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(tǒng)一戰(zhàn)線
九一八事變尤其是華北事變后，中國(guó)的國(guó)際關(guān)系和國(guó)內(nèi)階級(jí)關(guān)系發(fā)生了重大變化。中日之間的民族矛盾上升為中國(guó)社會(huì)的主要矛盾。中華民族面臨的主要問(wèn)題就是抵抗日本的侵略，挽救日益深重的民族危機(jī)。中國(guó)共產(chǎn)黨秉持民族大義，擔(dān)負(fù)起民族救亡的歷史重任，呼吁建立以國(guó)共合作為基礎(chǔ)的抗日民族統(tǒng)一戰(zhàn)線。
1931年九一八事變后，中國(guó)共產(chǎn)黨就發(fā)表宣言，表達(dá)了誓死抵抗日本侵略，堅(jiān)決捍衛(wèi)國(guó)家主權(quán)和領(lǐng)土完整的決心。中國(guó)共產(chǎn)黨與主張抗日的國(guó)民革命軍第19路軍簽訂反蔣抗日停戰(zhàn)協(xié)定、參與組織察哈爾抗日同盟軍，并率先在東北嘗試運(yùn)用抗日聯(lián)合戰(zhàn)線的策略開(kāi)展抗日斗爭(zhēng)，使遼闊的白山黑水成為中共領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的抗日武裝直接對(duì)日作戰(zhàn)的第一個(gè)戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)。
1935年華北事變后，中國(guó)共產(chǎn)黨發(fā)表《為抗日救國(guó)告全體同胞書(shū)》（即《八一宣言》），領(lǐng)導(dǎo)發(fā)動(dòng)了一二·九愛(ài)國(guó)抗日運(yùn)動(dòng)，并在12月召開(kāi)的瓦窯堡會(huì)議上，明確提出黨的基本策略任務(wù)是建立廣泛的抗日民族統(tǒng)一戰(zhàn)線。1936年間，中共中央不斷調(diào)整政策，逐步實(shí)現(xiàn)從“反蔣抗日”到“逼蔣抗日”再到“聯(lián)蔣抗日”政策的轉(zhuǎn)變，并促成西安事變的和平解決，國(guó)共內(nèi)戰(zhàn)宣告結(jié)束。同一時(shí)期，中國(guó)共產(chǎn)黨還逐漸展開(kāi)與國(guó)民黨愛(ài)國(guó)軍隊(duì)及其他抗日武裝的合作抗戰(zhàn)，成為中國(guó)和世界范圍內(nèi)率先進(jìn)行反法西斯戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)的政黨先鋒。
1937年2月，中共中央向國(guó)民黨五屆三中全會(huì)提出“五項(xiàng)要求”和“四項(xiàng)保證”，旨在消除兩大政黨和兩個(gè)政權(quán)的對(duì)立，實(shí)現(xiàn)國(guó)共合作，一致反抗日本的侵略。在日本侵略軍的步步進(jìn)逼和全國(guó)人民抗日救亡浪潮的推動(dòng)下，國(guó)民黨被迫開(kāi)始接受?chē)?guó)共合作抗日的正確主張。同年9月，國(guó)民黨中央通訊社發(fā)表《中共中央為公布國(guó)共合作宣言》，蔣介石發(fā)表實(shí)際上承認(rèn)中國(guó)共產(chǎn)黨合法地位的談話，標(biāo)志著以第二次國(guó)共合作為基礎(chǔ)的抗日民族統(tǒng)一戰(zhàn)線正式形成。全國(guó)各族人民、各進(jìn)步黨派、抗日?qǐng)F(tuán)體和社會(huì)各階層愛(ài)國(guó)人士以及海外僑胞熱烈歡迎國(guó)共兩黨重新合作，并以不同形式參加了抗日民族統(tǒng)一戰(zhàn)線。中華民族空前的大團(tuán)結(jié)，對(duì)抗日戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)的全面展開(kāi)有重大意義。
在抗日民族統(tǒng)一戰(zhàn)線的旗幟下，中國(guó)共產(chǎn)黨成為反抗日本帝國(guó)主義侵略的中流砥柱，中國(guó)共產(chǎn)黨所領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的人民革命力量在抗日戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)中得到了空前壯大，成為決定中國(guó)政治前途的根本力量。全民族抗戰(zhàn)是中國(guó)人民抗日戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)勝利的重要法寶。
經(jīng)過(guò)長(zhǎng)達(dá)14年艱苦卓絕的斗爭(zhēng)，中國(guó)人民打敗了日本侵略者，宣告了日本軍國(guó)主義的徹底失敗，宣告了中國(guó)人民抗日戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)和世界反法西斯戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)的最后勝利。
