The Sino-Japanese war: the Xi'an incident and the Second United Front; political and military co-operation and division in war; the impact of war on China, Jiang Jieshi and the GMD, Mao and the CCP
Japan's invasion of China forced the Nationalist GMD and Communist CCP to temporarily stop fighting each other. The war damaged the GMD far more than the CCP, shifting the balance of power between them.
Real World
After the Xi'an Incident, Jiang Jieshi relocated China's capital inland to Chongqing following the fall of Nanjing in December 1937, during which Japanese troops killed an estimated 200,000 civilians — an atrocity that hardened Chinese resistance but did not unite GMD and CCP forces in practice.
Exam Focus
Show that the United Front was tactical not genuine — cite specific examples of GMD-CCP clashes during the war to demonstrate continued division.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
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