The September 18th Incident
On the night of September 18, 1931, after lengthy planning and preparation, the Japanese Kwantung Army, stationed in Northeast China according to inequal treaty, bombed the Southern Manchurian Railway near the Liutiao Lake in the northern suburbs of Shenyang, Liaoning Province, and then blamed the Chinese troops. Using this as a pretext, they launched a sudden attack of Beidaying where the Chinese Northeast Army was garrisoned, and the city of Shenyang. Within a couple of days, the invaders had occupied more than 20 cities and large areas of land in the vicinity. This act of aggression was known as the September 18th Incident.
Ignoring the Japanese invaders and the national crisis, the KMT government still focused on its civil war against the Communists, followed a policy of absolute non-resistance toward the Japanese army, and ordered the Northeast Army to retreat to the south of the Shanhai Pass on the Great Wall. Following their occupation of Shenyang, the Japanese army continued to invade Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces and, by February 1932, the three provinces in Northeast China had all fallen into enemy hands.
The September 18th Incident was a natural result of the expansionist policy of aggression against China that had long been followed by the Japanese government. It was a major step toward turning China into a Japanese colony.
The incident made the Chinese people realize that the nation was facing grand dangers, and public calls went up to drive the Japanese imperialists out of China. There were widespread cries to resist the Japanese aggression, and public opposition to the KMT government policy of non-resistance.
As the situation deteriorated, the CPC continued to champion the cause of resistance. Under the CPC's leadership and influence, the people of Northeast China stood up to the invaders and waged guerrilla warfare. Various armed resistance forces such as the Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army emerged. In February 1936, these forces were restructured into the Northeast United Resistance Army. After the July 7th Incident of 1937, the United Resistance Army engaged in extensive guerilla resistance with the support of local people, which dovetailed with the national resistance under the CPC's leadership.
九一八事变
1931年9月18日深夜，根据不平等条约驻扎在中国东北的日本关东军经过长时间密谋和精心策划，炸毁了沈阳北郊柳条湖附近的一段南满铁路，栽赃嫁祸于中国守军，并借此突然袭击了东北军驻地北大营和沈阳城，随即在几天内侵占20多座城市及其周围的广大地区。这就是震惊中外的九一八事变。在日军侵略面前，国民党政府置民族危机于不顾，仍集中力量进行反共反人民的内战，对日军采取绝对不抵抗主义，命令东北军撤至山海关内。日军在占领沈阳后，接着分兵侵占吉林、黑龙江。1932年2月，东北三省全部沦陷。
九一八事变是日本政府长期以来推行对华侵略扩张政策的必然结果，是企图变中国为其独占殖民地而采取的重要步骤。九一八事变后，中华民族到了最危险的时候，成为全国各族人民、各界人士的共识；将日本帝国主义驱逐出中国，成为中华儿女的心声。各地人民纷纷要求抗日，反对国民党政府的“不抵抗”政策。
在民族危机日益严重的形势下，中国共产党继续举起抗日的旗帜。在中国共产党的领导和影响下，东北人民奋起抵抗，开展抗日游击战争，涌现出东北抗日义勇军等各种抗日武装。1936年2月，东北各抗日部队统一改编为东北抗日联军。1937年卢沟桥事变后，抗日联军团结广大群众，进一步开展了广泛持久的抗日武装斗争，有力地配合了中国共产党领导的全国抗战。