Short-term causes of Chinese civil war Flashcards
When was the Second Sino-Japanese war?
1937-45
Officially began in July 1937
Describe relations between China and Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War
- The Nationalists and the CCP focused on their common enemy, Japan.
- However, tensions between these two parties remained high throughout the war.
- When Japan was defeated in 1945, war between the two sides for control of China was inevitable.
What role did the US play in the Second Sino-Japanese War and how did this work out?
- By the time the Japanese were defeated in 1945, the CCP had been strengthened, and the Nationalists also enjoyed increased military power by means of aid from the USA.
- However, the Nationalists lost the battle for the popular support of the Chinese people due to their initial reluctance to fight the Japanese and their failure to prevent the Japanese occupation.
Describe the beginning of Japan’s advance into China (Rape of Nanjing)
- It was rapid and brutal. Shanghai had fallen by October 1937 and the capital Nanjing fell in December.
- During the Rape of Nanjing as many as 300,000 Chinese civilians were murdered, and thousands raped and tortured.
What action by Chiang (and when was it?) weakened support for the nationalist?
In October 1938, Chiang moved China’s capital to Chongqing in what he saw as a strategic withdrawal, but this was unpopular with many civilians who felt that the Nationalists were abandoning them by withdrawing beyond the reach of Japan’s military.
Describe Japan’s progress in Japan by September 1944
- By September 1944, Japan occupied all of southern and eastern China, leaving the Nationalists isolated in Chongqing and increasingly unpopular among the Chinese population.
- In total, the Nationalists lost half a million troops to the war effort.
Describe how the Japanese carried out attacks on the Chinese and give examples
-The Japanese subjected the Nationalists in Chongqing to relentless aerial bombardment.
It was hard for the Nationalists to maintain supplies after Burma fell to the Japanese in 1942, so food was scarce.
- This led to inflation, and starvation was common in Chongqing.
- The USA militarily assisted the Nationalists, and airlifted vital supplies over the Himalayas.
Describe the role of the CCP during the Second Sino-Japanese War and how the Japanese reaction to it
- CCP-controlled territory in the north grew in size from its base at Yanan.
- The CCP’s land reforms won it support.
- The Japanese forces in the north only really worried about controlling the cities and railway lines, leaving the countryside to the CCP.
What military tactices did the Communists utilize during the Second Sino-Japanese War?
- Guerilla warfare
- Propaganda
- Increasing membership
Give an example of how the Communists utilized guerilla warfare in the SSJW
They used guerrilla warfare to combat Japanese troops and disrupt their supply lines, such as the Hundred Regiments Campaign in July and August 1940, during which Japanese railways to coalmines in Jingxing were destroyed.
Give an example of how the Communists utilized propaganda in the SSJW
They used propaganda to generate support, such as in January 1941 when the Nationalists killed 3000 of the Communist Fourth Route Army for entering an area south of the Yangtze River; CCP propaganda vilified Chiang for attacking fellow Chinese instead of Japanese troops.
Give an example of how the Communists utilized increasing membership in the SSJW
They increased membership from 22,000 members in 1936 to 1,200,000 in 1945, and an increase in the size of the Red Army from 22,000 in 1936 to 910,000 in 1945.
Historiography on causes of SSJW
When did Japan surrender?
August 1945
Describe Japan’s surrender and the beginning of the Chinese Civil War
- Japan formally surrendered to the Allies, including the USA, the USSR and the Nationalist Chinese government, on 2 September 1945.
- The CCP and Nationalists worked rapidly to take the previously Japanese-held territories.
- They would gain not only land, but also weapons from surrendering Japanese soldiers.
- The civil war resumed.
