How Did Japanese Intervention In China In 1949

This study seeks to investigate the question ‘How significant was the Japanese intervention in China between 1931 and 1949?’. This question is particularly relevant to the rise of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1949 because of the political significance of Japanese intervention which enabled the Communist party to rise in popularity during the war period. There was a clear disparity between the Guomindang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party as it became increasingly apparent that the latter was a champion for change and liberation among the Chinese throughout this time period. This was significant because the CCP could garner support from people from all walks of life who were eager to join in resisting the Japanese and eventually,
The Rape of Nanjing is one such example. According to reports, when the Japanese captured the Communist capital of Nanjing in December 1937, resistance meant the bayonet. The harsh cruelty of the Japanese was to the extent that they would kill anyone who dared to resist them, and within the first two days of occupation, an estimated 1000 women had already been raped. The brutality of the Japanese and their ruthlessness in getting rid of anyone who stood in their way had a significant impact on the Chinese people, especially defenceless peasants who could easily be taken advantage of. Decades after the end of the Second World War, the Nanjing Rape still remains a sensitive topic of discussion between the two countries, showing that the traumatic experiences could not easily be forgotten, as the violent actions that came with Japanese were extremely significant and played a consequential part in making the Chinese peasants feel greatly inferior due to the violent actions of the
Upon evaluation, it is clear that it was not only significant politically, but economically as well, as China struggled with finance issues that deterred it from having stable funds for its military efforts. While the economic impacts might not be as obvious in the 21st century, the long-term social impacts that made the Chinese feel less important and inferior to the Japanese is still a sensitive topic between China and Japan.Linking back to the research question, “How significant was the Japanese intervention in China between 1931 and 1949?”, this essay has discussed various facets on which Japanese intervention has been greatly significant — the significance can still be seen and felt today. To end with a quote from Mao Zedong, “Communism is not love. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush the enemy”, this essay has also explicitly stated reasons as to why the Communist ideologies had gained traction during this time period and why this led to the eventual triumph of the CCP after eliminating all competition, including the KMT. Therefore, the Japanese intervention in China between 1931 and 1949 was extremely significant in creating change in China and contributing to its progress as a