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| 1936, July 19 |
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| Jiang succeeded in gaining control over Guangdong, in spite of Japanese aid to his adversaries, and of Guangxi (Sept. 6), where the local leaders were loudly demanding war against Japan, for which he was still unprepared so long as the Communist menace remained. The same demand for a united front was constantly voiced by the Chinese Communists, who had now set up an orderly government in the town of Yan'an in northern Shaanxi province. | 1 |
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| Sept |
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| Japan presented seven secret demands (known Oct. 1) under threat of immediate invasion of both north and central China. The most serious were: brigading of Japanese with Chinese troops against Communists everywhere, employment of Japanese advisers in all branches of government, autonomy for five northern provinces, and reduction of tariffs to the level of 1928. Although Japan dispatched troops to Shanghai, Nanjing steadfastly refused. | 2 |
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| Dec. 12–25 |
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| JIANG JIESHI WAS KIDNAPPED and held in Xi'an by Zhang Xueliang until he agreed to stop the civil war and join forces with the CCP to fight Japan. Zhang Xueliang had returned to China from abroad in early 1934 and was assigned by Jiang to carry out anti-Communist actions in the Hubei-Henan-Anhui border area. Later he was sent to Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, to join in the assaults on the Yan'an Soviet, and the CCP was active from Jan. 1936 working on the anti-Japan line among his troops, many of whom had come with Zhang from Manchuria, now firmly in Japanese control. Zhang held several secret meetings with Communist leaders. After the Anti-Comintern Pact was signed by Japan and Nazi Germany (Nov. 25), many suspected that Jiang would become even more pro-Japanese. Zhang resolved to act. Zhou Enlai arrived in Xi'an (Dec. 16) and argued the Communists' position in favor of a united front against Japan under Jiang's leadership, the latter point coming at Stalin's insistence. Jiang left on Dec. 25, and arrived back in Nanjing (Dec. 26) before an immense audience of supporters. | 3 |
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