"SUN YAT-SEN: 'THE FATHER OF THE CHINESE REPUBLIC'"Known to millions of people as "the Father of the Chinese Republic," Sun Yat-Sen holds an extraordinary place in modern China's complex and tumultuous history. He serves as an inspiration and a political dignitary to the most radical and diverse political parties. Although Sun was such an extraordinary influence on Chinese history, he actually spent much of his life in exile, and many of his plans of revolt were unsuccessful. The parallel between his political success and instances of failure create a remarkable link between his life and the history of China.Sun Yat-Sen was born to a peasant family in the province of GuangZhou, not far f ...view middle of the document...
The Japanese received the island of Taiwan upon their victory, which was ceded by China, and converted it into a Japanese colony. With the goal of reviving and prospering China in mind, Sun attempted to form an underground society comprised of Chinese exiles and lead an uprising in southeast China. The coup he plotted failed miserably and for the next sixteen years, Sun was exiled from Hong Kong. Yat-Sen spent the first few years of his exile in Japan, which served as a primary base of operations for his upcoming revolutionary campaign. In Japan, he joined rebellious Chinese groups and quickly became their leader. When Sun was banned there, he traveled throughout Europe and the United States. During his long years of exile, he was able to keep acquiring funds and to hold on to his values and beliefs against other political rivals.While in exile, Sun also began to develop a set of principles that he used to guide China into a more modern condition. This ideology became the "Three Principles of the People." It combined all the essential aspects of nationalism, democracy, and socialism that would lead China into a free, prosperous, and powerful nation. The Principle of Nationalism more or less represented China's freedom from the imperialist govern of the Qing Dynasty. The Principle of Democracy was derived from the constitutional governments established in western countries such as the United States. Under this principle, "the people are most important, while the king is of least importance." Although western governments included a three branch legislation, Sun observed instances of inadequacy and therefore preferred a five branched legislation. The basics of the Principle of Socialism were understood as an industrial economy and equal distribution of land among peasant farmers.In nineteen eleven, a military uprising in the WuChang province caused the collapse of the Qing Dynasty. Although Sun had no direct involvement in the coup, it is undoubted that the incessant pressure exerted by him and his followers played an important role in the uprising. When he learned of the successful rebellion against the Manchu emperor, Yat-Sen immediately returned to China from the United States.At a meeting in NanKing consisting of representatives from all the various provinces, Sun was named the provisional President of the new Chinese Republic and New Year's Day of nineteen twelve was proclaimed the beginning of the new Republic. After the inauguration, Yat-Sen notified the provinces to elect and send new senators to the ne...
