| 1911
|
|
| Oct. 10 -- |
A revolt against the Manchu (Ching)
dynasty erupts in Wuchang and is followed by revolutionary activities
throughout China. |
| 1912
|
|
| Jan. 1 -- |
The Republic of China is founded, with
Dr. Sun Yat-sen as the first provisional president. |
| 28 -- |
A provisional senate is established
in Nanjing. |
| Feb. 12 -- |
Henry Pu Yi abdicates as emperor, ending
the rule of the Manchu dynasty. |
| 13 -- |
Dr. Sun tenders his resignation to the
provisional senate. |
| 15 -- |
Yuan Shih-kai is elected provisional
president by the provisional senate. |
| Mar. 11 -- |
A provisional constitution is promulgated. |
| Apr. 2 -- |
The provisional senate resolves to move
the seat of the government to Peking (Beijing). |
| Aug. 25 -- |
The Tung-meng Hui (Revolutionary Alliance)
is reorganized as the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party). |
| 1913
|
|
| Apr. 6 -- |
The provisional senate is dissolved. |
| 8 -- |
The Republic's first congress is organized. |
| May 2 -- |
The United States recognizes the Republic
of China. |
| July 12 -- |
Li Lieh-chun of the Kuomintang starts
the second revolution against Yuan's dictatorial rule. |
| Oct. 6 -- |
Yuan forces the congress to elect him
president. |
| 10 -- |
Yuan formally assumes the presidency. |
| 1914
|
|
| May 1 -- |
Yuan annuls the provisional constitution. |
| June 23 -- |
The Kuomintang is reorganized as the
Chung-hua Ke-ming Tang (Chinese Revolutionary Party) in Tokyo. Dr.
Sun is elected director-general. |
| Aug. 6 -- |
Yuan declares China's neutrality in
World War I. |
| 1915
|
|
| Jan. 18 -- |
Japan presents the notorious 21 Demands
to the Peking government. |
| May 15 -- |
Yuan signs the "Sino-Japanese Agreement"
(the 21 Demands). |
| Dec. 12 -- |
Yuan proclaims himself emperor. |
| 25 -- |
Tsai O, Tang Chi-yao, and Li Lieh-chun
revolt against Yuan in Yunnan Province. |
| 1916
|
|
| June 6 -- |
Yuan dies, and the republican form of
government is restored. |
| 7 -- |
Li Yuan-hung becomes president of the
Peking government. |
| 1917
|
|
| July 12 -- |
An attempted coup d'etat by Chang Hsun
to restore the Manchu dynasty fails. |
| Aug. 14 -- |
The Peking government declares war on
Germany and Austro-Hungary. |
| 25 -- |
Dr. Sun forms a military government
in Canton. |
| Sep. 1 -- |
The congress elects Dr. Sun Yat-sen
as grand marshal of the Army and Navy of the Chinese Military Government. |
| 1918
|
|
| Sep. 4 -- |
The "Militarists' Parliament" in the
north elects Hsu Shih-chang president. |
| Nov. 23 -- |
The Ministry of Education adopts the
National Phonetic Symbols. |
| 1919
|
|
| Apr. 30 -- |
The Paris Peace Conference allows Japan
to take over Germany's prewar rights in Shandong Province. |
| May 4 -- |
More than 3,000 students demonstrate
in Peking against the Paris Peace Conference decision. |
| June 28 -- |
China refuses to sign the Versailles
Treaty on grounds that German rights in Shantung were given to
Japan. |
| Oct. 10 -- |
The Chung-hua Ke-ming Tang (Chinese
Revolutionary Party) is reorganized as the Chung-kuo Kuo-min Tang
(abbreviated as Kuomintang, or Nationalist Party). |
| 1920
|
|
| June 29 -- |
China joins the League of Nations. |
| 1921
|
|
| May 5 -- |
Dr. Sun Yat-sen assumes the presidency
of the newly formed southern government in Canton. |
| 1922
|
|
| Feb. 4 -- |
China signs an agreement with Japan
in Washington to settle the Shandong dispute. |
| June 2 -- |
Hsu Shih-chang resigns as president
of the Peking government. |
| 11 -- |
Li Yuan-hung resumes the presidency
in Peking. |
| 16 -- |
Chen Chiung-ming revolts against Dr.
