Abstract:

"The fall of China's last emperor in 1911 precipitates a period of chaos as rival warlords and bandits step into the power vacuum to carve out their own areas of influence. The Nationalist leader, Chiang Kai-shek, sets up government headquarters in the city of Nanking and begins to modernize the nation. The leader of the Communists, Mao Ze-dong, begins to organize the peasants. In 1931, the Communist threat is overshadowed by Japan's uncontested invasion of Manchuria. Then, in an astonishing turn of events, Chiang Kai-shek is kidnapped by his second in command and forced to negotiate with the Communists." (A Coronet/MTI release)