South Anhui Incident

A surprise attack launched by the die-hards faction of the KMT which targeted the headquarters of the New Fourth Army during the Anti-Japanese War was the culmination of the second anti-communist climax of the KMT. After the Anti-Japanese War entered the stalemate stage, the die-hards faction of the KMT intensified its anti-communist aggressive friction activities.

On October 19, 1940, He Yingqin and Bai Chongxi, the chief and deputy chief of staff of the Military Council of the National Government, a tricky "command" by a telegram to Zhu De (the commander-in-chief of the Eighth Route Army) Peng Dehuai (the deputy commander-in-chief) and Ye Ting (the commander of the New Fourth Army) demanding that the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army, which were persisting in the war north and south of the Yangtze River, should all go north of the Yellow River within a month and that the 500,000 Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army should be combined and reduced to 100,000 men. Meanwhile, the KMT authorities secretly ordered Tang Enbo, Li Pinxian, Han Deqin, and Gu Zhutong to prepare for an attack on the New Fourth Army. This tricky "command" became the starting point of the second anti-communist climax.

The CPC Central Committee made a calm analysis and the development of the situation, put forward the correct policy to repel the attack of the KMT die-hards, and requested that the troops in Jiangbei be exempted from transfer for the time being. On the side of south Anhui, it decided to give in and promised to move north.

On January 4, 1941, the military headquarters of the New Fourth Army ordered to move north and its affiliated units in south Anhui, more than 9,000 people, from the Yunling garrison detour north. On the 6th, in the Maolin area of Jing County, Anhui Province, they were suddenly surrounded and attacked by more than 80,000 men from seven divisions of the KMT army.

The New Fourth Army troops fought bravely for seven days and nights, but they were eventually outnumbered and out of ammunition and food, except for about 2,000 people who stood out from the siege, a part of them were scattered. Most of them died heroically or were captured.

Ye Ting, the army commander, was detained during negotiations with the KMT; Yuan Guoping, the director of the political department, was killed; Xiang Ying, the deputy army commander, and Zhou Zikun, the chief of staff, were killed by traitors during the incident. On January 17, Chiang Kai-shek falsely accused the New Fourth Army as a “mutiny” and announced the cancellation of the New Fourth Army's number, claiming that Ye Ting would be put on “judicial trial”. This was the South Anhui Incident that shocked China and the abroad. This incident was the culmination of the second anti-communist climax launched by the KMT die-hards.

The Central Committee of the CPC proposed the correct policy of “Taking an offensive position politically and a defensive position militarily to resolutely repel the second anti-communist attack of the KMT die-hards”. In Chongqing, the Southern Bureau led by Zhou Enlai instructed to launch a fierce political and publicity counterattack against the KMT die-hards, and wrote for the Xinhua Daily, "Mourning for the dead in Jiangnan!" "A thousand ancient grievances, a leaf in Jiangnan; the same room, what is the urgency of frying?" The inscriptions were a strong denunciation of the die-hards faction of the KMT. The Central Military Commission of the CPC also announced the re-establishment of the headquarters of the New Fourth Army and the reorganization of the entire army to continue to persist in the Anti-Japanese War. The righteous self-defense stance of the Communist Party was sympathized with people and got their support from all walks of life and democratic parties. The KMT authorities, caught in a situation of unprecedented political isolation, were forced to curb their anti-communist activities.

In February 1941, Chiang Kai-shek publicly stated that “there will be no more military efforts to suppress the Communists”. Thus, the second anti-communist climax was repelled. By inciting the South Anhui Incident, the KMT die-hards not only awakened and educated people who had illusions about the KMT but also isolated themselves.

The Communist Party of China's firm stance and attitude of upholding the overall situation of the war won sympathy from many different sides, expanded the influence of the masses, and raised its political status in the whole country.