War with Japan

Events

1931 attack in Manchuria 1932 attack in Shanghai and brief occupation 1932 Set up Manchukuo with last Emperor Pu yi Negotiations with CKS Communists declare war on Japan 1933 Japan occupies Jehe 1933 Tanggu Truce with China 1935 Japanese take over Hebei 1936 Formation of the Second United Front 1937 Marco Polo Bridge incident

The Spark: A missing soldier

Background: Why did Japan attack China?

Causes of WW2 in the Pacific

Military:

Japan unable to control military Parliament and Military conflict Assassination of moderate Japanese politicians Depression and its effects In September 1931 the Kwantung army precipitated

the crisis Japanese govt. unable to deal with the crisis In 1932, Japan occupied Shanghai briefly Jiang Jieshi ( CKS) response also

emboldened the Japanese

Rise of Chinese nationalism

Manchuria and China proper became very important areas for Japanese investment

These threatened by periodic riots, boycotts and attacks on Japanese concessions

May 1928 attack on Jinan

Assassination of warlord Zhang Tso-lin Son on Zhang Tsolin a committed

Nationalist

Tanggu Truce 1933

What were the implications China withdraws from Manchuria and

Hebei province is demilitarized This leaves Beijing and its entry point

Tianjin defenceless In 1935 Japan encroaches on Hebei

Chinese response to Japan

Ironically Chiang Kai Shek would refuse to confront them, preferring to negotiate until 1936

Chinese communists protested and the protests led to the punitive action of Japan ….invasion of Jehe

Chinese nationalist protests, march to Beijing to protest ineffectiveness of CKS

CCP claimed that it did much to incite protests against Japanese Chinese intellectuals formed the Shanghai National Salvation

Association to protest Japanese invasions in 1935 This was followed by a National Salvation Association and criticized

CKS This group demanded a United Front of all peoples and parties to

stop Japanese aggression.

National Salvation Association

Demanded new United Front Authorised a series of strikes in

Japanese owned textile factories Japan demanded the arrest of the

‘seven gentlemen’ or leaders of the NSA Zhang Zueliang who was sent by CKS to

deal with Communists in Shaanxi was now involved in deal.

Second United Front Kidnapping of CKS in Xian Zhang called for a coalition government

and end civil war Called for a National Salvation

Conference CKS agreed to Second Front after two

weeks CKS released, Zhang court martialled and

arrested and under house arrest till 1990

Why Second United Front?

In March 1936 the CCP demanded called for a suspension of the Civil War and formation of a United Front to resist Japan

Allegedly NSA’s were communist fronts Zhou En Lai is believed to have had discussions with

Zhang Zueliang Zhou not involved in the Xian incident but negotiated

CKS’s release Zhou is believd to have indicated to CKS that the

CCP accepted CKS as leader providing he committed to resistance to Japan

Evaluation of Xian Incident

A turning point in Chinese history Nationalist writers say it saved Communists from annihilation For communist it was an opportunity to strike back against the

Japanese In a sense CCP agreement at Xian marks the Comintern directive

to involve itself with non fascist groups to resist Fascism In 1937 the Second Front was confirmed. Both sides made

concessions CCP agreed to drop the name Red army and place its troops under

CKS command The Soviet republic of China ( CCP controlled areas) would

become a special region, confiscation of land from lanldlords to stop

GMD concessions to CCP

In return for agreement to place CCP troops under central command

CCP areas were special regions GMD agreed to stop civil war , release

political prisoners GMD agreed to hold a joint National

Salvation conference with CCP to discuss resistance to Japan

Marco Polo Bridge: Accident or Attack?

The missing soldier prompted aggression between Japan and China

Japanese demands for GMD forces to withdraw from Beijing were met with resistance.

Resultant massacre of several towns around Beijing

This time CKS offered no concessions

War comes to China in 1937

Fall of Beijing followed by Shanghai and then Nanking

Attack on Shanghai was an attempt by CKS to draw the Japanese deeper into the conflict

A failure for CKS but it failed to provide a clear victory for the Japanese either.

Gradually this developed into a war of attrition for both sides

Attack on Shanghai Aug-Nov ‘37

CKS aimed to attack Japanese warships

Bombs failed to reach target

This led to a bitter engagement between Chinese and Japanese forces

Huge casualties on both sides

GMD forces fell back on Nanjing

Nanjing December 1937

Next major stand at Nanjing Japanese took control of this city in

December 1937 Followed by the ‘Rape of Nanjing’ It is believed that this was retaliation

for the attacks on the Japanese consulate in 1926-27

GMD forces retreat further

Move towards Chongqing

Li Zongren inflicts a defeat on the Japanese but CKS fails to capitalise on it.

