What were the reasons for the poor performance of the GMD during the war with Japan?

What was Chiang’s attitude towards the CCP during the war?

He insisted on seeing them as the real enemy instead of the Japanese.

What did Chiang do because of this in Jan 1941?

Ordered his troops to attack the communists in south China

• Despite being meant to be allied in the second United Front

How did Chiang’s view of the CCP as the real enemy weaken the GMD?

• Created a stronger divide within the second United Front, where trust has already been frayed

• Gives CCP incentive to retaliate

• GMD have the wrong priorities, perhaps giving them a worse reputation with the population

Why did Chiang refuse American help during the Japanese’s new offensive in 1941?

He preferred to instead use the GMD’s army to besiege the CCP in Yanan.

Why did this weaken the GMD?

• Chiang’s priorities are wrong, presenting him as hypocritical

• Causes him to lose American allies

Why did the fact that GMD areas were heavily bombed by the Japanese weaken the GMD?

• Extreme losses

  • Makes success look less likely

Why did the GMD’s unsuccessful guerrilla tactics weaken them?

• Association with incompetence

  • could be using conventional tactics and doing better

Why did the fact that GMD troops were recruited by force and subject to tough discipline weaken the GMD?

• Gives people a reason to resent the GMD

  • separation within their forces

  • lack of loyalty and respect (possible desertion to the communists as an alternative)

Why did the fact that the GMD government was associated with dishonesty weaken them?

• Bad reputation among people

  • leading them to favour CCP as the obvious opposition

• Lack of democracy, which they are supposed to be pioneers of

Why did the fact that the GMD were unpopular with the peasants weaken them?

• Peasants make up 90% of the population, meaning whoever they give their support to is important

• China is already in a tumultuous situation, maybe meaning peasants think a possible result is more likely to be successful

What did the GMD do about taxation?

• Imposed high taxes on the Chinese people

• Allowed a few individuals to become very rich by stockpiling and the black market

Why did the GMD’s taxation weaken them?

• Allowing a few individuals to become very rich is reminiscent of Mandarin class under imperial Qing rule

• Very clearly opposite to communist policies

• Blatantly going against what they are supposed to be standing for

What did the population associate the GMD with by the end of the war with Japan?

Incompetence, hypocrisy and dishonesty.