Sun. |
| Aug. 15 -- |
Dr. Sun issues a manifesto urging the
unification of China by peaceful means. |
| 1923
|
|
| Jan. 26 -- |
Dr. Sun and Adolf Joffe, representative
of the Soviet Communist Party, issue a joint statement declaring that
neither the communist social order nor the Soviet system is suitable
for China. |
| 1924
|
|
| Jan. 20 -- |
The first National Congress of the Kuomintang
in Canton adopts a policy of cooperation with the Soviet Union and
the Chinese Communist Party. |
| May 3 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek is appointed superintendent
of the Whampoa Military Academy. |
| Nov. 10 -- |
Dr. Sun, in a manifesto, calls for the
early convocation of a national people's convention and the abolition
of unequal treaties. |
| 24 -- |
Tuan Chi-jui becomes provisional chief
executive in Peking. |
| 1925
|
|
| Mar. 12 -- |
Dr. Sun dies in Peking at the age of
59. |
| July 1 -- |
The national government is established
in Canton. |
| Nov. 3 -- |
The Kuomintang proposes disciplinary
measures to restrict communist activities. |
| 1926
|
|
| Apr. 9 -- |
Tuan Chi-jui resigns as provisional
chief executive. |
| June 5 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek becomes commander-in-chief
of the National Revolutionary Forces. |
| 27 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek launches the Northern
Expedition from Canton. |
| 1927
|
|
| Apr. 12 -- |
The Kuomintang starts a "purification"
movement by expelling communist members. |
| 18 -- |
The national government is established
in Nanjing by the Kuomintang. |
| Aug. 1 -- |
The Chinese communists stage the Nanchang
Uprising against the national government. |
| 13 -- |
Commander-in-chief of the National Revolutionary
Forces, Chiang Kai-shek, resigns in order to unify the Nanjing and
Hankou factions of the Kuomintang. |
| 1928
|
|
| May 3 -- |
Japanese troops attack the Northern
Expeditionary Forces in Jinan, touching off the May 3 (Jinan) Incident. |
| June 4 -- |
Chang Tso-lin is killed on a train by
a bomb explosion. His son, Chang Hsueh-liang, succeeds him as ruler
of Manchuria. |
| 29 -- |
Peking is renamed Peiping. |
| Oct. 8 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek is elected chairman
of the national government of the Republic of China. |
| Dec. 5 -- |
The Legislative Yuan is formally established. |
| 29 -- |
Chang Hsueh-liang pledges allegiance
to the national government, which leads to the unification of China. |
| 1929
|
|
| May 20 -- |
Japanese troops withdraw from Jinan. |
| July 23 -- |
The national government severs diplomatic
relations with the Soviet Union. |
| Dec. 30 -- |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs proclaims
the nullification of consular jurisdiction in China to rid China of
foreign privileges. |
| 1930
|
|
| Jan. 6 -- |
The Examination Yuan is formally established. |
| July 13 -- |
Rebels set up a government in Peking
under the leadership of Wang Ching-wei. |
| 1931
|
|
| Feb. 16 -- |
The Control Yuan is formally established. |
| May 5 -- |
The National People's Convention is
held in Nanjing under the chairmanship of Chiang Kai-shek. |
| June 1 -- |
The Provisional Constitution for the
Period of Political Tutelage is promulgated. |
| July 4 -- |
Korean immigrants occupy Wanpaoshan
in Jilin Province at the instigation of Japanese militarists. |
| Sep. 18 -- |
Japanese troops occupy Shenyang (Mukden)
in a surprise attack. Important cities in Liaoning and Jilin Provinces
fall to the Japanese. |
| Oct. 24 -- |
The Council of the League of Nations
adopts a resolution urging Japan to withdraw its troops from Northeast
China by November 16. |
| 26 -- |
Japan turns down the League's resolution. |
| 27 -- |
Nanjing and Canton representatives meet
in Shanghai for peace negotiations. |
| Dec. 15 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek retires in the interest
of party unity. |
| 28 -- |
The national government is reorganized,
with Lin Sen as chairman. |
| 1932
|
|
| Jan. 3 -- |
The Chinese communists set up a Soviet
regime in Ganxian, Jiangxi. |
| 8 -- |
US Secretary of State Henry Stimson
declares that the United States will not recognize any treaty that
violates the Open Door Policy. |
| 28 -- |
Japanese naval forces attack Shanghai.
