Citation

Bloch K. Am. J. Sociol. 1938; 43(5): 691-703.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1938, University of Chicago Press)

DOI

10.1086/217834

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

After the collapse of the Manchu Empire the traditional obedience to Manchu emperors was claimed by local warlords who maintained semi-independent provincial armies and appropriated the local revenues. The Chinese civil wars from 1917 to 1926 were products of the conflict between the rich and poor provinces, between the provincial warlords, and between the provinces and the central government. The nationalist movement with Sun Yat-sen as leader proclaimed its support of basic social reforms, chief among which was the eradication of warlordism. But the capture of Nanking in 1927 gave Chiang Kai-shek control of the most westernized parts of China. He turned his attention to building a new government structure from Nanking and dropped social reform. Subsequent civil wars established Chiang Kai-shek's ability as a super-warlord to maintain control over central China, but warlordism continued. Chiang's belief that his conservative mission in China would not be realized until he had smashed the Chinese Soviet Republic in Kiangsi province produced a rift with T. V. Soong, who advocated a policy of internal peace and preparation for resistance against Japan. The anti-Communist campaigns extended Chiang's influence and correspondingly diminished that of the remaining local warlords. In 1936 warlordism undertook its final unsuccessful revolt which left Chiang undisputed leader. The capture of Chiang was the expression of Chinese public opinion against his policy of combining the action at home with a conciliatory attitude toward Japan and friendship with the European fascist powers. Later, Chiang made concessions both in domestic and foreign policy. An accelerated process of national integration is under way, as marked by the popular resistance against the foreign invader, and in the course of this process warlordism is being liquidated.