Chiang Zhongzheng's Diary

Chiang Zhongzheng's Diary, (Chinese: 蔣中正日記) also known as Chiang Kai-shek's Diary, is the private diary of Chiang Kai-shek, spanning from 1915 to July 21, 1972, when he was unable to continue writing due to muscular dystrophy in his hands. Covering a total of 57 years, it is the most complete and detailed diary of any Chinese leader in history.However, the diaries from 1915, 1916, and 1917 were lost during a retreat following an attack by Beiyang Army forces in Yongtai County, Fujian Province, at the end of 1918. Only 13 days of the 1915 diary remain. Chiang later wrote A Brief Account of the Six Preceding Years of the Republic of China to recount his personal history before 1917. Although frequently cited by scholars, this work is not part of the diary. The 1924 diary is believed to have been lost during his time at the Whampoa Military Academy.Both Mainland Chinese and Taiwanese scholars regard this diary as highly authentic and authoritative, challenging the official narratives previously upheld by both the Chinese Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party.

Chiang Zhongzheng's diary was initially kept by Chiang himself. After his death, it was passed to Chiang Ching-kuo for safekeeping. Following Chiang Ching-kuo's death, the diary was entrusted to Chiang Hsiao-yung, and after his passing, it was handed over to Chiang Fang Zhiyi. In late 2004, researchers Guo Daijun and Ramon H. Myers from Stanford University's Hoover Institution obtained authorization from Chiang Fang Zhiyi. They personally visited the Chiang family in Canada and the United States to transfer the diaries to the Hoover Institution Library and Archives for preservation.

Chiang Kai-shek's diary is "temporarily stored in the archives of the Hoover Institution Library and Archives at Stanford University in the United States" and has been made available for researchers to access. The diary is available in microform, but a small portion of its content may be incomplete due to omissions or redactions made by Chiang Ching-kuo, Chiang Kai-shek himself, or other members of the Chiang family. Additionally, at the request of the Chiang family, the Hoover Institution has processed a small amount of content unrelated to historical research for privacy reasons. This portion of the diary will be fully disclosed in 2035.

On September 14, 2023, Chiang Kai-shek's diary was transported from Stanford University to Taiwan and became part of the collection of the National History Museum. On October 31, 2023, the National History Museum announced the publication of a seven-volume set of The Diary of Chiang Kai-shek covering the years 1948 to 1954, authorized by the Republic of China History and Culture Society.Chen Yishen, Director of the National History Museum, and Lu Fang, President of the Republic of China History and Culture Society, presented the seven volumes to Frederick Chien, Chairman of the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange, and Chiang Fang Zhiyi, Chairman of the Chiang Kai-shek Cultural and Educational Foundation.

Version

There are many versions of Chiang Kai-shek's diary

• Manuscript Version: The original handwritten manuscript.
• Copied Version: A replica created under Chiang Kai-shek's orders, copied exactly from the original. This version spans from 1920 to 1970, but the years 1924, 1948, and 1949 are missing.
• Categorized Copies:

Type 1: Compiled by Mao Sicheng, who categorized and copied sections of Chiang's diary. During the Cultural Revolution, the Mao family was targeted by the Red Guards, and the documents were discovered hidden within a wall. These eventually ended up in the Second Historical Archives of China in Nanjing.

Type 2: During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Chiang instructed Wang Yugao and Wang Yuzheng to classify and excerpt his diary into five categories: "Records of Hardships and Efforts," "Self-Reflection Notes," "Study Notes," "Love Notes," and "Travel Notes." The editors supplemented gaps in Chiang's diary with historical materials and polished the text. This version has since been published by the National History Museum.

Quoted Version: Known as "Draft of Historical Briefs," edited by Sun Yi. This includes Chiang Kai-shek's proclamations and correspondence from 1927 to 1949, alongside selected and refined portions of his diary. Other works citing Chiang's diary also exist but are not listed here.

Background

Chiang Zhongzheng's diary was meticulously written with an ink brush by Chiang himself in diary notebooks, starting in 1919 and continuing until his illness in 1972. The original text contained no punctuation, which was added by later generations. However, the sheer volume of the diary makes it a challenging and time-consuming task to interpret.

Hoover Institution

At the end of 2004, Chiang Fang Zhiyi transferred the original private diaries of Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo (collectively referred to as the "Two Chiang Diaries") to the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in the United States for temporary storage for 50 years. Elena Danielson, Director of the Hoover Institution Archives, stated that they currently hold over 100 manuscript collections from figures in modern Chinese history, and the Two Chiang Diaries are only temporarily deposited for safekeeping. Guo Daijun, who served as Deputy Director of the First Bureau of the Presidential Office during the Lee Teng-hui administration, had been hired by the Hoover Institution five years earlier. According to Guo, the agreement between the Hoover Institution and the Chiang family specifies that the Two Chiang Diaries are "deposited" at the Hoover Institution, but the institution does not "own" them. There remains the possibility that the diaries may eventually be returned to "Chinese territory.".

On March 25, 2006, Kuomintang Chairman Ma Ying-jeou and Chiang Fang Zhiyi visited Stanford University, where the original Chiang Kai-shek diaries (covering the years 1917 to 1931) were made public for the first time.