The 19th Army Corps puts up stiff resistance. |
| Feb. 6 -- |
The National Military Council is established. |
| 19 -- |
The United States refuses to recognize
Japanese puppet state of "Manchukuo" (State of Manchuria). |
| Mar. 14 -- |
The League of Nations' Lytton Commission
arrives in China to investigate the Shenyang (Mukden) Incident. |
| 18 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek becomes chairman of
the National Military Council. |
| May 5 -- |
China and Japan sign an armistice in
Shanghai. |
| June 28 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek arrives in Hankou from
Lushan to direct the campaign against the Chinese communists. |
| Dec. 12 -- |
China resumes diplomatic relations with
the Soviet Union. |
| 1933
|
|
| Feb. 14 -- |
The League of Nations refuses to recognize
"Manchukuo." |
| Apr. 18 -- |
Fighting spreads in North China. Several
strategic passes along the Great Wall fall to the Japanese. |
| May 31 -- |
The Sino-Japanese Tangku Armistice
Agreement is signed, ending hostilities in North China. |
| Nov. 20 -- |
Leaders of the 19th Army Corps form
a "people's government" in Fujian. |
| 1934
|
|
| Feb. 19 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek launches the "New Life
Movement" in Nanchang. |
| Mar. 1 -- |
Henry Pu Yi is enthroned as "Emperor
of Manchukuo" in Changchun by the Japanese militarists. |
| Oct. 10 -- |
The main forces of the Chinese communist
troops flee their bases in Jiangxi to the northwest, launching the
"Long March." |
| 21 -- |
Government troops capture Juichin, the
communist capital in Jiangxi. |
| 1935
|
|
| Oct. 2 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek is appointed commander-in-chief
of the Northwestern Communist Suppression Army and Chang Hsueh-liang,
deputy commander-in-chief, with headquarters in Xian. |
| Nov. 4 -- |
The national government proclaims the
nationalization of all silver, making notes issued by the Central
Bank of China and the Bank of Communications legal tender. |
| 1936
|
|
| May 5 -- |
The government promulgates the May 5
Draft Constitution. |
| Dec. 12 -- |
Chang Hsueh-liang's troops mutiny in
Xian and hold Chiang Kai-shek and other ranking government officials
hostage. |
| 22 -- |
Mme. Chiang, accompanied by W.H. Donald
and T.V. Soong (Sung Tzu-wen), fly to Xian. |
| 25 -- |
Chang Hsueh-liang accompanies Generalissimo
Chiang Kai-shek and Mme. Chiang to Loyang, en route to Nanjing. |
| 1937
|
|
| July 7 -- |
Japanese troops near Lugouqiao (Marco
Polo Bridge), southwest of Peking, attack Wanping city at night, formally
starting the war between China and Japan. |
| 17 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek lays down four conditions
for settlement of the Lugouqiao Incident. |
| Aug 21 -- |
China and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression
treaty in Nanjing. |
| Sep. 28 -- |
The League of Nations adopts a resolution
denouncing Japan's aggression in China. |
| Oct. 6 -- |
The US State Department condemns Japan's
invasion of China. |
| 7 -- |
The League of Nations adopts a resolution
pledging moral support for China. |
| 30 -- |
The national government decides to move
the capital from Nanjing to Chongqing. |
| Nov. 3 -- |
China presents her case at The Nine-Power
Conference in Brussels. |
| Dec. 13 -- |
Japanese troops occupy Nanjing. During
the following two months, the aggressors rape and kill some 300,000
defenseless Chinese. |
| 1938
|
|
| Mar. 28 -- |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues
a statement denouncing the "Reform Government of China," a puppet
regime set up by the Japanese in Nanjing. |
| Apr. 1 -- |
The Emergency National Congress of the
Kuomintang in Wuchang elects Chiang Kai-shek as its director-general
and decides to organize a People's Political Council and a San-min-chu-i
Youth Corps. |
| July 6 -- |
The first session of the People's Political
Council opens in Hankou and adopts a program of armed resistance and
national reconstruction. |
| 7 -- |
Chinese troops win a victory in Tai-erzhuang. |
| 9 -- |
