Records of the National Defense Supreme Commission
Historical Note
In 1938, after the war with Japan began, a National Supreme Defense Commission was founded with KMT director general Chiang
Kai-shek as its head. All Central Executive Committee departments, the entire national government, and all military affairs
fell under the jurisdiction of this new unit.
reels 001 1-33
National Defense Supreme Commission Archive (001)
1939-1947
reels 002 1-8
National Defense Supreme Commission Archive (002)
1939-1947
reels 003 1-156, 156A, 157-325
National Defense Supreme Commission Archive (003)
1939-1947
reels 004 1-9
National Defense Supreme Commission Archive (004)
1939-1947
reels 005 1-4
National Defense Supreme Commission Archive (005)
1939-1947
reels 009 1-2
National Defense Supreme Commission Archive (009)
1939-1947
reels 5.1 1-18
Records of the Fifth National Party Congress (5.1)
1935
Historical Note
Held November 12-23, 1935, in Nanjing, the Fifth National Congress adopted such resolutions as "Enforcement of Local Self-government
to Complete the Political Tutelage" and "Consolidation of the National Defense during the National Emergency." It issued a
manifesto dealing with psychological, social and political aspects of national reconstruction.
reels 5.2 1-73
Records of the Fifth Central Executive Committee (5.2)
1935-1944
Historical Note
Three plenary sessions of the Fifth Central Executive Committee were held in Nanjing, on 2 December 1935, 10 July 1936, and
14 May 14 1937. The committee was officially terminated in May 1945.
reels 5.3 1-12
Records of the Fifth Central Standing Committee (5.3)
1935-1945
Historical Note
The committee began functioning in December 1935 and was officially terminated in May 1945.
reels 5.4 1-5
Records of the Fifth Central Affairs Working Committee (5.4)
1938-1940
reels 6.1 1-17
Records of the Sixth National Party Congress (6.1)
1945
Historical Note
Held May 5-21, 1945, in Chongqing, the Sixth National Congress made public a new platform on May 18 and a new manifesto on
May 21. The new platform called for preparations for the promulgation of constitutional government.
reels 6.2 1-27
Records of the Sixth Central Executive Committee (6.2)
1945-1947
Historical Note
Four plenary sessions of the Sixth Central Executive Committee were held on 28 May 1945, 1 March 1946, 15 March 1947, 9 September
1947. The first two were held in Chongqing, and the second two in Nanjing. An extraordinary plenary session of the Central
Executive Committee was held on 4 April 1948 in Nanjing. The committee was terminated in August 1950.
reels 6.3 1-10
Records of the Sixth Central Standing Committee (6.3)
1945-1950
Historical Note
The committee functioned from May 1945 to August 1950.
Records of the Central Reform Committee (CRC)
Historical Note
The KMT formally established the CRC on August 5, 1950, to explore ways to revitalize the party. The CRC, with 16 members,
replaced the former Central Executive Committee and the Central Supervisory Committee, which had 50 and 223 members, respectively
and became the party's main executive and policy planner body. It had four subcommittees in the areas of cadre training, discipline,
finance, and party history. Seven functional sections handled party affairs in Taiwan and mainland China; industrial, professional,
youth, and other special party branches; overseas party affairs; propaganda; political activities for KMT members of the government
and liaison with friendly parties; collection of information on society and economy and planning of strategies to deal with
the enemy; and party-run enterprises and the economic well-being of party members.
During its two years of existence regular party organs were suspended and their activities were transferred to the CRC. Among
other activities, the CRC and its successor drafted a new party platform, studied organizational changes, issued a directive
on recruiting new members, and published procedures for cadres working with various mass organizations. It also published
Gaizao [
Reform], the official organ of the KMT from 1950 to 1952. The committee's recommendations were adopted by the Seventh National Party
Congress in October 1952.
reels 6.41 1-13
Central Reform Committee Archive (6.41)
1949-1954
General note
Digital use copies available in reading room
reels 6.42 1-12
Minutes of the Central Reform Committee Meetings (6.42)
1950-1952
General note
Digital use copies available in reading room
reels 6.43 1-6
Briefings of the Various Projects of the Central Reform Committee (6.43)
1950-1952
General note
Digital use copies available in reading room
reels 7.1 1-3
Records of the Seventh National Party Congress (7.1)
1952
Historical Note
Held October 10-20, 1952, in Taipei, this was the KMT's first national congress in Taiwan. It adopted the Central Reform Committee's
recommendations and created the Central Committee, electing 32 members to it. This committee replaced the Central Executive
Committee and the Central Control Committee. The Seventh National Party Congress set the course of the party by revising the
General Regulations of the party, forming the basic doctrine to be pursued during the period of the anti-Communist campaign
against the mainland, and drafting a detailed party platform to serve as a guide for the working program of party members.
It issued a manifesto and platform on October 20, which were the first major statements of party policy on Taiwan. A land
reform program was one of its most significant programs.
reels 7.2 1-3
Records of the Seventh Central Committee (7.2)
1953-1954
Historical Note
Eight plenary sessions of the Seventh Central Committee were held in Taipei on 23 October 1952, 5 May 1953, 12 November 1953,
2 August 1954, 1 March 1955, 3 October 1955, 5 May 1956, and 4 March 1957. An extraordinary plenary session was held on 15
February 1954. The committee operated until October 1957.
reels 7.3 1-13
Records of the Seventh Central Standing Committee (7.3.)
