<P> The Kuomintang ( Traditional Chinese : 中國 國民黨 ; Simplified Chinese : 中国 国民党 ; Hanyu Pinyin : Zhōngguó Guómíndǎng ; Initials : KMT or GMD ) is a Chinese political party that ruled China 1927 -- 48 and then moved to Taiwan . The name translates as `` China 's National People 's Party '' and was historically referred to as the Chinese Nationalists . The Party was initially founded on August 25 , 1912 , by Sun Yat - sen but dissolved in November 1913 . It reformed on October 10th 1919 , again led by Sun Yat - sen , and became the ruling party in China . After Sun 's death , the party was dominated from 1927 to 1975 by Chiang Kai - shek . Though the KMT lost the civil war with the Communist Party of China in 1949 , the party took control of Taiwan and remains a major political party of the Republic of China based in Taiwan . </P>
<P> The Kuomintang ( Traditional Chinese : 中國 國民黨 ; Simplified Chinese : 中国 国民党 ; Hanyu Pinyin : Zhōngguó Guómíndǎng ; Initials : KMT or GMD ) is a Chinese political party that ruled China 1927 -- 48 and then moved to Taiwan . The name translates as `` China 's National People 's Party '' and was historically referred to as the Chinese Nationalists . The Party was initially founded on August 25 , 1912 , by Sun Yat - sen but dissolved in November 1913 . It reformed on October 10th 1919 , again led by Sun Yat - sen , and became the ruling party in China . After Sun 's death , the party was dominated from 1927 to 1975 by Chiang Kai - shek . Though the KMT lost the civil war with the Communist Party of China in 1949 , the party took control of Taiwan and remains a major political party of the Republic of China based in Taiwan . </P>
who emerged as the head of the nationalist party and ruler of china by the late 1920s
who emerged as the head of the nationalist party and ruler of china by the late 1920s
Chiang Kai - shek
Chiang Kai - shek