The San-min-chu-i Youth Corps is established
with Chiang Kai-shek as head. |
| Oct. 25 -- |
Chinese troops evacuate Wuchang and
Hankou. |
| Dec. 22 -- |
The Japanese prime minister, Prince
Konoye, lays down three points as guiding principles for the settlement
of the Sino-Japanese conflict and the establishment of the "New Order
in East Asia." |
| 26 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek reiterates China's determination
to carry on the war of resistance against Japan and charges that Konoye's
statement clearly reveals Japan's intention to conquer China. |
| 1939
|
|
| Jan. 28 -- |
The fifth plenary session of the Fifth
Central Committee of the Kuomintang decides to create a Supreme National
Defense Council with Chiang Kai-shek as chairman. |
| Nov. 20 -- |
Chairman Chiang Kai-shek is appointed
to the concurrent post of president of the Executive Yuan. |
| 1940
|
|
| Mar. 29 -- |
Wang Ching-wei establishes a puppet
regime in Nanjing which is recognized by Japan on November 19. |
| 30 -- |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs declares
the Nanjing puppet organization illegal. |
| Sep. 6 -- |
Chongqing is proclaimed provisional
capital of China. |
| 1941
|
|
| Jan. 4 -- |
The Communist New Fourth Army revolts
against the national government. |
| 14 -- |
The revolt of the New Fourth Communist
Army is suppressed. |
| Apr. 14 -- |
Condemning the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality
Pact, Foreign Minister Wang Chung-hui declares that Outer Mongolia
and the northeastern provinces are Chinese territory and that the
Soviet-Japanese statement is not binding on China. |
| 17 -- |
US President Roosevelt approves the
first military aid program of US$45 million for China. |
| Sep. 30 -- |
Chinese troops win the second battle
of Changsha. |
| Dec. 9 -- |
China formally declares war on Japan. |
| 1942
|
|
| Jan. 2 -- |
Chinese Expeditionary Forces enter Burma. |
| -- |
Generalissimo Chiang assumes office
as supreme commander of the China Theater of War. |
| 15 -- |
Chinese troops win the third battle
of Changsha. |
| Mar. 4 -- |
General Joseph Stilwell arrives in Chongqing
to assume duties as chief of staff of the China Theater of War and
also to take command of all American armed forces in China, Burma,
and India. |
| Apr. 19 -- |
Chinese Expeditionary Forces capture
Yenangyuang, rescuing more than 7,000 British and Burmese troops from
Japanese encirclement. |
| June 2 -- |
Foreign Minister T.V. Soong and US Secretary
of State Cordell Hull sign the Sino-American Lend-Lease Agreement
in Washington. |
| Oct. 10 -- |
The US and UK governments announce their
intention to relinquish extraterritoriality and related rights in
China. |
| 1943
|
|
| Jan. 11 -- |
China signs the new Sino-American
Treaty in Washington and the new Sino-British Treaty in
Chongqing. |
| Oct. 10 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek is sworn in as chairman
of the national government. |
| Nov. 23 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek, US President Franklin
D. Roosevelt, and UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill confer in Cairo. |
| Dec. 3 -- |
The Joint Declaration of the Cairo Conference
is issued simultaneously in Chongqing, Washington, and London. |
| 1944
|
|
| June 16 -- |
Chinese Expeditionary Forces capture
Kaimaing in northern Burma. |
| 18 -- |
US Vice President Henry Wallace visits
China. |
| 25 -- |
Chinese Expeditionary Forces capture
Magaung in northern Burma. |
| Sep. 29 -- |
The Chinese-American-British phase of
the Dumbarton Oaks Conference begins. |
| Oct. 9 -- |
China, the US, the UK, and the USSR
promulgate the draft for the Charter of the United Nations. |
| 29 -- |
US General Albert C. Wedemeyer is appointed
chief of staff of the China Theater of War. |
| 1945
|
|
| Feb. 4 -- |
The US, the UK, and the USSR hold a
conference in Yalta. A secret agreement, among other conclusions,
is reached on February 11 by the three that the USSR shall enter the
war against Japan on condition that its former rights (in China) plundered
