Interwar Years (China + Japan)

Republic of China

Created after the fall of the Qing Dynasty with Sun Yat-Sen as the provisional president.

Sun Yat-sen

Provisional president of the ROC and founder of the GMD party. Lacked the strength to control China

Guomindang (Nationalist Party)

Created by Sun to modernize and unite China under a strong central government with his Three People's Principles

Yuan Shikai

When Sun resigned, Shikai became the new president. Yuan wanted monarchy, and many were mad when he tried to declare himself emperor. When he died he left China very weak

Warlord Era

From 1916 - 1927. Regional military governors ruled China. It was a disaster for China, especially the poor.

21 Demands

Japan had increased control over China, demanded territory, increased economic privileges and controlled parts of the Chinese government, police and military. Britain and the US opposed it. It increased anti-Japan sentiments around China and increased tensions between Japan and the US.

May Fourth Movement

Outrage over Versailles that gave Japan territory in China. It was led by students and intellectuals and laid the ground for communism.

Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

Started small but it was the communist movement for China. They were heavily influenced by the USSR as they gave guidance and money.

First United Front

Sun formed an alliance between CCP and GMD and both parties had benefits but still the alliance was uneasy.

Chiang Kai-Shek

Became leader of GMD when Sun died and he was anti communism. Led the Northern Expedition to defeat warlords in the North. Increased GMD control on China.

Northern Expedition

Led by Chiang-Kai Shek with a military campaign where warlords in the North were defeated. Increased GMD control in China

Shanghai Massacre

Start of 1st Phase of Chinese Civil War. Chiang ordered the purge of CCP members. Helped by warlords as it spread across China. 50-100k killed.

Chinese Civil War 1st Phase

1927-1937. Marked by the Shanghai Massacre where the GMD felt threatened by the CCP so they nearly destroyed the party however they fled to regroup.

Mao Zedong

1 of CCP founders. He disagreed with other CCP leaders because he wanted the CCP to tailor itself towards peasants as they were most of the population. Thought it followed the Soviets too much.

Autumn Harvest Uprising

Mao’s failed attempt to seize control of SE China. Mao and followers fled to the mountains.

Jiangxi Soviet

Largest soviet-style base.

The Long March

Jiang gathered a 700,000 man army to outnumber the communist and defeat them. 100k communists went on a 6k miles journey to escape nationalists but only 7-8k made it out alive.

Battle of the Xiang River

CCP faced heavy casualties and so they were forced to change their tactics.

Second United Front

Fighting ended in 1937 when Japan invaded China and forced the CCP and GMD into an alliance.

May 15 Incident

The Japanese prime minister was assassinated by radical navy officers.

Emperor Hirohito

The emperor of Japan, allowed the military to have a lot of power.

Anti-Comintern Pact

Japan formed an alliance with Germany vs communism.

Manchuria

Japan wanted to conquer this whole region because it was resource rich.

Mukden Incident

To justify invasion Japan blew up their railroads and blamed it on the Chinese.

Manchukuo

Puppet state with former Chinese emperor in power.

2nd Sino-Japanese War

Japan attempted to control China but they resisted a lot leading to a lot of deaths and destruction. War drained Japan’s resources even more.

Clash at Marco Polo Bridge

Japan used incident surrounding a missing soldier to justify war with China

Nanking Massacre

Very brutal example of Japanese occupation in China. In Sino-Japanese War

Yellow River Flood

Meant to slow Japanese advance. China opened dams along the Yellow River killing around 800k. Failed to stop Japan.

Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

Japan’s new “community” of nationals but it was really just hidden imperialism.

French Indochina

Had key natural resources. Led to economic sanctions from US

Pearl Harbor

Japan attacked to cripple the US military and get free reign of the Pacific.