SDHF Newsletter No.448 The Road to the Greater East Asian War No. 49 Ch.12-3

THE ROAD TO THE GREATER EAST ASIAN WAR
Nakamura Akira, Dokkyo University Professor Emeritus
(English Translation: Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact)
Part 49, Chapter 12: Chinese Civil War and the Xi’an Incident – 3

December 23, 2025

[name],
It is very likely that the most successful application of the Popular Front strategy was the Xi’an Incident of December 1936. It has considerable historical importance because it (1) crystallized the growing momentum toward cooperation between the GMD and the CCP, and (2) brought to fruition the CCP’s scheme to revive itself through a confrontation between China and Japan, thus paving the way for the Lugou Bridge Incident.

By the time CCP completed their westward migration in 1936, their forces were an extremely feeble army indeed. The CCP’s last-ditch plan was to adopt a communization operation that involved indoctrinating lower-ranking Nationalist soldiers. The Northeast Army troops under Zhang Xueliang (deputy commander in chief of the Northwest Bandit Suppression Headquarters) had been participating in communist sweeps in Shaanxi province. Since the outbreak of the Manchurian Incident, they had been unable to return to Manchuria, their homeland. Instead, they were compelled to remain in the North China heartland. Therefore, homesickness and anti-Japanese sentiment were extremely intense among them. The CCP toyed with their emotions with slogans like “Chinese do not shoot Chinese.” “United against Japan,” and “Let us fight our way back to Manchuria.” These rallying cries gradually ensconced themselves in the minds of the Northeast Army troops.

Zhang Xueliang began to waver as his subordinates and others in his milieu leaned politically to the left. Unsettled by communist psychological warfare, Zhang made overtures to the CCP. He met secretly with Zhou Enlai in Yan’an in the summer of 1936. The two men arrived at an agreement on 10 conditions for joint resistance to Japan, which they promised to make every effort to satisfy.

In late October of 1936 Chiang Kai-shek flew to Xi’an to supervise and invigorate Zhang Xueliang’s communist suppression campaign. However, by that time the Northeast Army’s anti-communist activities had effectively ceased.

The incident occurred in the early morning of December 12. A group headed by a Northeast Army officer arrested and imprisoned Chiang Kai-shek, who was staying at Huaqing Hot Springs, a resort east of Xi’an. In Xi’an proper, Yang Fucheng’s troops attacked and disarmed military and civilian police officers. That evening Zhang Xueliang and Yang Huchen sent a telegram containing eight proposals to destinations all over China. Among the demands were: reorganize the Nanjing government so that members of other parties might participate and stop all civil wars.

The Xi’an Incident sparked strong public criticism against Zhang Xueliang within China, which in turn prompted the Nationalist government to punish him. Chiang Kai-shek had refused to acquiesce to any of Xueliang’s demands. Eventually, Xueliang requested support from the CCP and dissolved the Northwest Bandit Suppression Headquarters. To comply with CCP demands, he formed the Provisional Northwest Military Council of the Anti-Japanese United Forces. Subsequently, Zhou Enlai, Ye Jianying and other CCP officials arrived in Xi’an, where they reportedly agreed to adhere strictly to the eight proposals, and to arrive at an expeditious peaceful resolution. Finally, on December 22, Soong Mei-ling (Chiang’s wife) and Australian William Donald (personal advisor to the Chiang family) arrived in Xi’an. On December 25, Zhang made the decision to release Chiang Kai-shek, to which Yang agreed.

The CCP argues that Chiang promised to end civil warfare and join in resisting Japan. But the Nationalist government insisted that Chiang’s release was unconditional. The truth is not likely to ever see the light of day.

The Xian Incident — a major driving force that transformed the Chinese civil war into a war against Japan – was an event of crucial significance in the modern history of East Asia.

URL: 　 https://www.sdh-fact.com/book-article/2406
PDF: 　https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Road49E.pdf

Moteki Hiromichi, Chairman
Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact