Why was northern dialect chosen as national language in 1932?

This really makes me wonder. Republic of China was almost entirely economically based on South, that is Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou. It had very little control over other parts of China other than Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Guangdong and Fujian so most of the actual citizens that were under ROC law were from there to which Beijing dialect was not native. Great deal of politically and militarily influencial ROC people were Southerners who could not speak northern speech.

Although Japan was already notorious for its imperialism, in 1932 nothing would hint future destruction during war years (both Japan and civil war) but North was pretty undeveloped compared to South. Especially Shanghai which in certain years it alone made for (if I remember correctly) 90% income from trade. So I don't think that even succesful unification of the country could balance out or bring back priority to the North.

So why was Beijing dialect chosen as the national language? Was it maybe because it stresses the pronounciation over the tones and could pay off in the long run as simplification of a sort? Or maybe there were other reasons for it?

submitted by /u/iSailor
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