Kuomintang Founded: China's Republic Takes Shape
Sun Yat-sen and Song Jiaoren merged several revolutionary organizations into the Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) on August 25, 1912, creating the political vehicle that would eventually unify China under republican government. Sun Yat-sen had led the revolution that overthrew the Qing dynasty in October 1911, ending 2,000 years of imperial rule, but he was forced to cede the presidency to the military strongman Yuan Shikai in exchange for the emperor's peaceful abdication. The KMT won parliamentary elections in 1913, but Yuan dissolved the parliament and outlawed the party. Sun spent the next decade rebuilding the KMT from exile, eventually allying with the Soviet Union and the young Chinese Communist Party in a united front against the warlords.
August 25, 1912
114 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on August 25
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