Republic of China (1912-1949)

The Republic of China established its governance over mainland China on 1 January 1912 after the Xinhai Revolution overthrew the Manchu-led Qing dynasty and ended imperial rule. The Beiyang government in Beijing was its internationally recognised government until 1928, while regional warlords held parts of the country after Yuan Shikai died in 1916. In 1926 the Kuomintang launched the Northern Expedition and reunified the country in 1928, governing as a one-party state from Nanjing. In 1949 the Kuomintang lost the Chinese Civil War to the Chinese Communist Party and its government retreated to Taiwan. It was a founding member of the League of Nations and the United Nations.