Page 132 - Key to Social Studies 5
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China’s History
• China was established as a republic in January 1912. Before this date, China had been through many
dynasties, and some of them aimed for the full control over the area while others actually tried to
improve China’s economy.
• Sun Yat-sen was the rst president of the Republic of China after its establishment. In 1915, Yuan Shikai,
a former Qing dynasty general, proclaimed himself the Emperor of China and forced a reestablishment
of the republic.
• After that, the republic was fragmented and the Chinese people were divided following either the
People's Liberation Army or the Kuomintang, which was a nationalist party aiming at China’s
reformation.
• A war between the two parties emerged, and the Kuomintang were successful in making the People's
Liberation Army retreat, or withdraw. However, Japan, a supporter of the beliefs of the People's
Liberation Army, was against the reform of China and waged war against China and the Kuomintang.
Sun Yat-sen’s Memorial Hall, Guangzhou, China
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