For more than a decade after the founding of the Republic of China in 1911, the country was mostly ruled by warlords and at the mercy of the imperialist powers because of lacking a true revolutionary army. During this period the Republic existed in name only. In 1924 Dr. Sun Yat-sen decided to establish a military academy at Whampoa in Guangdong Province, and he appointed Chiang Kai-shek to be superintendent of the Academy. " This Academy was to bear the responsibility for training revolutionary cadres and establishing a revolutionary army. On June 16,at the ceremony marking the beginning of classes at the Academy held on June 16th, Dr. Sun Yat-sen proclaimed the school motto of “esprit de corps,” and issued a written exhortations. The text of the exhortation was: "The Three Principles of the People is the doctrine of our Party. We will establish a republic, promote unity, and gather worthy individuals to serve as the vanguard of the People. We will work diligently day and night in obedience to the tenets of our doctrine. We vow to be brave and hard-working. "We shall be loyal trustworthy, of one heart and one mind from the beginning to the end of our undertaking.