The Republic of China is usually referred to as the first democratic republic in China after the Revolution of 1911. It lasted from 1912 to 1949 in mainland China.This period was the transition time between feudalism and modernization.

Sun Yat-sen

On January 1st 1912, Dr. Sun Yat-sen was inaugurated as the first president of the Republic of China, just as it had been widely expected due to his leading position in the fight against the Qing government. However, under Yuan Shikai's deal with the Qing government, Dr. Sun Yat-sen had to agree to resign from his position as president after the abdication of the Qing emperor, in order to let Yuan Shikai become the next president.

Beiyang Warlord Period

This came to happen soon after on the 12th of February 1912. Dr. Sun Yat-sen resigned as president of the republic, in order to let Yuan Shikai take his place as a supposedly provisional president until a proper constitution and institutional structure for a new permanent system of governance were all put in place.

After that, Yuan Shikai was elected provisional president of the Republic of China and the Beiyang Warlord Period began. In early June 1916, Yuan Shikai died from kidney failure.

Unbelievably, there was no effective central government in China between the years 1916 - 1927, even though some short-lived governments claimed to be the legitimate governments of China from their capitals of Beijing or Nanjing.

Meanwhile, foreign nations continued to increase their power and influence over China. Particularly Japan became more ambitious in its efforts to control Manchuria in the Northeast of China. China as a whole had never been weaker and more divided in its history, but this ultimate period of chaos and humiliation turned out to be the breeding ground for new ideas, that would transform China even more radically soon afterwards.

New Culture Movement

After the collapse of the old imperial order, many Chinese not only rejected the old political institutions, ideology and culture, but many traditional forms of behaviour and further aspects of traditional Chinese culture as well. Nearly everything that was old was suddenly seen as problematic, holding China back from the necessary modernization and reform efforts.

This critique of traditional culture and ideas went into full bloom during the years when China was fragmented into the domains of various warlords. During these years of hardship and suffering for many Chinese, many new ideas about China's future germinated and began to find a following. This period in the mid to late 1910's is now known as the New Culture Movement. Its primary aim was to create a new cultural system for China, while breaking with the old culture.

Educated Chinese that supported the New Culture Movement began to advocate for the use of baihua (baihua = colloquial language). The written vernacular Chinese had until then only been used in works of fiction. It was henceforth used more and more in articles and essays about politics, history, literature and art, where the use of classical Chinese had previously dominated. more suitable for China in the 20th century were sought and popular circulating journals (especially the journal New Youth) became the platform, where a wide range of new ideas were debated.

Second World War

Japan had invaded and occupied Manchuria in the Northeast of China in 1931 and later founded the supposedly independent state of Manchukuo with the last emperor Puyi as its puppet ruler. The Japanese troops subsequently invaded China from two sides, southwards from their Northern puppet state of Manzhougou to Beijing and along the railway lines towards China's center as well as westwards from Shanghai. The 2nd Shanghai front started in autumn of 1937, when Japanese troops that were based there started to attack the western part of the city. Their original plan to quickly move west along the course of the Yangtze River in Blitzkrieg fashion was rendered impossible by the fierce resistance of the Chinese.

The Jiangnan region had resisted invading armies heroically before in Chinese history and so it was only in December of 1937, that the Japanese troops reached Nanjing. After having quelled the fierce resistance of that city, the Japanese troops unleashed a campaign of terror upon its civilian population. During this "Nanjing Massacre", unimaginable cruelties were committed by the Japanese occupation troops. More than 300,000 people are estimated to have been killed and the rape of Chinese women was commonplace. This terrible event in Chinese history is still a sore point in the relationship between China and Japan today.

By 1944, major American victories in the Pacific signalled a turning of the tides and the inevitable defeat of Japan. On August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered.

Republic of China

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