Early in his life Chiang became a disciple of Dr. Sun Yat-sen (a Chinese physician and a Christian) and worked with him in his attempts to overthrow the corrupt Manchu dynasty and unify China under a constitutional republic. After training at a Chinese military academy, and at Japan's Military Staff College, Chiang rose rapidly in his military career under Sun Yat-sen. In 1923, Dr. Sun Yat-sen sent Chiang to study the Bolshevik system in the Soviet Union. Here Chiang received insight into the communist system that enabled him to prevent an early attempt by the Communists to take over the government of China. Because of his observations Chiang wrote, "I became more convinced than ever that Soviet political institutions were instruments of tyranny and terror. . . . nil Chiang's Christian conversion came about as a result of his marriage to Soong Mayling, the daughter of a prominent Chinese Methodist minister and Bible publisher. After careful study of the Bible, as he had promised Madame Soong that he would undertake, Chiang became a profound Christian for the rest of his life, regularly searching the Scriptures for guides to ruling China. In 1928, Chiang answered a call to become chairman of the Nationalist Party's Central Committee. From this elevated position he and Madame Chiang were to exercise tremendous influence upon their people throughout China. Realizing that China needed a moral regeneration, he and Madame Chiang began what they 123 Babylon's War Against God