ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Timeline of Republic of China history

Okay kiddo, so let me tell you a story about the history of the Republic of China. Way back in 1911, there was a man named Sun Yat-sen who wanted to make China a better place for everyone. He started a revolution against the ruling government and managed to create a new country called the Republic of China.

However, things didn't go so smoothly after that. The country was in chaos and different warlords were fighting for power. Sun Yat-sen eventually died and another man named Chiang Kai-shek became the leader of the country.

Under Chiang's leadership, the country started to become more stable and modern. They focused on education, industry, and military power. But, Japan was also getting more powerful and threatened to invade China. In 1937, Japan invaded and started what is known as the Second Sino-Japanese War.

The Republic of China fought hard against Japan, but it wasn't enough. In 1945, Japan surrendered, but things were still uncertain for China. A civil war broke out between the communist party led by Mao Zedong and the Republic of China led by Chiang Kai-shek.

The communist party gained more support from the people and eventually, Chiang and his supporters fled to Taiwan, leaving mainland China to the communist party. Taiwan became the new center of the Republic of China, which is why you may sometimes hear it called Taiwan instead of China.

In Taiwan, the Republic of China continued to grow and develop, becoming a powerful country with a strong economy. Today, they are still separate from mainland China, but there is a lot of discussion about whether or not they should be reunited.

So, that's the history of the Republic of China in a nutshell. It had a lot of ups and downs, but it's still around today!