Major Events in War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Year of 1937

In 1937, China stood at a historic crossroads as conflict escalated into full-scale war. On July 7, Japanese forces provoked the Lugou Bridge Incident near Peking (now Beijing), triggering the nationwide War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Chinese troops rose in defiance, marking the beginning of one of the most pivotal struggles in modern Chinese history.

On August 22, the main force of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army was reorganized into the Eighth Route Army, officially integrated into the National Revolutionary Army.

On September 22, The KMT Central News Agency released the CPC Central Committee's Announcement on Kuomintang-Communist Cooperation. The following day, Chiang Kai-shek gave a speech, which represented de facto recognition of the legality of the CPC, marking the second KMT-CPC cooperation.

On September 25, the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army launched a surprise attack on Japanese troops at Pingxing Pass in Shanxi Province, achieving a major early victory and boosting morale across the nation.

Resistance expanded further on October 12, as guerrilla units operating in 14 areas across 8 southern provinces were reorganized into the New Fourth Army, enhancing China’s southern defensive capabilities.

However, tragedy would mark the year’s end. After capturing Nanjing on December 13, Japanese forces carried out what would later be known as the Nanjing Massacre. Over a span of six weeks, more than 300,000 civilians and surrendered Chinese soldiers were systematically murdered, and countless others suffered atrocities in one of the darkest chapters of the war.

The events of 1937 forged a turning point—uniting a fractured nation under a common cause and igniting a struggle for survival, dignity, and national sovereignty.