Zihua Wu
11237004
GenEd 110 section 01
Final Paper
Impact of Invasion and Migration by Japan on the Chinese Society
Introduction
The Sino-Japanese Wars were the largest wars in the Asian battlefield during the World War II. The Sino-Japanese Wars were conflicts between China and Japan in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. There were two Sino-Japanese Wars: the first one lasted from July 1894 to April 1895; the Second one, which was known in China as the war of resistance against Japan, lasted from the outbreak of the fighting on 7 July 1937 to 14 August 1945—although recent Chinese historiography tends to date the war from the Japanese occupation of Manchuria in 1931. Both wars were crucial in the formation and ultimate defeat of Japanese imperial expansion in East Asia and in the development of a sense of Chinese nationalism. Although the Sino-Japanese Wars were end in 1945 with the victory of China, it made up more than 50% of the casualties in the Pacific War if the 1937–1941 periods are taken into account. The impacts of invasion and migration by Japan on Chinese society are various. This essay will present these impacts on three aspects, which are politics, economy and culture.
The Impacts on the Chinese Politics During the invasion and migration of Japan, Sino-Japanese War broke the confrontation between pre-war China's major political parties and other parties. As the Japanese attempt to monopolize China and launch a comprehensive war against China, it made a fundamental change among the class relations in China; the ethnic conflict between China and Japan became the principal contradiction. According to Shangqing and Junming, “After the Xi’an Incident eruption, the situation of the Chinese Communist Party and its Red Army substantially improves. Although unfavorable factors exist, the overall environment has become advantageous. For quite some time after the Xi’an Incident, the Chinese Communist Party and the Red Army grow steadily, laying the foundation to claim the country” (Shangqing, M., & Junming, Y, 2010). The Xi’an Incident was one of the battles between the Japanese army and the Chinese Red Army. During this battle, the Red Army of the Communist Party and the army of the Kuomintang were joined together to fought against the Japanese; it was the first time for them to protect China together. Clearly, the Sino-Japanese War led to renewed cooperation between the two parties and it was a catalyst for the recovery and development of the Chinese parties.
The Impacts on the Chinese Economy During Chinese invasion of Japan, the Chinese government implemented the wartime financial and economic system and it caused the inflation, which was a vase loss in the economy. During 1938 to 1945, one of the economic crises for China was the inflation. The spiraling inflation made life almost impossible for anyone reliant on money. Late in the war, the rate of inflation galloped away as the government printing presses worked harder and harder. According to Diana, “As the rate of inflation increased, they had to spend their money as quickly as possible, running not walking to the market or to the shops, buying necessities first and then anything else that was for sale, whether they needed it or not – they might be able to sell it later for a better price” (Diana, 2010). The inflation made Chinese economy even worse; in this case, the invasion and migration of Japan result in a negative impact on the Chinese economy.
The Impacts on the Chinese Culture Although the Chinese culture suffered great wounds during the Sino-Japanese War, it has never stopped since the May Fourth Event. The movement gained such a historical importance because it helped create a cultural atmosphere that advanced the so called New Culture and spawned the interest in Marxism and Communism. One of the important concepts in the May Fourth Movement was the idea of “gender equality”. According to Changli, “The idea of ‘gender equality’ is embodied in the issue of ‘equal rights,’ that is, whether women had equal social rights with men in their practical lives, and whether they possessed the minimum guarantees to live independently, that is, if they had the right to own and control the materials required for existence, namely, the right to own property (Changli, 2010). Therefore, the May Fourth women’s rights movement also promoted the establishment of women’s property rights. Whether women possessed equal property rights with men can also act as an important indicator to measure the practical effects and realized extent of the concepts of “gender equality” and“equal rights”. During the invasion and migration of Japan, the ideas of culture since the May Forth Movement did not die off but stronger.
Conclusion
To sum up, whether the impacts of invasion and migration by Japan on Chinese society are positive or not, it promoted the development of various aspects of China. The Sino-Japanese War was the first time for the Chinese people to achieve the complete victory of the national liberation war in modern times. It has been over sixty years since Chinese gained the victory in the Sino-Japanese War and the great revival of the Chinese nation has entered a new period of development. A wise and hopeful nation, in order to deeply understand the present and move into the future correctly, has always regarded today as a continuation of history. The Chinese people will revisit the glorious history of Sino-Japanese War from generation to generation, because it is important for them to move toward in the future.

Bibliography
Shangqing, M., & Junming, Y. (2010). The Impact of the Xi'an Incident and Its Peaceful Resolution on the Chinese Communist Party. (English). Modern China Studies, 17(4), 127-148. This article examined the impact of Xi’an Incident and indicates that it was the first time that the two parties were joined together to fight against the Japanese. It clearly states that the two parties put a pause to their combat on the politics, which was definitely an impact of invasion by Japan on Chinese politics. This article provides a strong evidence for the politic part of my paper.
Lary, D. (2010). The chinese people at war, human suffering and social transformation, 1937-1945. New York, NY : Cambridge Univ Pr. This book was written by a historian who made a deep research in the Chinese modern history. While reading her books, Diana brought me into the history of the Sino-Japanese Wars. This book offers me many facts about the Chinese statues at war, including the economic situation. Diana tells us that the Chinese economy suffered a lot during the invasion of Japan; in other words, it has a negative impact on the Chinese economy.
Changli, L. (2010). The Social Consequences of the May Fourth Movement. Chinese Studies In History, 43(4), 20-42. After reading this article, I realize that the invasion of Japan to China enhanced some advancement on Chinese people’s ideas, especially for the young adults. This article provides some evidences that more new ideas like the “equal rights” came into being during the wartime. It indicates that the invasion of Japan offers a steady foundation for the new culture arises later. That is to say, it is a positive impact on Chinese culture during the invasion of Japan.