The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Here is a historical review of the China Theater of War from 1931 to 1937, and a review of the history from 1937 to 1945 can be found in this article.

September 18, 1931
The September 18th Incident began the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

September 19, 1931
Japanese forces occupied Shenyang.

September 20, 1931
The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee issued the "Declaration on the Occupation of the Three Northeastern Provinces by Japanese Imperialists."

November 4–18, 1931
Following the September 18 Incident, Chinese troops and civilians launched a wave of resistance movements. The Jiangqiao Campaign was one of the earliest organized large-scale battles against the Japanese invasion in Northeast China.

Starting from 1932
The CPC Manchurian Provincial Committee and other local Party organizations established over 10 anti-Japanese guerrilla units in Northeast China.

January 3, 1932
Japanese forces occupied Jinzhou.

January 28–March 3, 1932
The January 28th Incident took place as the 19th Route Army fought to defend Shanghai from Japanese invasion.

February 5, 1932
Japanese troops occupied Harbin, and the entire Northeast China fell under Japanese control.

March 1, 1932
The puppet state of "Manchukuo" was established, as Japanese imperialists created a puppet regime during the invasion of China.

January 1, 1933
The Chinese Northeast Army's Independent 9th Brigade fought back the Japanese attack during the Shanhaiguan Pass skirmish.

January–May 1933
The Defense of the Great Wall was a series of major battles along the Great Wall to resist Japanese advances.

February 23, 1933
Japanese forces attacked Chengde.

March 4, 1933
Fall of Chengde.

May 31, 1933
The Tanggu Agreement was signed as the Nationalist Government compromised with Japan, opening the gateway to North China.

September 1933
Counter-Japanese guerrilla units united to form an army under CPC leadership, named the Northeast People's Revolutionary Army.

October 20, 1933
The CPC Manchuria Provincial Committee announced the "Northeast People's Revolutionary Army Struggle Program."

August 1, 1935
The August 1 Declaration was released. Drafted by the CPC delegation to the Communist International, the declaration called for an end to the civil war and the creation of a national defense government and a united front against Japanese aggression.

November 25, 1935
The puppet "East Hebei Autonomous Council" was established. Japan supported traitor Yin Rugeng in establishing the puppet Eastern Hebei Anti-Communism Autonomous Committee in Tongxian County (now Tongzhou, Beijing), later renamed "East Hebei Anti-Communist Autonomous Government."

December 9, 1935
A massive anti-Japanese patriotic demonstration was led by students under CPC guidance, called the December 9th Movement.

December 16, 1935
The Protest Against "North China Autonomy" took place as over 30,000 students and citizens demonstrated against Japanese-controlled autonomy schemes.

December 17–25, 1935
The Wayaobu Conference explicitly proposed the policy of establishing a national united front against Japanese aggression.

December 27, 1935
An article titled "On Tactics Against Japanese Imperialism" was delivered, arguing for the formation of a broad national united front against Japanese aggression.

February 1936
The Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army was formed as all anti-Japanese forces in Northeast China were reorganized under this unified name.

May 1936
The All-China Federation for Multi-Sector National Protection was established, marking a nationwide upsurge of anti-Japanese movements following the December 9th Movement.

December 12, 1936
Kuomintang (KMT) generals Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng detained Chiang Kai-shek in Xi'an, forcing him to stop the civil war and cooperate with the CPC against Japanese aggression. This is known as the peaceful settlement of the Xi'an Incident.

February–July 1937
The CPC held multiple rounds of negotiations with the KMT to finalize cooperation against Japanese aggression.

Sources: The Museum of the War of the Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Chinese Institute for History of World War II, Book "A Brief History of the Communist Party of China."

Read more:

Unforgotten Front: China's sacrifices in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression

Unforgotten Front: China was the main battlefield against Japanese fascism

Unforgotten Front: China's role in the World Anti-Fascist War