Counter-Japanese resistance volunteers in China explained

After the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, and until 1933, large volunteer armies^[1] waged war against Japanese and Manchukuo forces over much of Northeast China.

Due to Chiang Kai-shek's policy of non-resistance, the Japanese were soon able to establish complete control. After the League of Nations refused to do more than voice its disapproval, there were many small guerrilla organizations which resisted Japanese and Manchurian rule:

• Jilin Self-Defence Army
• Chinese People's National Salvation Army
• Northeastern Volunteer Righteous and Brave Fighters
• Northeastern Loyal and Brave Army
• Northeast People's Counter-Japanese Volunteer Army
• Northeast Counter-Japanese National Salvation Army
• Northeast Counter-Japanese United Army
• Heilongjiang National Salvation Army
• Counter-Japanese Army for the Salvation of the Country

Besides these armies there were other forces under leaders like Zhang Haitian and others. Zhao Hong Wenguo was influential in supporting some armies such as the Iron and Blood Army, with many of her children participating in Counter-Japanese insurgent activities.

For the whole year of 1932 the Japanese had to occupy themselves with fighting these Chinese forces in various areas of Manchuria. Gen. Ma Zhanshan, nominally in command of them all, had a total fighting force estimated by the Japanese at 300,000 men. Following their defeat, many retreated into Rehe and other places in China. The remainder were forced to disperse their remnants into small units, often called shanlin. Ongoing Japanese "Anti-Bandit" campaigns and other "pacification" measures steadily reduced the number of insurgents. Their numbers declined from 120,000 in 1933 to 50,000 in 1934; 40,000 in 1935; 30,000 in 1936; and 20,000 in 1937. As of September 1938, the number of insurgents was estimated by the Japanese at 10,000.

From 1935 the Northeast Counter-Japanese United Army, under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, absorbed many of these volunteer forces into its own ranks.

See also

• Resistance movement
• Resistance during World War II
• Soviet partisans
• Yugoslav Partisans
  • Croatian Partisans
  • Macedonian Partisans
  • Serbian Partisans
  • Slovene Partisans
• The March of the Volunteers
• Red Spear Society
• Second Sino-Japanese War

Sources

• Hsu Long-hsuen and Chang Ming-kai, History of The Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) 2nd Ed., 1971. Translated by Wen Ha-hsiung, Chung Wu Publishing; 33, 140th Lane, Tung-hwa Street, Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China.
• Jowett, Phillip S., Rays of The Rising Sun, Armed Forces of Japan's Asian Allies 1931-45, Volume I: China & Manchuria, 2004. Helion & Co. Ltd., 26 Willow Rd., Solihull, West Midlands, England.
• Coogan, Anthony, The volunteer armies of Northeast China, History Today; July 1993, Vol. 43 Issue 7, pp.36-41
• Notes On A Guerrilla Campaign, from http://www.democraticunderground.com accessed November 4, 2006

Notes and References

1. News: http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015-08/20/c_128148593.htm . zh:中央编译局：“抗日”不宜译成“anti-Japanese” . xinhuanet.com . 2015-08-20. Chinese: 我们认为，，除在特殊语境，“抗日”不宜译成“anti-Japanese”。首先，英文“anti-Japanese”是“反对日本”“反对日本人”的意思，并不包含“侵略”等信息。如果将“抗日”译为“anti-Japanese”，国外读者自然就会把所有与此相关的表述都理解为“反对日本人”，而不是反抗日本侵略者，如“抗日民族统一战线”“抗日根据地”“抗日救亡运动”等，都会被理解为“反对日本人”，而不是正义的“反抗侵略”的活动。<br />其次，英文前缀“anti-”(即“反”)后面加上民族或人民构成的复合词(如“anti-American” “anti-Chinese”等)，经常与非理性的、情绪化的事件或行为搭配，如“anti-Japanese protest”(反日游行)、“anti-Japanese flag burning”(反日焚烧日本国旗)等。<br />我们建议，“抗日”可以采用两种译法：resistance against Japanese aggression或者counter-Japanese。<br />译法1：resistance against Japanese aggression或者resistance<br />与“anti-Japanese”不同，“resistance”(反抗)包含着非常正面的内涵，一看便知指的是“反抗侵略”。例如，“中国人民抗日战争”，翻译为“the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression”，国外读者可以很清楚地看到哪一方是侵略者，哪一方是正义方。而在世界反法西斯战争期间，其他同盟国开展的各种反法西斯、反纳粹活动，英语的表述也经常用“resistance”。因此，将“抗日”一词译为“resistance”，跟其他同盟国用同样的术语，有利于加强外国读者眼中中国作为同盟国重要成员、维护世界正义力量的形象。<br />译法2：counter-Japanese<br />与“resistance”相似，“counter-Japanese”一词也意味着对方的行为发生在先，己方行为是应对性质的，如“counter-attack”(反攻)。因而该译法能够表明抗击的对象是侵略行为，而不是日本民族。此外，该译法比“resistance against Japanese aggression”更简短，所以在部分语境里比前者用起来更加灵活，如“counter-Japanese guerrilla force”(抗日游击队)等。 . zh.