A political and military leader of the Guomindang during WWII

CChiang Kai-Shek was born on October 13, 1887 in Xikou, in Fenghua County, Ningbo Prefecture, Zhejiang Province. CChiang Kai-Shek’s father, Chiang Zhaocong ( 蔣 肇聰 ), died when he was only eight years old. HHis mother, Wang Caiyu ( 王采玉 ), raised Chiang Kai-Shek by herself.

CChiang Kai-Shek’s mother and father were part of the upper class as salt merchants. TThe era of which Chiang grew up in left China in debt, so Chiang decided to pursue a military career.

 In an arranged marriage, Chiang Kai-Shek married Mao Fumei, a fellow villager.  Chiang and Mao had two children, a son named Ching Kuo, and a daughter named Chien Hua.

 Chiang Kai-Shek began his education at Baoding Military Academy.  Chiang attended the Baoding Military in 1906, though in 1907, left for a preparatory school that allowed Chinese students to enter the Imperial Japanese Army.  Chiang studied in Japanese military schools for three years.  Baoding Military Academy was a military academy in the early years of the Republic of China.  Many important war leaders were Baoding graduates until the founding of the Whampoa Military Academy.

 When Chiang returned from the Japanese military academies in 1911, the revolution had just broke out.  This ended the Qing Dynasty and overthrew China’s imperial system.  During the following ten years, Chiang served the Guomindang revolutionary leader Sun Yat- sen. RIGHT: Sun Yat-sen

 In 1923, Chiang persuaded Sun Yat-sen to send him to Moscow.  Once in Moscow, Chiang spied on and studied the Soviet military system.  On Chiang’s return from Moscow, he was placed as the head of the new Whampoa Military Academy. Whampoa Military Academy’s Coat of Arms

 Guomindang, the Nationalist Party of China, was founded by Sun Yat-sen, in  Sun Yat Sen’s political position was stated in terms of the Three Principles of the People.  Nationalism  Democracy  Economy  When Sun Yat-sen died of cancer in 1925, Chiang Kai- Shek became the leader of the Guomindang.  Communist members of the Guomindang were rising in the hierarchy, and posed a threat to Chiang.  In 1949, Mao Zedong (a communist leader) and his army defeated the Guomindang government, a communist government took over.

 After Chiang Kai-Shek was defeated by Mao Zedong in 1949, he continued to rule Taiwan until he died.  He died in 1975.