Chiang Kai-shek

<a href="/article/chiang-kai-shek">Chiang Kai-shek</a> was a pivotal Chinese military and political leader who served as the President of the Republic of China from 1948 until his death in 1975. He led the Nationalist government through the <a href="/article/second-sino-japanese-war">Second Sino-Japanese War</a> and the <a href="/article/chinese-civil-war">Chinese Civil War</a>, eventually retreating to Taiwan where he established an authoritarian regime. His legacy remains highly controversial, viewed by some as a national hero and by others as a brutal dictator.