by Japan in 1904 shall be restored. |
| Mar. 5 -- |
China, the US, the UK, and the USSR
issue joint invitations to the United Nations Conference in San Francisco
on April 25. |
| June 26 -- |
Representatives of 50 nations, including
China, sign the UN Charter in San Francisco. |
| July 26 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek, US President Truman,
and UK Prime Minister Churchill issue a joint ultimatum, calling for
Japan's unconditional surrender. |
| Aug. 9 -- |
Soviet troops enter Manchuria. |
| 11 -- |
The Chinese communist headquarters in
Yenan order communist troops to launch an all-out revolt against the
government. |
| 14 -- |
Japan surrenders. |
| -- |
The Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship
and Alliance is signed in Moscow. |
| -- |
Chiang Kai-shek invites Mao Tse-tung
to come to Chongqing for a conference. |
| 15 -- |
The Legislative Yuan unanimously approves
the Charter of the United Nations. |
| 23 -- |
Soviet troops occupy Manchuria. |
| Sep. 2 -- |
Japan's surrender is signed on the USS
Missouri, with General Hsu Yung-chang signing for China. |
| 9 -- |
General Ho Ying-chin receives the formal
surrender of Japanese forces in China from General Okamura in Nanjing. |
| Oct. 25 -- |
Taiwan is formally retroceded to China
after 50 years of Japanese occupation. |
| Dec. 20 -- |
Soviet troops move an estimated US$2
billion worth of machinery from Manchuria to the Soviet Union. |
| 22 -- |
General George C. Marshall arrives in
Chongqing as US President Truman's special envoy. |
| 28 -- |
The Big Three Foreign Ministers' Conference
in Moscow announces agreements on a commission and allied council
for Japan, the ultimate establishment of a free Korea, and the withdrawal
of Soviet and US troops from China. |
| 1946
|
|
| Jan. 7 -- |
Government and communist representatives
hold their first truce meeting with General Marshall as mediator. |
| 10 -- |
The government issues a cease-fire order. |
| -- |
The Political Consultative Conference
opens. |
| 13 -- |
The UN Security Council is created,
with China as one of the five permanent members. |
| Feb. 11 -- |
US Secretary of State James Byrnes makes
public the Yalta Secret Agreement. |
| 20 -- |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs declares
the Yalta Secret Agreement not binding on China. |
| 22 -- |
More than 20,000 students demonstrate
against the Yalta Secret Agreement and call for the Soviet
Union to withdraw its forces from China. |
| Mar. 5 -- |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces
that China has rejected the Soviet claim to all Japanese military
enterprises in Manchuria. |
| 13 -- |
Government forces enter Mukden following
the evacuation of Soviet troops. |
| Apr. 17 -- |
Communist troops enter Changchun. |
| 26 -- |
Communist troops take over Harbin and
Qiqihar as the Soviet forces evacuate. |
| May 5 -- |
The national government moves back to
Nanjing. |
| 23 -- |
Government troops recapture Chang-chun. |
| June 6 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek accepts General Marshall's
proposal to issue a second cease-fire order during the 15-day armistice. |
| July 3 -- |
The Supreme National Defense Council
votes to convene the National Assembly on November 12, 1946. |
| Aug. 17 -- |
Yenan issues a second mobilization order
instructing all communist forces to launch full-scale war against
the government. |
| Sep. 3 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek agrees to create a committee
of five headed by US Ambassador J. Leighton Stuart to pave the way
for a coalition government. |
| Oct. 16 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek presents the communists
with eight conditions for a nationwide cease-fire. |
| 18 -- |
The communists reject the government's
latest peace offer. |
| Nov. 4 -- |
China and the United States sign a five-year
Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation. |
| 8 -- |
Chiang Kai-shek issues a third cease-fire. |
| 15 -- |
The National Assembly officially opens.