CKS moves into Wuhan enroute to Chonqing 1500 kms east

1938 CKS ordered dykes to be broken to check Japanese advance towards Chongqing

Immense hardship to ordinary Chinese who had no warning

This left a legacy of bitterness and reduced support for the GMD

1937-1938

CKS aided by CKS Red Army under Marshal Georgy

Zhukov stationed in Manchuria Japanese take Wuhan and Canton CKS cut off from access to the sea Japanese forces now seriously

stretched from Manchuria to Central China

Chongqing 1937-1945

CKS base till the end of the War Factories dismantled and moved up there Teacher, students and intellectuals move there Chonqing government was corrupt inefficient Since CKS lost control of key cities such as Shanghai andNanjing The loss of revenue meant CKS needed wealthy landlords for

support Also warlords tried to take advantage of the situation Rising inflation since CKS could not find the money he resorted to

printing more Extortion from peasants Land taxes reached their highest level and this at a time of

widespread famine In 1941 the United Front shows signs of break up CKS waited for intervention of foreign powers

Role of the Communist Party in the conflict? How did they benefit?

The war with Japan led to the rise two power centres

CKS based in Chongqing Mao develops an alternate base at Yanan

Eliminates or neutralises rivals such as Zhang Guotao and late Wang Ming

Mao paid lip service to aid from Moscow By 1941 Mao was gradually able to establish his

domination of the CCP It is during this time that Mao clearly establishes

himself as the leader of the Chinese Communist party

Yanan Decade: A contrast

More organised form of government at Yanan Mao attempts education reforms Specific Marxist elements were played down Landlords no longer the target Confiscation land abandoned in favour of

lowering of rents Anti Japanese themes encouraged Use of Guerrilla warfare to defeat Japanese

Life at Yanan

Mao’s flexible policy encouraged a steady growth in CCP membership

Likewise recruitment for the Red Army as the CCP was encouraging action against the Japanese

Now the CCP controls 8th Route Army under Peng Dehuai and Zhu De

New 4th Army In areas under Japanese control several

Communist controlled guerrilla groups sprang up

Communist successes

Unlike the litany of failure of the GMD CCP troops were better organised. Lin Biao won a victory in 1937 Hundred Regiment offensive launched

against the Japanese but causalties affected Communists and Japanese

Japanese response: Three All Kill All, Burn All, Loot All

Fighting between CKS and Mao

By 1941 United Front shows signs of disintegrating

The 4th Army attacked by CKS troops While this offensive led to serious

communist casualties it worked for the Communist

It worked as a propaganda message :Communists were willing to fight the Japanese while the GMD would fight the Communists

Foreign aid for CKS

Rising tensions between the US and Japan Embargo on export of scrap metal to Japan Sanctions on Oil

1941 the attack on Pearl harbour leads to US entry into the war CKS was appointed Supreme Commander of the China theatre Aid to CKS over the Himalayas, a dangerous and difficult task General Stilwell sent to help. Stilwell referred to CKS as the ‘Peanut’ Stilwell unimpressed by CKS’s dilatoriness In 1944 Stilwell replaced by Wedermeyer “ Chennault’s Flying Circus”, an attempt to provide airpower to CKS

ICHIGO OffensiveJapan’s last stand?

Took place in 1944 Exposed the military weakness of the

GMD. Emboldened the Communists to start

operating in areas held by the GMD Communists introduce mass mobilizations

and class struggle activiities which so far had been confined to border areas.

US Role in China So far US had only supported the GMD but

clearly there was a better trained force available

Also FDR policy had focused in getting the USSR involved in the Pacific War

GMD collapse before Operation Ichigo made the US consider the Communists in China as a potential ally against the Japanese.

Dixie mission sent to Yan’an in July 1944

Negotiations begin with GMD

USA anxious to get the Communists on board.

Mao presents his case as Agrarian reformers to avoid a repeat civil war.

Troubles with GMD start even then because CKS will not negotiate with Communists unless they disbanded their army which they refused to do

Yalta and CHina At Yalta, Stalin agreed to support CKS and

enter the war against Japan three months after victory in Europe

In return Stalin granted concessions in Manchuria Lease on naval base at Lushun Control Dalian an industrial centre Control of Manchurian railways

This increased communist suspicion of the US.

Post FDR Truman support for CKS and condemned

the Communists When bomb was dropped Truman no

longer needed the support of Stalin However CKS and Stalin negotiate to

from a Sino Soviet treaty of friendship In return for Soviet support to the

Nationalists, USSR would with draw from the Manchurian region after Japanese surrender

End of the War Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

ended the war one year earlier. Both CCP and GMD wanted to control

the territory controlled by the Japanese Japanese to surrended to Russians in

Manchuria and Chinese in China proper US flew Chinese troops into N. China to

accept surrender ( GMD troops were in the south

Confusion prevails Communists try to force surrender to them Nationalists encourage Japanese to fight

the Communists USSR occupies Manchuria and proceeds

to strip it as reparations In November when USSR had to withdraw

the GMD knew that they did not have adequate control and asked USSR to stay on.

Stage is set for the Civil War to follow….