The war of resistance in Hunan : power, disaster, and survival, 1937-1945

Abstract

This work is a history of the War of Resistance in Hunan province, 1937-1945. I first discuss the political struggles of the Nationalists from 1927 to 1944 and the military campaigns that occurred in Hunan from 1937 to 1944. I argue against the notion that Chiang Kaishek and the Hunan governor, Xue Yue had a weak connection before and during the war. 1944 saw a decline in the cooperative dynamic between Chiang and Xue. A strategic disagreement between them led to disruption within the chain of command of the Chinese army, ultimately resulting in the complete collapse of Nationalist forces in Hunan in 1944 as the Japanese gained control over the area. The early phases of the war had seen some successes. After 1939, the Nationalists changed their military principle to guerrilla tactics from merely conventional warfare. This delivered some victories in battles surrounding Changsha. In addition, the Nationalists demonstrated their superior performance in a propaganda campaign over their Japanese competitor during the Second Battle of Changsha. The Nationalists attempted to mobilize the Hunanese populace to be involved in providing military assistance to Chinese troops at the front. Common people, particularly those originating from the rural regions of Hunan, were expected to enroll in classes aimed at teaching essential military skills and ideological doctrine. These classes did not fully awaken the people of Hunan to Chinese nationalism but did change their previously indifferent attitude toward the war. Hunan, a province known for its abundant rice output played a crucial role in the war by becoming the main supplier of rice to the Nationalist armies and the population residing in Nationalist-controlled China. The war also led to extensive destruction in Changsha, as much of the city was destroyed by consecutive Japanese air raids since 1937 and a fire in 1938.