Trying to figure out more about the man. I've heard some say he was one of the most corrupt people who ever lived and took everything he could while winning political allies by looking the other way. And I have also heard some claim he wanted to do good but was just overwhelmed by rebellions, warlords, communists, Japanese, etc.
A little from column A, a little from column B.
I'm no expert on the period, but reading the secondary sources, I get the idea that Chiang Kai-shek was genuinely interested in creating a viable sovereign Chinese state. That said, I think he often lacked a certain amount of political foresignt, and made some poor decisions, but so do lots of other people. I also think that as long as the current government of the PRC continues to view Chiang as a enemy of the people and the state, it will become harder and harder to write an fair assessment of the overall leadership and politics of the early Chinese republic.