The "Modern China Archives and Special Collections" established by the Hoover Institution include materials such as the archives of the Chinese Kuomintang, the diaries of the two Chiangs, and the archives of the Chinese Women's Federation. Chen Cheng donated original documents captured during his campaign to suppress the Communist Party in Jiangxi, including those seized from the CCP's stronghold in Ruijin, to the Hoover Institution. Chang Kia-ngau, a key figure in the administration of Northeast China during the post-World War II era, also contributed his personal documents to the Hoover Institution. Additionally, T.V. Soong's documents and the diaries of the two Chiangs are now part of the Hoover Institution's collection. Prominent figures such as former Premier of the Republic of China Hau Pei-tsun, Tang Fei, and former President of the Control Yuan Wang Tso-jung, along with other senior Kuomintang leaders, have also entrusted their personal documents and archives to the Hoover Institution for safekeeping.

Court protection order

On September 25, 2013, Stanford University filed a lawsuit regarding Chiang Kai-shek's diaries in the California court where it is located. The university's appointed attorney stated that the purpose of the lawsuit was to request the court to determine whether Chiang's diaries should continue to be held by Stanford University or returned to the descendants of the Chiang family, rather than to adjudicate the ownership of the diaries. Only Chiang Fang Zhiyi had signed an agreement with the university to deposit Chiang's diaries, but the ownership of the diaries belongs collectively to the descendants of the Chiang family. Therefore, the university's current authorization to hold the diaries is incomplete.

The joint heirs to the ownership of Chiang's diaries are: Chiang Hsiao-chang, Chiang Tsai Hui-mei, Chiang Fang Zhiyi, Chiang Yo-mei, Chiang Yo-lan, Chiang Yo-song, Demos Chiang, Chiang Yo-chang, and Chiang Yo-ching.

On June 19, 2020, the Taipei District Court in Taiwan ruled that portions of Chiang Kai-shek's diaries created during his tenure as President constitute state-owned cultural artifacts of the Republic of China and should be managed by the National History Museum. The remaining portions were ruled to be jointly owned by the descendants of the Chiang family.

On July 11, 2023, following a series of legal rulings and a settlement between the National History Museum and the Chiang family, the Federal District Court in San Jose, California, USA, ruled that the ownership of these documents would be transferred to the National History Museum.

National History Museum

According to the U.S. court ruling on July 11, 2023, Stanford University was required to transfer the complete documents to the National History Museum within 60 days. On September 14 of the same year, 59 boxes of diaries belonging to Chiang Kai-shek and his son, Chiang Ching-kuo, were successfully shipped to Taiwan and officially received and managed by the staff of the National History Museum. The first batch of selected diary contents is scheduled for publication in October 2023. Efforts are also underway to digitize the diaries for public research use in the near future.

Influence

Lu Fang, a professor in the Department of History at Tunghai University, stated that Chiang Kai-shek's diary reveals the journey of an "ordinary person" to becoming a "leader." There is no need to deliberately sanctify or demonize him. Many people know that Chiang was extremely thrifty—he mended his own clothes, was not picky about food, and lived simply despite having dentures. Chiang did not drink alcohol or smoke and only drank boiled water, leading a very modest life.

From Chiang's diary, we can see that he found it easy to form alliances but also to make enemies. His ability to form alliances might be attributed to his life experiences in Shanghai, while his tendency to make enemies could be linked to his personality. The diary shows that he was harsh in criticizing others, displayed a military demeanor, and embodied a mix of modernity and tradition. However, his love for reading distinguished him from typical military figures, giving him a somewhat scholarly temperament.

Chiang admitted to having a bad temper, often scolding civilian officials harshly and physically reprimanding soldiers. Although he tried to control himself, his personality appeared difficult to change. He was diligent in his duties and placed great importance on documents, frequently drafting manuscripts and speeches himself.History should be studied with a focus on human nature, and this diary offers a rare resource for research with a genuine "human touch.".

Guo Daijun stated that Chiang Kai-shek's diary often includes text analyzing current international affairs as well as newspaper clippings. Chiang’s diary demonstrates that he had a broad perspective, often approaching problems from multiple angles, which contributed to his accomplishments. His diary also describes the tragic scenes of ruined farmhouses and displaced people, expressing his heartbreak for those suffering in dire circumstances. He was deeply concerned with national issues—not only military affairs but also the livelihoods of the people.

Yang Tianshi, a researcher at the IInstitute of Modern History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences， noted that Chiang Kai-shek's diary, spanning over 50 years, provides valuable insights into his inner world and many unknown historical secrets. The diary was primarily written for Chiang's personal use rather than for posterity. It is characterized by its authenticity and expressiveness, serving as a tool for memoranda, organizing work and life, moral self-cultivation, summarizing life experiences, or venting emotions.

Further reading

• Hau Pei-tsun, "Chiang Kai-shek's Diary 1945-1949: Five Years from the Peak to the Bottom", 2010, Taipei: Tianxia Culture{郝柏村，《蒋公日记1945-1949: 从颠峰到谷底的五年》，2010，台北：天下文化}
• Ruan Daren, "Chiang Zhongzheng's Diary Revealed"{阮大仁，《蒋中正日记揭密》}