The GMD
During its quest to reunify China, the GMD not only faced difficulties from the warlords but from internal struggles as well. Even though a political rearrangement lessened these difficulties in the 1930s, but this was not seen in the country. In 1933, GMD soldiers were sent to dispel a rebellion brought, but instead became swayed by communist propaganda, splitting into its own ( albeit small) faction and attempted to rally the people against the Japanese. The GMD also severely mismanaged resources, moving Jiang Xueliang's troops to Northern China, exposing Manchuria. These events in the first decade of the Nanjing government drained many resources from the new government, leaving it in a vulnerable position. These events eventually led to Japan invading Manchuria, as they believed to conquer the world they first had to conquer China. The disorder of China led Japan to believe in order to conquer China, China could not be allowed to reunify. This event is significant in the rise of China, as it helped turn public opinion against the GMD.
Main Points
Main Points
- Weak GMD caused by
- Internal Struggles
- A lot of resources dedicated to fighting the Japanese
- Unpopular with the majority of China
- Japanese Invasion caused by
- Want of a divided China
- Believed conquering China was necessary to rule the world
- Wanted the resource rich area of Manchuria
- Acquisition of Manchuria would allow Japanese to immigrate, lowering the strain on Japanese resources
- Kwantung Army grew out of control of the Parliamentary government
The Long March
The Long March
The Second World War
Even though China's role in WWII is not as well known as that played by the UK, USSR, and US, China had played a large role in fighting the Axis powers in Asia. China entered the war in 1937, with the Second Sino-Japanese War. China was key to the Allied strategy, keeping the Japanese troops on the Chinese mainland. China's role of receiving the brunt of the Japanese attack was key in the rise of the CCP, using its resistance against the Japanese to bolster its appeal. The CCP also greatly expanded its territory through radical social reform, as well as increased popularity through the perceived uselessness of the Nationalist government.
The end of the war brought an end to the influence of the British and Japanese empires in China, but would increase the influence of the USSR and US. It also began the process of rebuilding China, as well as the rise of the CCP as the dominant party in China. WWII would also shape China's foreign policy for the rest of the 20th century, with much friction still existing between China and Japan. In post-war China, the war against Japan was used as a major rallying point for the new CCP. However, the accounts would describe the GMD as an inefficient, corrupt, and weak government that used its resources to fight the Communists instead of withstanding the foreign aggression of the Japanese.
Main Points
The end of the war brought an end to the influence of the British and Japanese empires in China, but would increase the influence of the USSR and US. It also began the process of rebuilding China, as well as the rise of the CCP as the dominant party in China. WWII would also shape China's foreign policy for the rest of the 20th century, with much friction still existing between China and Japan. In post-war China, the war against Japan was used as a major rallying point for the new CCP. However, the accounts would describe the GMD as an inefficient, corrupt, and weak government that used its resources to fight the Communists instead of withstanding the foreign aggression of the Japanese.
Main Points
- 20th century China shaped by WWII
- CCP used WWII as propaganda
- Mitter (Historian) believes that the Nationalists fell due to domestic attack, domestic dislocation, and unreliable allies