collapse of imperial rule in china resultig in civil rule - why?

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Imperial rule in China collapsed and resulted in civil war for a multitude of reasons. These include the unstable financial and economic situation and the opposing values and beliefs between those with different views. After the Revolutionary alliance (later known as the KMT or Kuomintang) overthrew the Qing Dynasty, Sun Yixian hoped to establish a modern government based on “The 3 Principles of the People”. These principles encompassed nationalism, people’s rights, and people’s livelihood. Unfortunately, Sun lacked the necessary military support and authority to secure national unity. Thus, he handed the presidency to Yuan Shikai, a powerful general. Sun Yixian was only an authority figure for 6 weeks. Yuan Shikai quickly betrayed the original ideals of the KMT, and was ruling as a military dictator by 1913. His unfavorable actions sparked local revolts; even his own generals refused to fight in his stead. Once Yuan Shikai died in 1916, China remained divided and the Kuomintang powerless. Sun Yixian attempted to reorganize the Kuomintang, but true authority and power was in the hands of the warlords – they ruled territories as large as they could conquer. The country was in a state of chaos. The Chinese peasants and lower class suffered the most. In 1917, the Beijing government declared war against Germany in the hopes that the Allies would return China into Chinese hands. Unfortunately, the Treaty of Versailles stated that Japan would be given the territories and privileges that the Chinese sought. This enraged many Chinese, and the May Fourth Movement occurred. Middle class people: workers, manufacturers, students, shopkeepers and Mao Zedong (who would later become China’s greatest revolutionary) supported it. In 1920, the Chinese Communist Party or CCP was formed – Mao Zedong was one of its founders. In 1925, Sun Yixian died and Jiang Jieshi
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