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Contributor: C. Peter Chen

China had been in political turmoil since the 1911 revolution, but by 1928, the Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, had largely consolidated the power from the capital of Nanjing, although a significant part of China was still ruled by local warlords with friendly relations with the Nanjing government. In the early- to mid-1930s, Nationalist government was able to significantly improve the country's infrastructure and stablize the economy. Since the establishment of the Republic of China in 1912, sovereignty had slowly been returning to Chinese hands from the European imperial powers, and relationships with the west had also been improving. Foreign nations such as and the Soviet Union and Germany contributed much to the rise of modern China in this period.

Behind the steady progress was the Nationalist Party's one-party system, which was maintained by brutal force whenever necessary. The suppression of political freedom deeply divided the chasm between the Nationalist Party and the opposition Community Party of China. Ironically, if there was one thing that helped bridged the differences between the two parties, it was Japanese aggression. Though each aimed to control China, both spent significant efforts to resist the increasing levels of demands from Japan. Japan's violation of Chinese sovereignty started as early as 1931 when Japanese troops entered northeastern China, also known as Manchuria, which had a population of about 30,000,000. On 18 Feb 1932, Japan established the puppet nation of Manchukuo, forcefully taking Manchuria away from China. The League of Nations attempted to interfere with Japan's aggression toward China, but failed. With the former Emperor of China, Puyi, nominally at the helm of the puppet nation, Japan used Manchukuo for its rich resources as well as its strategic location to counter Soviet influence in the area. The League of Nations protested, but it did little to ease Japanese aggression; in fact, Japan further assaulted China in the First Battle of Shanghai in 1932, First Battle of Hebei in 1933, and supported a Mongolian invasion of northern China in the Battle of Suiyuan in 1936. Finally, on 7 Jul 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War began with a full-scale invasion. Chinese leader Generalissimo Chiang Kaishek, previously stressed the need to unite China by defeating the communists before dealing with external aggression, was kidnapped during the Xi'an Incident and forced to temporarily ally with the communists. Although the two groups fought side-by-side nominally, in actuality the Nationalists bore the greater part of the fighting against Japan. Periodically, Chiang also found his excuses to weaken communist strength when convenient.

The city of Shanghai on the Chinese coast fell under Japanese control in Oct 1937, followed by the capital of Nanjing two months later. Japanese troops committed atrocities, with the most brutal example shown with the Rape of Nanjing, where 50,000 to 300,000 Chinese, mostly civilians and prisoners of war, were murdered and 20,000 women of all ages were raped. Although out-gunned and out-maneuvered by Japanese troops, the Chinese were determined and were resilient. Fighting primarily a defensive war, the Chinese made use of the vastness of China Proper to trap more and more Japanese troops in this large theater as occupation troops, preventing them from being used offensively in the China-Burma-India Theater or as garrison troops in the Pacific War.

At the end of the war, over 2,000,000 Japanese lived in China, most of whom in Manchuria. Nearly all were deported back to Japan after the war.

The eight-year war ended with a great cost on the Chinese population with about 20,000,000 perishing in the conflict, 16,000,000 of that figure civilian. Inflation grew to dangerous levels in the post-war economy, and the situation was worsened by rampant corruption in the Nationalist government. Meanwhile, the Soviet troops that invaded the puppet nation of Manchukuo remained there, providing a safe haven for the Chinese Communists to build up strength and gathered surrendered Japanese equipment. In Mar 1946, the civil war restarted, and a year later the Communist capital of Yenan was taken by the Nationalists, which enjoyed a military advantage and had monetary support from the United States. The Communists quickly turned the tide, however. Through effective propaganda campaigns and popular land reform policies, the Communists secured loyalty from the massive farmer population, thus providing the Communists a nearly unlimited pool of resources from which they could recruit manpower. By late 1947, the Communists had taken control all of northeastern China. Chiang Kaishek suggested an offensive into the northeast, but US Secretary of State George Marshall convinced Chiang to wait, hoping the civil war could end via diplomatic means; although a Nationalist offensive might or might not had been successful, the pause meant the Nationalists had now given away any chance of seizing the initiative. In 1948, the Communists launched an offensive of their own into China Proper, rapidly pushing back Nationalists forces. On 31 Jan 1949, Beiping was declared secure by the Communists. On 21 Apr, the Chinese capital of Nanjing fell under Communist control. The Nationalist government first fled to Guangzhou on 23 Apr, then Chongqing on 15 Oct, followed by Chengdu on 25 Nov.

