The 1911 Revolution and Sun Yixian (Sun Yat Sen):

- Sun Yixian was inspired by early Taiping peasant rebels and sought to overthrow the outdated and corrupt Qing dynasty.

- Proposed the Three Principles of the People: Nationalism (Minzu), Democracy (Minquan), and People's Livelihood (Minsheng) to reform China.

Tongmenghui and Xinhai Revolution:

- The Tongmenghui inspired the Xinhai Revolution in October 1911.

- Overthrew the Qing dynasty and established the Republic of China in 1912, with Sun Yixian as the provisional president.

Yuan Shikai's Presidency (1912-1916):

- Initially supported the revolution but later sought to establish his own dynasty.

- Presidency involved modernizing reforms, but his attempts to consolidate power and establish himself as emperor led to his downfall.

Guomingdang (GMD), Second Revolution, and Glorious Constitution:

- The GMD emerged from the Tongmenghui, focusing on reducing Yuan Shikai's powers.

- Yuan Shikai's proposal of a new constitution and his attempts to form a new dynasty led to his downfall.

Warlord Period and New Culture Movement:

- The period following Yuan's death was marked by economic instability and the rise of warlords.

- The New Culture Movement criticized traditional Chinese ideas, fostering new ideologies. Led to the May 4th Movement in 1919.

GMD after Shikai and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP):

- Sun Yixian returned in 1921 to re-establish the GMD.

- The CCP was formed in 1921 and collaborated with the GMD.

The Long March and Yan'an Soviet:

- The Long March by the CCP, led by Mao Zedong, occurred from 1934 to 1935.

- The Yan'an Soviet was established, implementing reforms and shaping Mao's ideology.

Japanese Invasion and the Sino-Japanese War:

- The invasion of China by Japan led to the Sino-Japanese War from 1937 to 1945.

- Atrocities such as the Nanjing Massacre were committed during this war.

After the War:

- The Sino-Japanese War ended, but tensions remained between the CCP and GMD, leading to continued conflicts.

The Civil War:

- Nationalists had an initial advantage with a superior military, making substantial gains.

- Chiang Kai-shek's forces captured northern China, major cities, and railways early in the war.

- Yan'an fell to Nationalists in March 1947, yet they struggled when garrisoned in cities, losing confidence while facing a formidable, disciplined enemy that avoided direct combat.

- Mao's Red Army executed an orderly retreat, utilizing effective guerrilla tactics.

- Despite retaining land, the GMD lost men, and areas of weakness for the Nationalists coincided with strengths of the Red Army.

- The People's Liberation Army (PLA), previously the Red Army, was rebranded at the war's start in May 1946, representing significant differences from the Nationalist military.

- The PLA was highly mobile, while Nationalists remained confined in cities.

- The PLA soldiers had high morale and confidence due to guerrilla victories; Nationalists were disheartened by an elusive enemy.

- Communist forces were volunteers with significant peasant support, thanks to land reforms empowering rural populations.

- The Nationalist army suffered from corruption, inflation, and the desertion of the middle class.

- In 1947, the tide turned in favor of the CCP, with Lin Biao leading successful offensives and employing more traditional tactics by 1948.

- Over 300,000 were captured, and many Nationalists switched allegiance to the Communists.

- On January 1, 1949, PLA troops took Beiping (Beijing), maintaining normalcy for citizens and business.

- By April 1949, the PLA took Nanjing, and on October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China.