The National United Front Against the Japanese Occupation

The September 18th Incident in 1931 and the North China Incidents in 1935 brought major changes to China's relations with other countries and to the relations among its classes, and the conflict between China and Japan became the principal issue facing Chinese society. The whole country faced the challenge of Japan's aggression and a grave national crisis. The CPC took upon itself the historic mission of national salvation and called for building an anti-Japanese national united front based on the KMT-CPC cooperation.

In response to the September 18th Incident, the CPC immediately announced its resolve to resist the Japanese aggression and defend China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Red Army under its leadership reached a cease-fire with the pro-resistance KMT 19th Route Army and forged an anti-Japanese and anti-Chiang alliance. The CPC also joined the effort to organize the Anti-Japanese Allied Army in Chahar Province. It conducted the resistance in Northeast China through a joint united front, turning the region into the first battlefield of the CPC-led armed forces against the Japanese aggression.

After the North China Incidents, the CPC published the August 1st Declaration. In December, it initiated and led the anti-Japanese movement that emerged on December 9. At the Wayaobu meeting held in the same month, the CPC Central Committee decided that its basic task was to establish an anti-Japanese national united front.

In 1936, the CPC modified its policies according to the changing situation: from opposing Chiang Kai-shek and resisting Japan, to forcing Chiang to resist Japan, and further to allying with Chiang in the resistance. It also worked for the peaceful settlement of the Xi'an Incident, which ended the civil war between the KMT and the CPC. During this period, the CPC collaborated with some patriotic KMT troops and other armed forces in resisting the Japanese aggression. It was the first political party to rise in anti-fascist resistance in China and the world.

In February 1937, the CPC Central Committee sent a telegram to the Third Plenary Session of the Fifth KMT Central Executive Committee, making five proposals and four pledges as an expression of good faith in removing antagonism between the two parties and building solidarity against the Japanese aggression. In the face of worsening Japanese aggression and increasing public anger, the KMT had to accept the CPC's proposal of cooperation. In September, the KMT Central News Agency broadcast the CPC's Announcement on Kuomintang-Communist Cooperation, and Chiang Kai-shek's public speech that followed represented de facto recognition of the legality of the CPC, marking the formal establishment of an anti-Japanese national united front based on the second KMT-CPC cooperation.

This second cooperation was hailed by the Chinese people, the progressive political parties, pro-resistance groups, patriots and overseas Chinese, who also joined the united front through various means. The Chinese nation achieved unprecedented unity, a significant condition for the all-out war of resistance.

Raising the flag of the united front, the CPC became the mainstay in the war against the Japanese aggression. The revolutionary force of the people under its leadership expanded in the resistance and grew into a powerful force in shaping the political future of China. After 14 years of an all-out war of resistance, the Chinese nation defeated the Japanese invaders. The national united front was an important guarantor of this victory.

抗日民族統一戰線

九一八事變尤其是華北事變后，中國的國際關系和國內階級關系發生了重大變化。中日之間的民族矛盾上升為中國社會的主要矛盾。中華民族面臨的主要問題就是抵抗日本的侵略，挽救日益深重的民族危機。中國共產黨秉持民族大義，擔負起民族救亡的歷史重任，呼吁建立以國共合作為基礎的抗日民族統一戰線。

1931年九一八事變后，中國共產黨就發表宣言，表達了誓死抵抗日本侵略，堅決捍衛國家主權和領土完整的決心。中國共產黨與主張抗日的國民革命軍第19路軍簽訂反蔣抗日停戰協定、參與組織察哈爾抗日同盟軍，并率先在東北嘗試運用抗日聯合戰線的策略開展抗日斗爭，使遼闊的白山黑水成為中共領導的抗日武裝直接對日作戰的第一個戰場。

1935年華北事變后，中國共產黨發表《為抗日救國告全體同胞書》（即《八一宣言》），領導發動了一二·九愛國抗日運動，并在12月召開的瓦窯堡會議上，明確提出黨的基本策略任務是建立廣泛的抗日民族統一戰線。1936年間，中共中央不斷調整政策，逐步實現從“反蔣抗日”到“逼蔣抗日”再到“聯蔣抗日”政策的轉變，并促成西安事變的和平解決，國共內戰宣告結束。同一時期，中國共產黨還逐漸展開與國民黨愛國軍隊及其他抗日武裝的合作抗戰，成為中國和世界范圍內率先進行反法西斯戰爭的政黨先鋒。

1937年2月，中共中央向國民黨五屆三中全會提出“五項要求”和“四項保證”，旨在消除兩大政黨和兩個政權的對立，實現國共合作，一致反抗日本的侵略。在日本侵略軍的步步進逼和全國人民抗日救亡浪潮的推動下，國民黨被迫開始接受國共合作抗日的正確主張。同年9月，國民黨中央通訊社發表《中共中央為公布國共合作宣言》，蔣介石發表實際上承認中國共產黨合法地位的談話，標志著以第二次國共合作為基礎的抗日民族統一戰線正式形成。全國各族人民、各進步黨派、抗日團體和社會各階層愛國人士以及海外僑胞熱烈歡迎國共兩黨重新合作，并以不同形式參加了抗日民族統一戰線。中華民族空前的大團結，對抗日戰爭的全面展開有重大意義。

在抗日民族統一戰線的旗幟下，中國共產黨成為反抗日本帝國主義侵略的中流砥柱，中國共產黨所領導的人民革命力量在抗日戰爭中得到了空前壯大，成為決定中國政治前途的根本力量。全民族抗戰是中國人民抗日戰爭勝利的重要法寶。

經過長達14年艱苦卓絕的斗爭，中國人民打敗了日本侵略者，宣告了日本軍國主義的徹底失敗，宣告了中國人民抗日戰爭和世界反法西斯戰爭的最后勝利。