Of course, all eyes were on the far East and nervously waiting for news of the inevitable capitulation and surrender. August would signal the end of the war with Japan and subsequently the end of World War 2. But even as one war was coming to an end, the coming attractions of a Civil War which would change the world for decades to come, was shaping up quickly.
A brief timeline of what was in store:
in August 1945 on the even of Japan’s capitulation, China’s temporary KMT (The Kuomintang) – CCP (Chinese Communist Party) alliance dissolves almost instantly — old rivalries flare up. The big prize? Manchuria — rich in industry, coal, and railways.The Soviets in the Northeast. Soviet forces sweep into Manchuria, defeat the Japanese Kwantung Army. They strip factories and haul equipment to the USSR.
Before leaving, they arm the CCP with captured Japanese weapons. The U.S., worried about another war in China, sends General George Marshall to mediate.
January 1946: A ceasefire is signed — talk of a coalition government and army merger begins. On paper: peace. In reality: both sides maneuver for territory; clashes never stop.
Spring 1946: fighting erupts in Manchuria and northern China. KMT troops, moved by U.S. ships and planes, seize major cities like Shenyang and Changchun. The CCP abandons cities for the countryside, avoiding big battles and keeping guerrilla networks alive.
A Political Consultative Conference tries to create a shared government. Agreements collapse over who controls which troops and towns.
By July 1946, Chiang Kai-shek declares the truce over. War Returns in Full. KMT controls cities, railways, and outnumbers CCP troops. CCP controls vast rural areas, where they rebuild strength and erode KMT supply lines.
Both know the real showdown is coming — 1946 is just the setup.
This report from the Mutual Network gives a breakdown on the situation as it stood on August 16, 1945 when things were in the process of falling apart.
It was still unclear where everything would be headed. But one thing was certain – Peace in the world was no easy task and maintaining whatever fragile toehold was to be had was in grave danger of disintegrating into war.
Here is that brief report from Charles Minor at Mutual from Chungking China to give you some idea of the events taking shape.
