Part 12/14:
In 1921, Sun Yat-sen was elected as the extraordinary president of a self-proclaimed military government in Guangdong. He aimed to reunify China through military campaigns, notably planning a Great Northern Expedition in 1922. However, internal disagreements and factional resistance limited his ability to consolidate power across China.
The fundamental challenge remained: unity was elusive, and each warlord’s pursuit of independence threatened the entire country’s stability. As historian James Sheridan explained, hope for true national unity was overshadowed by the self-interest of regional leaders, each wary of losing autonomy.