Question 3

To what extent were Jiang Jieshi’s (Chiang Kai Shek’s) domestic policies successful?

• Success may be assessed in terms of aims, outcomes and the historical context
• Discuss some of the following aspects:
  • the establishment of a Nationalist state symbolised by capital at Nanking (but varied extent of authority of Nationalists in areas away from key centres)
  • his failure to deal with communists and forced mutual action against Japan after 1937
  • comparison with warlord years; lack of democracy and corruption, lack of support
  • the degree of economic progress (industry, transport) and limited social reform (education, New Life Movement, women)
  • the failure to help peasants
  • his eventual defeat
• Argue that Jiang’s main aims were to hold on to power and to crush the Communists and that whilst he did the former until the late 40s, he failed in the latter
• However, Jiang and the Nationalists never enjoyed full control of China – any success was relative to the chaos of the warlord years