Sun Yat-sen «soon
yaht-sen», (1866-1925), a Chinese
statesman and revolutionary leader, fought to establish a republic of China. He
is generally called the Father of the Revolution. Sun was too idealistic
to be an effective political leader. But his Three People's Principles
(nationalism, democracy, and socialism) became the guiding principles of the
Chinese republic, which was established in 1912.
Sun was born of humble
parents in the Zhongshan district of Guangdong Province. He was educated at
mission schools in Hong Kong and Honolulu, and became a doctor. From 1895 to
1911, he traveled widely in the United States, Japan, and Europe to organize
sympathy for republican principles and to seek financial aid for his
revolutionary movement against the Manchu dynasty. He was aided by Chinese
overseas communities and English, American, and Japanese sympathizers.
The Kuomintang Party. From 1911 to 1922, Sun tried to unite China
and establish a stable government. The Kuomintang Party, headed by Sun, became a
political entity in 1912, after the Wuhan uprising to overthrow the Manchu
regime. That year, Sun's party adopted a constitution, and Sun became the
temporary president of the Chinese republic. The political situation was
turbulent. To further ensure the unity of China, Sun resigned as president in
favor of Yuan Shikai after only six and one-half weeks in office.
His
later efforts. In 1913, Sun disagreed with Yuan's policies and organized a
revolt. He fled to Japan, and the Kuomintang members of parliament were thrown
out of office. Once again, the revolutionists assembled to set up a separate
government under the 1912 constitution. In 1921, Sun became president of this
government in Canton. He was driven out of his capital in 1922 but returned in
1923.
Sun continued to work for the unification of China. After failing
to get assistance from the West, he turned to the Soviet Union. With funds and
help from the Soviet Union, he reorganized the Kuomintang Party and Army in
1923. He set up the Whampoa Military Academy, with Chiang Kai-shek as
superintendent. Sun died of cancer while attending a conference in Beijing in
1925.
In 1929, Sun's body was transferred to a mausoleum erected in his
honor in Nanjing. Politically, he was more effective after his death. His
principles became the slogans of his followers. Chiang Kai-shek, during the
1930's and 1940's, achieved the unification of China under a central government
that Sun had sought in vain to accomplish.
______________ Contributor: • Immanuel C. Y. Hsu, Ph.D., Professor of History, University of
California, Santa Barbara.
How to cite this
article: To cite this article in a footnote, World
Book recommends the following format:
Immanuel C. Y. Hsu, "Sun
Yat-sen," World Book Online Americas Edition,
