China During World War II:
1. How did the Treaty of Versailles impact them?
The Treaty of Versailles was an agreement to stop all military fighting between Germany and the other countries involved in World War I. It was signed on June 28th, 1919 at the Palace of Versailles near Paris, France. The treaty was made between Germany and 32 of the other countries who fought in the war. China, on the otherhand, never agreed to sign and therefore never agreed to quit fighting. At the Paris Peace Conference, the Chinese delegation demanded that Japan return Shandong to China. With the help of American support, China fought for this demand but was ultimately turned down by the Western Powers and Japan was permitted to keep control of China's land. Angry with their denial, the Chinese delegation was the only one that refused to sign the Treaty of Versailles. The Chinese population was so enraged they held riots that later became known as the May Fourth Movement.
2. What type(s) of government did this country have in the interwar years(1919-1938)?
Up until about 1920, China was led by the Nationalist Party but after the May Fourth Movement, it began to move towards communism, becoming known as the Chinese Communist Party. Students and professors made up the majority of its first members. They believed that China needed a social revolution and looked to Soviet Russia as their guide for accomplishing this. Mao Tse Tung, for the Communists, and Chiang Kai Shek for the Nationalists, were China's two rival government leaders.
3. How did their leader, that led them throughout WWII, come to power?
Until 1925, China was led by Sun Yat-sen. Chiang Kai Shek became his successor when Yat-sen passed and was the Commandant of the naitonalist party Kuomintang's Whampoa Military Academy. In 1928, Chiang became the director of China's State Council which was the equivalent to the President, after he led the Northern Expedition to unify the country.
4. How did this leader change their country (for the better and worse) prior to WWII?
As explained above, Chiang unified China when he led the Northern Expedition in 1928 which brought most of southern and central China under rule of the Nationalist Party. During the Chinese Civil War, Chiang's Kuomintang was defeated by the Communist Party, led by Mao Zedong and his government retreated to Taiwan. Following this, the Chinese Communist Party set up the People's Republic of China which continues to be their form of government today.
5. What were the goals of the leader?
Chiang first goal was to unite China under one form of government instead of the two opposing governments that they had previously had. This goal succeeded. Next he wanted to defeat the rising Chinese Communist Party and engaged in a long standing civil war in which he and his Nationalist Party was ultimately defeated and forced to retreat to Taiwan. Chiang also wanted to completely get rid of democracy in China.
6. What was the military strategy of this country in the inter-war years(1919-1938)?
Chiang did not like the Americans and felt that they had suspicous motives. He also felt that the U.S. was pursuing imperialism in China. Chiang hoped that the war would come between the United States and the Soviet Union so that they would both come to China and seek an alliance with them. Chiang would then use this to his advantage, giving China the upper hand.
7. What role did they play in WWII?
Chiang dealed with the Soviets and Americans at the same time during the war. He would tell the Americans that they could be included in conversations between the Soviets and China but turned around and told the Soviets that the oppinions of the U.S. did not matter.
8. Who were their allies in WWII?
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, China became one of the Allied Powers and was supported by the United States. Chiang was also recognized as one of the "Big Four" Allied leaders along side Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Franklin Roosevelt.
9. How did WWII impact/effect the country?
Over the course of the war, thousands of Chinese soldiers lost their lives in the fights. China also continues to hold grudges regarding the war.
China's role in World War II was interesting to research about. When learning about World War II, you mainly only hear about the United States and Germany so it was different to see the war from China's perspective. This topic was also hard to research because I really had to look hard to find the answers to the questions and a lot of the information didn't always make much sense. Having a country like Germany definately would have made this blog easier but despite this it was still interesting to learn about.
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Peace_Conference,_1919#Chinese_approach
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