1952-1957
Historical Note
The committee functioned from October 1952 to October 1957.
reels 7.4 1-17
Records of the Seventh National Working Committee (7.4)
1952-1957
reels Hankou 1-28, 28A, 29-167
Hankou Archive (Hankou)
1924-1927
reels Huan 1-95
Shanghai Huanlong Road Archive (Huan)
1914-1925
reels New Life 1-6
New Life Movement Archive (New Life)
1935-1945
Historical Note
In 1934, Chiang Kai-shek and his wife, Soong Meiling, heralded the New Life Movement that would revitalize the Chinese national
spirit. Influenced by one of Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People (i.e., the principle of welfare,
minsheng zhuyi), the movement was based on traditional Confucian social ethics and promulgated ideals such as self-cultivation and correct
living and discouraged the "Western" concept of individualism. Gambling, opium smoking, dancing, public displays of affection,
and other activities viewed as root causes of poverty and moral degeneration were strictly forbidden.
Scope and Contents note
The records are chiefly made up of publications from provincial Women's Working Committees, promotional associations, and
other organizations directed by Madame Chiang and sponsored by the New Life Movement. The publications cover a wide range
of topics, including cooking, personal hygiene, and behavior.
reel Special 1
Minutes of the Special Committee (Special)
1949-1950
Historical Note
In April 1949 the situation in the war against the Communists turned critical, and the KMT established this emergency committee.
Special Archives of the KMT Party Affairs (TE)
1899-1953
Scope and Contents note
This collection contains confidential records created during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The material is arranged in broad
subject areas. Examples of the many subjects are Central Training Squadron, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, Chinese Youth Party, central and provincial party affairs, overseas party affairs, and wartime foreign
relations with Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Burma, Thailand, Korea, Singapore, the Philippines, Okinawa, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and
Macau.
reel 1
TE 20
1905, 1929, 1938-1944
reels 1-6
TE 29
1905, 1928-1929 1937-1946
reels 1-15
TE 30
1899, 1905, 1927-1948
reels 1-9
TE 31
1905, 1930, 1937-1945
reels 1-2
TE 32
1927-1931, 1941-1951
reels 1-2
TE 33
1905, 1930, 1939-1944
reels Wubu 1-143
Five Departments Archives (Wubu)
1924-1927
Scope and Contents note
This collection contains material concerning the five government units in operation before the Central Executive Committee
was formed. The five departments were dedicated to labor unions, peasants, youth groups, women's groups, and business groups.
Central Political Council Archives (Zheng)
1898-1950
Scope and Contents note
This collection includes Central Executive Committee records, council meeting minutes, work reports, and other materials relating
to Chinese national and foreign affairs. The records cover three periods: the first involves the council's establishment in
Canton with Sun Yat-sen as its first chairman (1924-26), the second involves the Northern Expedition, during which Nanjing
was made the capital of the Republic of China (1926-28), and the third covers the period from the July 7 Marco Polo Bridge
Incident (1937), which marked the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War, to the end of the Chinese Civil War (1949). Other
topics addressed by the documents are national security and military affairs, such as the Sino-German joint aircraft manufacturing
contract and the Sino-American aviation and airmail contract.
reels 1-8
Zheng 1
1898, 1905, 1919, 1927-1947
reels Zhi 1-48, 48A, 49-70, 70A, 71-77, 77A, 78-125, 125A, 126, 126A, 127-138, 138A, 139-155
Wu Zhihui Archive (Zhi)
1894-1952
Historical Note
Wu Zhihui (1865-1953) has been described as a satirist, anarchist, philologist, and educator who went on to help found the
Chinese Nationalist Party and the Republic of China. Wu was traditionally educated in the Chinese classics. After unsuccessful
attempts to reach the top of the Qing dynasty's civil service examination system, Wu became influenced by radical thought
and studied overseas in Japan, England, and France. His acquaintance with Sun Yat-sen in London eventually led him to the
revolutionary movement. Wu is also known for promoting the standardization and phoneticization of the Chinese language by
developing the "Symbols for Annotated Sounds" (
zhuyin fu hao) system, a phonetic system similar to Japanese
kana that uses symbols to transcribe Mandarin Chinese. Widely used in Taiwan, it can be used to enter Chinese characters on cell
phones and computers. Having held such official positions as minister of education, Wu was viewed as an elder statesman and
close confidant of Chiang Kai-shek by many members of the Nationalist Kuomintang in his later years.
Scope and Contents note
The papers contain correspondence, speeches and writings, memoranda, reports, photographs, and other materials relating to
political, social, and economic conditions in China and Taiwan in the early twentieth century.
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek Archive (Zong Cai)
1912-1987
Scope and Contents note
Correspondence, memoranda, telegrams, speeches, publications, photographs, and other records of Chiang Kai-shek. In addition
to Hoover's online database, a published index is available at Stanford's East Asia Library.
reels 1-2, 2A, 2B, 3-11, 11A, 12-13
reels 1, 1A, 2-5, 5A, 6-11
