1933: The Beginning and End of the Fujian Incident

Author: Wu Minggang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: In the tumultuous history of modern China, there was a brave and formidable army that left an indelible mark on the nation, dazzling and dramatic, and enacting a series of heart-stirring historical events. This army was known as the 19th Route Army. The 19th Route Army is immortalized in history due to the Fujian Incident. The 19th Route Army also became a part of history because of the Fujian Incident. The Fujian Incident, which occurred in the early 1930s of the 20th century, was known as the "Fujian Incident" and also referred to as the "Mutiny of the 19th Route Army." It was an inevitable outcome of the growing anti-Japanese movement against Jiang Jieshi after the September 18th Incident and the sharp confrontation between the two regimes of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China. It was a shocking and world-changing historical event in the phase of China's localized resistance to Japan and one of the landmark events with significant impact on the development of the Anti-Japanese National United Front. Although it lasted for only more than 50 days and ended in a tragic melody, history does not judge heroes by success or failure. The Fujian Incident is recorded in history as a milestone of the anti-Japanese movement against Jiang Jieshi and as the prelude to the Xi'an Incident. "The right path for humanity is a long and winding road." This is the normal law of social development. However, as a social being, not everyone can walk on the right path. This is because the right path is not straight but requires arduous exploration and struggle to achieve, and sometimes even requires paying the price of blood and sacrifice. History is a mirror. The arduous revolutionary journey of the leaders of the 19th Route Army and the Fujian People's Government, such as Chen Mingshu, Li Jishen, Jiang Guangmai, and Cai Tingkai, demonstrates that despite their different beliefs, identities, and social standings, and different ways of establishing themselves, there is one thing that is certain and common: having a broad and sincere love for the country and its people is one of the important prerequisites and conditions for walking on the "right path that aligns with the trend of history and meets the needs of the people." People often say that there are three perspectives for studying history: one is the perspective of the people living at the time of history, another is the perspective of the era in which the researcher lives, and the third is to transcend both of these perspectives, seeking a stance that is rooted in historical truth but not confined by the customs of the era. These three perspectives reveal three levels of historical research. Undoubtedly, the third perspective is difficult, but it is what every historical researcher should strive for, because only in this way can they avoid being obscured by the biases of history or the era and engage in profound reflection on history. As a historian engaged in the study of the history of the Communist Party of China and the history of the Chinese Revolution, I have long strived to examine history with the third perspective and pursue the third level of research. Knowing my own limited talent, I may not have reached it, but my heart aspires to it. This book is an effort to attempt to integrate the factual and academic, based on historical truth, and narrate the historical outline and characteristics of the 19th Route Army and the Fujian Incident. The renowned British historian Thomas Carlyle said, "The ability to record history can be said to be innate; it is our primary endowment; in a sense, everyone is a historian." Therefore, in a certain sense, it can be said that every reader is a historian. If, by chance, you are taken back to the turbulent and challenging years of the early 20th century, to experience and appreciate the dramatic history of the 19th Route Army and the heroic and tragic scenes of the Fujian Incident, and if you can derive enjoyment, gain some insights, and receive your judgment and corrections, then my wish will be fulfilled!