Republic of China (1912−1949)

Republic of China
中華民國 Chunghwa Minkuo
1912–1949
Top: Flag (1912–28) Bottom: Flag (1928–49) Top: National Emblem (1912–28) Bottom: National Emblem (1928–49)
Anthem 《卿雲歌》 Song to the Auspicious Cloud (1913–15, 1921–28) 《中華雄立宇宙間》 China Heroically Stands in the Universe (1915–21) 《中華民國國歌》 National Anthem of the Republic of China (1937–49)
Location and maximum extent of the territory claimed by the Republic of China.
Capital		Nankinga · Pekingb Chungkingc
Demonym		Chinese
Government		Federated semi-presidential republic
President
•	1912	Sun Yat-sen (provisional) (first)
•	1949	Li Zongren (acting) (last)
Premier
•	1912	Tang Shaoyi (first)
•	1949	He Yingqin (last)
Historical era		20th century
•	Monarchy abolished	10 October 1911
•	Republic proclaimed	1 January 1912
•	Beiyang rule from Peking	10 October 1912
•	Nationalist rule from Nanking	18 April 1927
•	Second Sino-Japanese War	7 July 1937
•	UN admission	25 October 1945
•	New constitution	25 December 1947
•	Fall of Nanjing	21 April 1949
•	PRC proclaimed	1 October 1949
•	Kuomintang flee to Taipei	7 December 1949
Area
•	1912	11,077,380 km2 (4,277,000 sq mi)
•	1946	9,676,204 km2 (3,736,003 sq mi)
Population
•	1912 est.	432,375,000
Density		39/km2 (101/sq mi)
•	1920 est.	472,000,000
Density		43/km2 (110/sq mi)
•	1930 est.	489,000,000
Density		44/km2 (114/sq mi)
•	1946 est.	535,418,000
Density		55/km2 (143/sq mi)
•	1949 est.	541,670,000
Density		56/km2 (145/sq mi)
Currency		Chinese yuan Old Taiwan dollar
Preceded by Succeeded by Qing dynasty People's Republic of China Republic of China
a.	1912 and 1927–49 (although see footnote c immediately below).
b.	1912–27.
c.	Chongqing served as capital during the Second Sino-Japanese and Pacific Wars (1937–46).
Populations from http://www.populstat.info/Asia/chinac.htm

The Republic of China was a state in East Asia from 1912 to 1949. It largely occupied the present-day territories of China, Taiwan, and, for some of its history, Mongolia. As an era of Chinese history, it was preceded by the last imperial dynasty of China, the Qing dynasty, and ended with the Chinese Civil War. After the war, the losing Kuomintang retreated to the island of Taiwan to found the modern Republic of China, while the victorious Communist Party of China established the People's Republic of China on the Mainland.

The Republic's first president, Sun Yat-sen, served only briefly. His party, then led by Song Jiaoren, won the parliamentary election held in December 1912. However the army led by President Yuan Shikai retained control of the national government in Beijing. From late 1915 to early 1916 Yuan tried to reinstate a monarchy called Empire of China, with himself as the "Hongxian Emperor". It was a short-lived attempt. After Yuan's death in 1916, local military leaders, or warlords, asserted autonomy.

In 1925, the Kuomintang started establishing a rival government in the southern city of Guangzhou. The economy of the north, overtaxed to support warlord adventurism, collapsed in 1927–28. General Chiang Kai-shek, who became KMT leader after Sun's death, started his military Northern Expedition campaign in order to overthrow the central government in Beijing. The government was overthrown in 1928 and Chiang established a new nationalist government in Nanjing. He later cut his ties with the communists and expelled them from the KMT.