MAO’S RED CHINA

The Threat From Japan

Japanese Expansion

• Japan Begins Taking Land from China at End of 1800s

• Japan Gains More Land after Russo-Japanese War 1904-05

• Expansion into Korea in 1910

• WWI Gains Japan More Land

Manchuria

• Manchuria Greatly Desired by Japan

• By 1927, Japan fully Controls Manchurian Economy

• Japanese Support fo Manchurian Warlord, Zhang Zuolin

• Threat to Japanese Control by Chiang Kaishek

The Attraction of ManchuriaIt is an area of 192,000 square kilometers, having a population of 28 million people. The territory is more than three times as large as our own empire, not counting Korea and Formosa, but it is inhabited by only 1/3 as many people. The attractiveness of the land does not arise from the scarcity of the population alone; its wealth of forestry, minerals and agricultural products is also unrivalled elsewhere in the world. In order to exploit these resources…we created especially the South Manchurian Railway Company. The total investment in our undertakings in railways, shipping, mining, forestry, steel manufacture, agriculture, and in cattle raising…amount to no less than 440 million yen. It is veritably the largest single investment and the strongest organization of our country.

- Prime Minister of Japan, Tanaka, to the Emperor

The Manchurian Incident

• Japan Troubled by the Great Depression

• Desire for New Colonies to increase Japanese Resource Base & Trade

• The Manchurian Incident• Japanese Invasion• Will China Resist?• League of Nations Fails

Towards a United Front

• Long-standing anti-foreign feelings in China

• Boycotts of Japanese Goods

• Desire for Chiang Kaishek to confront Kwantung Army

• Red Army Calls for National Uprising

No longer did the Chinese buy Japanes toys and bicycles and phonograph records. No longer did the Chinese firms handle Japanese merchandise. Those who had ordered Japanese goods a few weeks ago no declined to accept them. Chinese banks refused to honor Japanese bills of lading even when the necessary funds had been deposited before. Japanese commodities piled up on Shanghai’s piers, clogged the warehouses. More than 700,000 tons of cargo had been rejected and could not be disposed of. When a Japanese ship was in ports, Chinese pickets would prevent passengers from boarding it or would go after them and throw them overboard. Whoever was caught buying anything made in Japan was summarily dealt with.

- American Journalist in Shanghai

Another Extermination Campaign

• Chiang Kaishek Ignores Communists for United Front

• Another Extermination Campaign against the Communists

• Zhang Xueliang Strikes a deal with the Communists

The Xian Incident

• Zhang Xueliang takes Chiang Kaishek Prisoner

• Chiang Held for 2 Weeks

• Discussions held to Determine Fate of Chiang

• Chiang Released only after Committing to United Front

Sun Mingzhiu hailed him, and the Generalissimo’s first words were, “If you are my comrade, shoot me and finish it all.” To which Sun replied, “We will not shoot you. We only ask you to lead our country against Japan.” “The past is the past”, Sun said to him. “From now on there must be a new policy for China. What are you going to do? The one urgent task is for China to fight Japan. This is the special demand of the men of the North-East. Why do you not fight Japan, but instead give orders to fight the Red Army?” “I am the leader of the Chinese people” Chiang shouted. “I represent the nation. I think my policy is correct…”

- Captain Sun Mingzhiu account of the Xian Incident

A United Front

• Agreement Just in Time

• Japan Invades Coastal China

• Japanese Troops Attack Beijing and Spread