"Blood and Flesh Great Wall -- Interviews with Commanders on the Front Line of the War of Resistance"

Author: Guo Moruo
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-06-01
Features: From July 1937 to August 1945, eight long years of darkness and distant journeys, the ancient land of China trembled under the roar of guns and was burned under the "sun" of the invaders. Blood and tears, perseverance and resistance, showcased the indomitable spirit of an ancient nation and depicted the grand scroll of China's history of resisting Japanese aggression and defending against humiliation. A blood-stained and tear-soaked history sealed for over 60 years was once again opened page by page. The Shanghai Library houses a vast collection of periodicals published in Shanghai during the War of Resistance, flipping through those already yellowed and shedding paper flakes, though time has passed and the periodicals are very old, they cannot help but be moved by these words and images, as they contain desperate cries and resistance, scenes of blood and wind. Some images are simply unbearable, as in a peaceful era, it is hard to witness such complete loss of humanity and the outbreak of beastliness. Through these yellowed periodicals, time seems to return to the critical moment of the survival or demise of the Chinese nation 60 years ago, as if we see the unyielding figures of the Chinese people marching forward, as if we can smell the bloodshed. Many articles in these periodicals reflect the spirit of frontline commanders fighting to the death and their understanding of the war situation; some describe, in various forms, the scenes and spirit of the outstanding sons and daughters of the Chinese nation united against the enemy, fighting bloody battles against the Japanese devils at the critical moment of national survival; some record the heinous crimes committed by the Japanese devils in China through the words of refugees or accounts by international friends. On the 60th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance, to reflect on that special historical moment, we extensively reviewed the library's collection, striving to recall through the feelings and records of those on the historical front, the war that brought heavy to the Chinese nation. Based on this, we selected the books "The Japanese Are Here—Record of Japanese Atrocities," "Blood and Flesh Great Wall—Interviews with Frontline Commanders of the War of Resistance," and "Swords for the Japanese—China in the Flames of Anti-Japanese Warfare," hoping that readers, while reading, can feel the indomitable spirit of the Chinese nation, the life-and-death passion of true men who, without hesitation, built a great wall of flesh and blood, and always remember the heavy wounds inflicted on the Chinese nation by the Japanese invaders.
From July 1937 to August 1945, the Chinese War of Resistance, under the banner of the national united front advocated by the Communist Party of China, was a nationwide war with the cooperation of the Kuomintang and the participation of workers, peasants, soldiers, students, merchants, people of all ethnic groups, democratic parties, anti-Japanese organizations, patriotic people from all social strata, and overseas Chinese. It was the first complete victory of the Chinese nation in more than a century against foreign invasion and a turning point for the Chinese nation from weakness to strength. China was the earliest country to join, the latest to end, and the longest to fight in World War II, making great national sacrifices. The Chinese War of Resistance was an integral part of the World War II against fascism, and the Chinese battlefield was the main front in the East for resisting Japanese fascism.
During the selection process, to comprehensively reflect the war situation, we collected materials from various perspectives and angles, including interviews or accounts of frontline commanders from both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, from Zhu De, Peng Dehuai, Ye Ting, Chen Yi, Li Zongren, and Feng Yuquan at the top to ordinary soldiers, as well as guerrilla leaders, to recreate the stories of the anti-Japanese armed forces overcoming countless difficulties and fighting bravely with their blood, and to recall the heroic deeds of patriotic anti-Japanese soldiers and commanders who died on the battlefield with their lives. It should be noted that according to the agreement reached between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, on August 22, 1937, the Military Council of the Kuomintang government announced that the main force of the Red Army was reorganized into the Eighth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army, with Zhu De as the commander-in-chief and Peng Dehuai as the deputy commander-in-chief, under which there were three divisions. On September 11, the Military Council of the Kuomintang government renamed the Eighth Route Army the 18th Group Army, and the General Headquarters was renamed the General Command, with Zhu De and Peng Dehuai serving as the General Commander and Deputy General Commander, respectively. However, during the War of Resistance, the 18th Group Army was still commonly referred to as the Eighth Route Army, or the names "18th Group Army" and "Eighth Route Army" were often used interchangeably.
During the selection process, we added no subjective comments to any of the articles. Except for minor edits in a few articles, we basically maintained the original form. To facilitate readers in finding the sources of the articles, each article is marked with its origin, emphasizing its historical value.