(1887 - 1975) Chinese
general and political
leader. He was
president of
China from 1928 until he was overthrown in 1949 by Chinese
communist forces. Chiang fled to
Taiwan (
Formosa), where he established the
government of the
Republic of
China. Among the reasons cited for his defeat was his
loss of flexibility in dealing with changing
conditions. Growing more rigid, he became less responsive to popular sentiment and to new ideas. He came to prize loyalty more than
competence and to rely more on personal ties than on ties of
organization. His dependence on a trusted clique also showed in his army, in which he favored narrow traditionalists over many abler officers.
(1887-1975) Chinese
general and political
leader. He was
president of
China from 1928 until he was overthrown in 1949 by Chinese
communist forces. Chiang fled to
Taiwan (
Formosa), where he established the
government of the
Republic of
China. Among the reasons cited for his defeat was his
loss of flexibility in dealing with changing
conditions. Growing more rigid, he became less responsive to popular sentiment and to new ideas. He came to prize loyalty more than
competence and to rely more on personal ties than on ties of
organization. His dependence on a trusted clique also showed in his army, in which he favored narrow traditionalists over many abler officers. You
don't think Chiang Kai-shek was
running a
government, do you?
-Rugged Individualism (30 Aug. 55)