Part 6/12:
The death of Sun Yat-sen in 1925 triggered internal conflicts within the KMT, eventually leading Chiang Kai-shek’s rise to power. Holding deep suspicion of communists, Chiang launched the Northern Expedition in 1926, rapidly defeating warlords and consolidating control. However, tensions escalated as communists, threatened by Chiang's crackdown, began organizing labor unions and peasants, establishing Soviet-style autonomous zones.