Great sword towards the Japanese, the Chinese in the flames of anti-Japanese war

Author: Pan Hanyuan
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-06-01
Features: From July 1937 to August 1945, eight long years of darkness and a distant journey, the ancient land of China trembled under the roar of guns and burned under the "sun" of the invaders. Blood and tears, resilience and resistance, showcased the unyielding 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 had passed and the periodicals were very old, they could not help but be moved by the words and images, for they contained desperate cries and resistance, scenes of blood and thunder. Some images were unbearable, for in a peaceful era, it was hard to witness such complete loss of humanity and the outbreak of bestiality. Through these yellowed periodicals, time seemed to return to the critical moment of the Chinese nation's life and death 60 years ago, as if we saw the relentless figures of the Chinese people and smelled the bloodshed. Many articles in these periodicals reflected the spirit of frontline commanders fighting to the end and their understanding of the war situation; some described, in various forms, the scenes and spirit of the outstanding sons and daughters of China united in hatred against the enemy, fighting bloody battles against the Japanese devils at the critical moment of national life and death; some recorded the heinous crimes committed by the Japanese 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 collections, striving to recall the war that brought heavy to the Chinese nation through the feelings and records of those who were on the historical front lines. Based on this, we compiled 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 unyielding spirit of the Chinese nation, the life-and-death passion of true men who, with flesh and blood, built a great wall, 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 individuals from all social strata, and overseas Chinese. It was the first complete victory in over a hundred years of the Chinese nation's struggle against foreign invasion and a turning point for China to move from weakness to strength. China was the earliest country to join, the latest to end, the longest to fight, and the one that made the greatest national sacrifice in World War II. China's 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 compilation process, to fully 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 Yuxiang to ordinary soldiers, as well as guerrilla leaders. The texts and images at the timeed the stories of the anti-Japanese armed forces overcoming countless difficulties and fighting bravely with their blood, recalling the heroic deeds of patriotic anti-Japanese soldiers and commanders who died on the battlefield with heaven-shaking and earth-shattering courage.
It should be noted that according to the agreement between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, on August 22, 1937, the Military Council of the Kuomintang 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 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 compilation 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 the historical value of the articles.