항전시기 장제스(蔣介石)의 통치 정당성 — 『中國之命運』을 중심으로 — = The Legitimacy of Chiang Kai-shek’s Rule during the war against Japan

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study analyzes how Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang (KMT) sought to establish and strengthen the legitimacy of their rule during the Republican era. Following the Xinhai Revolution, the Republic of China continuously experienced political and social turmoil, largely due to the ruling power’s failure to secure firm political legitimacy within society. Although the Republic of China adopted Western-style parliamentary and republican institutions through revolution, these systems failed to establish a solid foundation in the public consciousness and across society, exacerbating political crises.
In response to the crisis of the republic, Sun Yat-sen and the KMT did not immediately implement a constitutional system. Instead, they pursued a period of political tutelage, during which the KMT would cultivate the political capacity of the people, ultimately leading to the establishment of a state system based on the Five-Power Constitution. The issue, however, was that this tutelage system was not approved by the people but was instead based on Sun Yat-sen’s nation-building plan. While Sun’s authority and the public’s trust in him provided momentum for the tutelage system during his lifetime, his death left the KMT without a solid national foundation to justify its exclusive control over governance.
After Sun Yat-sen’s death, Chiang Kai-shek completed the Northern Expedition and consolidated his control over the KMT, yet the legitimacy and legality of his rule over both the party and the state remained unstable. To reinforce his authority, Chiang sought to elevate Sun Yat-sen’s status to a near-sacred level, promoted social and psychological reform movements based on traditional Confucian thought—such as the New Life Movement—and bolstered his personal charisma. However, these efforts alone were insufficient for asserting his rule in the face of growing political demands for a constitutional system after World War II. As a result, a new rationale and vision for governance were required.
This paper examines China’s Destiny, a book published under Chiang Kai-shek’s name in 1943, as an attempt to reinforce his legitimacy in the postwar period. By analyzing its perspectives and arguments, this study aims to explore how Chiang sought to establish a new basis for his political legitimacy.