The China of Chiang K'ai-Shek: A Political StudyLinebarger, Paul Myron Anthony
History
The China of Chiang K'ai-Shek: A Political Study
Linebarger, Paul Myron Anthony
Chiang, Kai-shek, 1887-1975; China -- Politics and government -- 1912-1949
In the face of this, it is unexpected to find that Wang has been
reasonably honest and consistent, as were Trotsky and Röhm. His
consistency may be described as a perfectly regular spiral, which
maintains unchanging direction but never goes in a straight line. Wang
has always favored not-fighting, peace, civilian and constitutional
government, and making friends with any nation which professes
friendship for China. The loftiness of his motives might be impugned by
pointing out that each is the antithesis of one of Chiang's
characteristics; but the ultimate test of Wang's sincerity lies with the
psychiatrists rather than with political scientists. Assuming sincerity,
how did these consistent standards lead him to Nanking?
In 1927 Chiang broke with the Communists quite a while before Wang did.
Wang was willing to yield a doubtful point here, to credit the other
side with good motives there, and to keep the Wuhan government going as
long as he could. His difficulties were the difficulties of a
constitutionalist willing to maintain the constitution at the cost of
some appeasement. In the following years of exile, he upbraided Chiang's
machine-boss tactics within the Kuomintang; the name "Reorganized
Kuomintang" which he selected for his schismatics, is indicative of his
desire to promote regularity in party elections and free democratic
discussion in party congresses.
A striking instance of repetition may be seen in contrasting the
Nanking of 1940 with the Peking of 1930. In 1930 Chiang K'ai-shek had
been threatened by military attack and had found a great part of China
wrested from him by superior forces, those of the _tuchün_ Feng
Yü-hsiang and Yen Hsi-shan; but the National Government maintained its
position in the capital. In 1940, the capital had moved to Chungking and
the armed enemies were Japanese; Hu Han-min (the great Rightist leader)
was dead, a new Communist alliance was in effect, and the outside world
was in a turmoil more profound than China's. Despite the supervening
changes, Wang Ch'ing-wei was found in 1940 in precisely the role of
1930. Again he was the front for a military regime. In 1930 he had been
a Left-liberal front for native militarism; in 1940, he was the
appeasing, conservative front for the Imperial Japanese army. In 1930 he
had his own "Reorganized" Kuomintang; he had his "Orthodox" again in
1940. In 1930 he usurped the National Government offices, titles, and
regalia; he did this again in 1940. In 1930 his career ended with
military defeat and he went into exile, later bargaining his position
back into Chinese politics.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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