Relocation of the Republic of China to Taiwan

On 10 Dec 1949, the Nationalists abandoned all positions in mainland China and relocated the Republic of China to the island of Taiwan on 10 Dec 1949. The Nationalists were able to secure quantities of gold reserves and various cultural treasures to Taiwan before they could be captured by the Communists. The Republic of China still remains in Taiwan today with the capital in the city of Taipei. Mainland China today is occupied by a new country formed by the Communist forces which claimed victory in 1949; the communist People's Republic of China renamed Beiping ("Northern Peace") to Beijing ("Northern Capital") to serve as its capital.

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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Gregg Heilman says:
   6 Mar 2010 06:51:12 AM
   
   I was at our doctors' office a few years ago when I read a review of Iris Chang's' book "The Rape Of Nanjing". As soon as I was able to purchase a copy I did.
   
   What the Japanese did to the people of this country and to the citizens of Nanjing really necessitated a stronger response from the US military authorities after the war.
   
   Iris Chang said once she hoped people would read the book and then pass it on.
   
   I contacted some individuals during a search for the book. There is site dedicated to the "Rape of Nan I told them my father had been at Hickam on 12/7/1941. Before going into the Pacific after the Japanese their Units were shown movies of Nankjing. These movies were smuggled out of China.
   
   My father told us of seeing the using of Chinese POWs as living Bayonet dummies and the burying alive of thousands of Chinese.
   
   The Air Corp wanted the men to know what to expect from the Japanese if captured.
   
   The Japanese continue to deny these events took place. The trail of guilt goes to the house of the emperor of Japan. He had relation who were at Nanjing.
   
   Many of the Japanese still deny or haven't been taught of their terrible treatment of POWs and population groups during the war.
   
   Get the book, rent the DVD or search but find out and educate yourself as to what the Japanese leadership approved of and the real crimes committed during the war.
   
   During the Rape of Nanjing two Japanese officers had a contest to see who could behead the most Chinese. Only after one Japanese officer damaged his sword trying to split a Chinese soldier through his helmet did they stop.
   
   At this time maybe 200 men had been behead total and the heads lined up at trophies.
   
   
2. Gregg Heilman says:
   6 Mar 2010 05:24:24 PM
   
   China is one of the worlds oldest and continued as one of the most advanced cultures for centuries. China had gun power, movable type and printed text centuries before Gutenberg printed his first Bible in Germany.
   
   Japan wanted be to thought of as a cultured and civilized society, and still wants to be held in a postion of respect and authority in the world.
   
   Germany has admitted and accepted blame for their world time crimes and has made restitution to many of its victims.
   
   When Japan takes blame and accepts responsibility for their crimes during the war then maybe people will think more highly of them. They continue to deny the Rape of Nanjing and the many other things they did with official approval during the war.
   
   My wife and I vacationed in Canada a few years ago. We went to the International Peace Memorial. The Tour Guide told us how the Pope had brought water from the Peace Memorial at the Atomic Bomb Memorial in Japan and put it into the fountain in Canada's Peace Memorial.
   
   I said while he was at it he should have brought water from Pearl Harbor. Then I added there would never have been any need for the bombs if the Japanese hadn't first bombed Pearl Harbor and committed the crimes they did in World War II. A good number of other tourists said I was right and agreed with me.
   
   If you go to these links there is plenty of proof of the Japanese crimes against the Chinese and many POWs. Be prepared it is graphic evidence of the crimes.
   
   http://www.gendercide.org/case_nanking.html
   
   
   http://www.centurychina.com/wiihist/njmassac/rape.htm
   
   
   http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/nanking.htm
   
   
   http://www.centurychina.com/wiihist/njmassac/nmintro.htm
   
   
   http://www.centurychina.com/wiihist/njmassac/killgame.htm
   
   
   http://www.centurychina.com/wiihist/njmassac/killrive.htm
   
   
   
   
   
3. Daniel P. says:
   30 Mar 2010 08:41:10 AM
   
   Passing blame and judgement on a generation far removed from historic atrocites is both fruitless and inappropriate. This applies to all nations and cultures.
   
   I'm fairly certain that the Japanese of today do not share the same views that permitted such behavior in WW2.
   Much the same way that we can't assume all Germans are somehow homicidal racists.
   Or that all Americans are automatically pro-slavery.
   
   The events of the past should be studied and learned from, so as not to repeat mistakes. But in no way are the current generations responsible for the actions of their ancestors.
   
   That aside, for a long time in Japan to admit defeat was a great shame. And the practice of suicide in place of shame wasn't terribly uncommon. This same attitude was expressed toward their enemies as well. Those who admitted defeat and gave themselves up were of greater shame for not ending their own lives, and thus had no rights as humans.
   
   MOST of the world found this to be rather appalling, but such was the culture at the time. But again, things change. And it would be unfair to discriminate against modern Japan, or any other nation, based on a cultural relic of their past.

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