First United Front

First United Front
聯俄容共
LeaderSun Yat-sen (1923–1925)
Chiang Kai-shek (1926–1927)
Dates of operationJanuary 26, 1923 (1923-01-26)–April 12, 1927 (1927-04-12)
Merger of Chinese Nationalist Party
Chinese Communist Party
Country China
Allegiance Nationalist government
MotivesChinese unification
HeadquartersGuangzhou
IdeologyThree Principles of the People
Political positionBig tent
Allies Soviet Union
Opponents Beiyang government  Empire of Japan
Battles and warsNorthern Expedition
Succeeded by
Second United Front

The First United Front (traditional Chinese: 第一次國共合作; simplified Chinese: 第一次国共合作; pinyin: dì yī cì guógòng hézuò; lit. 'First Nationalist-Communist Cooperation'), also known as the KMT–CCP Alliance (simplified Chinese: 联俄容共; traditional Chinese: 聯俄容共; pinyin: Lián É Róng Gòng; Jyutping: Lyun4 Ngo4 Jung4 Gung6; lit. 'Ally with Russia and incorporate the Communists'; alternatively simplified Chinese: 联俄联共; traditional Chinese: 聯俄聯共; pinyin: Lián É Lián Gòng; Jyutping: Lyun4 Ngo4 Lyun4 Gung6), of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), was formed in 1924 as an alliance to end warlordism in China. Together they formed the National Revolutionary Army and set out in 1926 on the Northern Expedition. The CCP joined the KMT as individuals, making use of KMT's superiority in numbers to help spread communism. The KMT, on the other hand, wanted to control the communists from within. Both parties had their own aims and the Front was unsustainable. In 1927, KMT leader Chiang Kai-shek purged the Communists from the Front while the Northern Expedition was still half-complete. This initiated a civil war between the two parties that lasted until the Second United Front was formed in 1936 to prepare for the coming Second Sino-Japanese War.