Sport, nationalism and the early Chinese republic 1912-1927.

Abstract

Sport development had been influenced by military, economic, political and social chaos. The period 1912 to 1927 was a tumultuous time for China, fragmented and ruled as it was by an assortment of regional military dictators or warlords. The first Chinese Republic was established in 1912 and soon collapsed, in 1916, when the first president Yuan Shih-kai died. National government ceased to exist. Throughout China, warlords carved out autonomous districts with their own armies and tax systems. These warlords were fighting each other in a continual battle for more land for several years. Dr. Sun Yet-sen reorganised the KMT (Kuomintang Nationalist Party) and established a power base in southern China with the support of several local warlords in Canton. Then Sun set up the Whampoa Military Academy near Canton and appointed Chiang Kai-shek as its superintendent. By 1925, the KMT began the Northern Expedition, a military campaign against warlords north of the capital Beijing, uniting the nation under Nationalist rule. Despite the serious internal problem of warlords, external problems centred on the extension of Japanese imperialism and the continuing influence of Western imperialism. Especially, the May Fourth Movement in 1919 and the May Thirtieth Incident in 1925 were the major historical events to enflame Chinese nationalism against Japanese and Western imperialism. These events not only strengthened Chinese nationalism, but also produced critical debates on sport. At least two important debates affected the development of sport during this period. One was that between physical education and military training in schools; the other was between Western sport and indigenous sport. In examining these two key debates here, it is necessary to explain how Chinese nationalism emerged at this time.