tuchman, 1971), or of the fact that at the 1924 Congress the CCP was formally admitted to KMT membership. At this period, the KMT reflected Leninist influence in its reliance on revolutionary ideology and party discipline and its tendency toward full integration of the party in all facets of national life, all of which was to influence its administrative behavior in exile in Taiwan, even though the philosophical content of Leninist social doctrine had long since been discarded by 1948. A brief history of the KMT published by the party in conjunction with its Fourteenth National Congress in 1993 shows that the KMT prefers to have its revol
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Fourth Movement, Administratively KMT, Sun KMT, National Assembly, KMT Phillips, Taiwan Chiang, Mao Tse-tung, Yuan Shi-kai, Northern Expedition, Congress CCP, national assembly, tuchman 1971, chow 1967, kc 1994, constitutional government, gold 1986, fourth movement, chinese people, revolutionary party, world war, world war ii, period constitutional government, de facto warlord, chow 1967 pp, national party congress,
Approximate Word count = 4502
Approximate Pages = 18 (250 words per page)

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