The War With Japan, 1937-45

What was the war between China and Japan?

This was a war between China and Japan, fought over Chinese territory which Japan had invaded. It is also known as the Second Sino-Japanese War.

When was the Japanese War?

The war began in July 1937 and ended in September 1945.

Who fought in the Japanese War?

The Chinese forces consisted of both the GMD and the CCP. This became known as the Second United Front. The Second United Front then fought against the Imperial Japanese Army.

Why did the Japanese War begin?

The war began as a result of the Japanese invasion of China, and occurred for 5 main reasons:

• ❖ After the invasion of Manchuria in 1931, Japan had continued to consolidate its position in China. From 1937, Japan began to expand to other regions.
• ❖ At first, Chiang had allowed this to occur as he was more concerned with the fight against the communists. However, warlords became concerned at this policy and petitioned Chiang to remove the Japanese.
• ❖ Due to this pressure, Chiang forced an alliance with the communists called the Second United Front with the goal of removing Japanese influence in China.

What were the key events of the Japanese War?

There were 7 key events in the war with Japan:

• ❖ July 1937: Chiang declared war against Japan.
• ❖ July 1937-December 1937: There were major losses across the north east of China, with Japan taking control across the area through to Shanghai. It also gained control of Guangzhou in the south.
• ❖ December 1937: The Rape of Nanking. Defeat looked imminent, with 30,000 Chinese soldiers killed, and an estimated 20,000 women raped during the battle for Nanjing, the GMD capital.
• ❖ December 1937 onwards: China reverted to guerrilla warfare, with the Red Army having huge success. New recruits and the new tactics provided resistance against the Japanese.
• ❖ May 1941: The Allies begin to supply China with sending Lend-Lease supplies and resources for their fight against Japan.
• ❖ December 1941: Japan bombed the US naval base at Pearl Harbour. Due to the attack, China became one of the wartime Allies along with the USA, Great Britain and the Soviet Union. China recieved more men and supplies from the Allies.
• ❖ August 1945: Japan was heavily weakened after years of Allied attacks on its main islands. The war ended following the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan.

What was the CCP's role in the Japanese War?

The CCP played an important role supplying vital troops and launching the Hundred Regiments Offensive in 1940. This, plus guerrilla warfare, halted the Japanese invasion.

What was the GMD's role in the Japanese War?

The GMD suffered heavily during the war due to a preoccupation with undermining the communists, rather than fighting the Japanese. Due to recruitment tactics and the limited impact it had on the war, public support for the GMD decreased.

What impact did the Second World War have on China and the war with Japan?

The Second World War affected China in 11 ways:

• ❖ The Second Sino-Japanese War began with the invasion of China in 1937 and became part of the Second World War in December 1941, after Britain and the USA were attacked by Japan.
• ❖ China became one of the main allied nations in the Second World War by declaring war on Japan, Germany and Italy days after the USA declared war on Japan.
• ❖ China was a key ally and became one of the Big Four, along with the USA, Britain and the Soviet Union. This intensified the war in China, as Japan became increasingly desperate to force China to surrender.
• ❖ In 1944, the Japanese began their largest offensive of the Second World War. They used over 500,000 men in Operation Ichi-Go to try and destroy American airfields in China and link up with their forces occupying Vietnam.
• ❖ The Japanese adopted a scorched earth policy in China called the 'Three Alls Campaign': 'Kill all, burn all, loot all.' These campaigns were directed against China's civilian population and killed millions.
• ❖ The USA and the Soviet Union recognised Chiang Kai-shek as President of the Republic of China and supplied large amounts of arms and equipment to nationalist forces.
• ❖ In 1945, China under Chiang, was recognised as one of the victorious allied powers. However, at least 25 million Chinese people had died.
• ❖ By 1945, the Chinese economy had been destroyed and there was severe inflation.
• ❖ The Second United Front had collapsed in 1941 and, by 1945, China was already in the early stages of another period of civil war.
• ❖ The CCP had increased its territory and communist China was now more popular than nationalist China.
• ❖ By 1945, the CCP were skilled fighters and party membership numbered over 1.2 million.