Reinterpreting the Chinese Revolution: The Balance between Radical and Moderate Approaches, 1937–1945

The success of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) by the end of the Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) has generally been credited to its moderate approach to mobilizing the local peasantry through appeals to anti-Japanese nationalism and programs of social justice. However, the evidence presented in this article demonstrates that during late 1939 and early 1940 in some counties of the Southwest Shanxi Base Area and other major North China base areas the CCP abandoned its moderate approach and promoted a radical and violent class struggle. Based on its experiences in 1939–1940, the CCP created a model for mobilization in early 1942 that balanced radical and moderate approaches, which was then gradually applied to all Communist base areas. This article argues that the CCP relied on a combination of two contrasting and complementary approaches—radical and moderate—both of which played an indispensable role in its success by 1945.