Chiang Kai-shek announces termination of Kuomintang tutelage. |
| Dec. 25 -- |
The National Assembly completes drafting
the new Constitution. |
| 1947
|
|
| Jan. 1 -- |
The government promulgates the Constitution. |
| 29 -- |
The US State Department announces abandonment
of efforts to mediate between the national government and the communists. |
| Feb. 28 -- |
Rioting breaks out in Taipei, following
an incident between police and a peddler who violated the tobacco
monopoly. |
| Mar. 19 -- |
Government troops capture Yenan. |
| May 26 -- |
The third plenary session of the Fourth
People's Political Council adopts a resolution to invite communist
members to attend. |
| June 25 -- |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reveals
repeated Soviet Union attempts to block Chinese troops from entering
Dairen and Port Arthur. |
| July 22 -- |
General Albert C. Wedemeyer, US President
Truman's special representative, arrives in Nanjing. |
| Nov. 21 -- |
The first general elections in China
are held. |
| Dec. 25 -- |
The government adopts the Constitution. |
| 1948
|
|
| Mar. 29 -- |
China's first National Assembly under
the Constitution opens with 1,629 delegates attending. |
| Apr. 18 -- |
The first National Assembly approves,
by a two-thirds majority, temporary provisions granting emergency
powers to the president during the period of the anti-communist campaign. |
| 19 -- |
The first National Assembly elects Chiang
Kai-shek as China's first president under the new Constitution by
2,430 out of 2,704 votes. |
| 21 -- |
Government troops evacuate Yenan. |
| May 20 -- |
President Chiang Kai-shek and Vice President
Li Tsung-jen are sworn in. |
| 1949
|
|
| Jan. 5 -- |
General Chen Cheng is sworn in as governor
of Taiwan. |
| 15 -- |
Tianjin falls. |
| 21 -- |
President Chiang announces his retirement
from the presidency. Vice President Li Tsung-jen is empowered to exercise
presidential powers temporarily. |
| Apr. 5 -- |
The national government begins talks
with the Chinese communists. |
| 12 -- |
The Farm Rental Reduction Program goes
into effect in Taiwan. |
| 21 -- |
The communists resume their all-out
offensive and cross the Yangtze River. |
| 23 -- |
Government forces evacuate Nanjing. |
| May 15 -- |
Government forces evacuate Hankou and
Wuchang. |
| 27 -- |
Shanghai is evacuated. |
| June 15 -- |
Taiwan adopts a new currency. |
| July 10 -- |
At the invitation of Philippine President
Elpidio Quirino, President Chiang flies to Baguio to discuss formation
of a Far Eastern anti-communist alliance. |
| Aug. 6 -- |
At the invitation of Korean President
Syngman Rhee, President Chiang flies to Chinhae, Korea, to discuss
formation of a Pacific alliance. |
| 15 -- |
The Southeast China Governor's Office
is established in Taipei, with General Chen Cheng as governor. |
| Sep. 27 -- |
China files a complaint with the UN
General Assembly against the Soviet Union's aid to the Chinese communists
and violation of the Sino-Soviet Treaty of 1945 and the UN
Charter. |
| Oct. 1 -- |
The communists set up a regime in Peking
with Mao Tse-tung as "chairman," which is recognized by the Soviet
Union the next day. |
| 3 -- |
The ROC severs diplomatic relations
with the USSR. |
| -- |
The US State Department reaffirms US
recognition of the national government as the only legal government
of China. |
| 13 -- |
Government troops evacuate Canton. |
| 25 -- |
Government troops win a victory at Kinmen
(Quemoy) against a communist attack. |
| Dec. 7 -- |
The government moves its seat to Taipei. |
| 10 -- |
President Chiang flies from Chengdu
to Taipei. |
| 15 -- |
The Executive Yuan names Wu Kuo-chen
governor of Taiwan. |
