Chiang Kai-shek

Chiang Kai-shek ONG OBSWS OST OBJ OPC OCB OBS
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	Yen Hsi-shan Chen Cheng Yu Hung-Chun Yen Chia-kan Chiang Ching-kuo
Vice President	Li Tsung-jen 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 as Director-General
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 China
Died	5 April 1975(1975-04-05) (aged 87) Taipei, Taiwan
Resting place	Cihu Mausoleum, Taoyuan, Taiwan
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 (1909-1911) Republic of China (from 1911)
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] ⓘ 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] 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] 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] 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] 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][b] (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and general who led the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 until his death in 1975. His government was based in mainland China until it was defeated in the Chinese Civil War by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1949, after which he continued to lead the Republic of China on the island of Taiwan. Chiang served as leader of the Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) party and the commander-in-chief of the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) from 1926 until his death, during which he was known as Generalissimo.

Born in Zhejiang, Chiang received a military education in China and Japan and joined Sun Yat-sen's Tongmenghui organization in 1908. After the 1911 Revolution, he was a founding member of the KMT and head of the Whampoa Military Academy from 1924. After Sun's death in 1925, Chiang became leader of the party and commander-in-chief of the NRA, and from 1926 to 1928 led the Northern Expedition, which nominally reunified China under a Nationalist government based in Nanjing. The KMT–CCP alliance broke down in 1927 as Chiang massacred the communists in Shanghai, starting the Chinese Civil War. Chiang sought to modernise and unify the ROC during the Nanjing decade, although hostilities with the CCP continued. After Japan's invasion of Manchuria in 1931, his government tried to avoid a war while pursuing economic and social reconstruction. In 1936, Chiang was kidnapped by his generals in the Xi'an Incident and forced to form an anti-Japanese Second United Front with the CCP, and between 1937 and 1945 led China in the Second Sino-Japanese War, mostly from the wartime capital of Chongqing. As the leader of a major Allied power, he attended the 1943 Cairo Conference to discuss the terms for Japan's surrender in 1945, including the return of Taiwan, where he suppressed the February 28 uprising in 1947.

When World War II ended, the civil war with the CCP (led by Mao Zedong) resumed. In 1949, Chiang's government was defeated and retreated to Taiwan, where he imposed martial law and the White Terror, a campaign of mass political repression; they lasted until 1987 and 1992, respectively. Beginning in 1948, he was re-elected five times by the same Eternal Parliament with six-year terms as President of the ROC, the head of a de facto one-party state, for 25 years till his death. Chiang presided over land reform, economic growth, and crises in the Taiwan Strait in 1954–1955 and again in 1958. He was considered the legitimate leader of China by the United Nations until 1971, when the ROC's seat was transferred to the People's Republic of China. After Chiang's death in 1975, he was succeeded as leader of the KMT by his son Chiang Ching-kuo, who was elected president in following terms by the same parliament since 1978.

Chiang is a controversial figure. Supporters credit him with unifying the nation and ending the century of humiliation, leading the resistance against Japan, fostering economic development and promoting Chinese culture in contrast to Mao's Cultural Revolution. He is also credited with safeguarding Forbidden City treasures during the wars with Japan and the CCP, eventually relocating some of the best to Taiwan, where he founded the National Palace Museum. Critics fault him for his early pacifism toward Japan's occupation of Manchuria, flooding of the Yellow River, cronyism and corruption with the four big families, and his right-wing dictatorship on both mainland China and Taiwan.

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