ABSTRACT
Yanan became a Mecca for those Chinese eager to be part of a genuine struggle against the occupiers of their country. Coinciding with the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP's) establishment of its base at Yanan, the 9 December movement gave point to Mao's own slogan 'Chinese do not fight Chinese'. If the Communists could exploit the mood of the times they were in a position to undermine Chiang's position by leading the anti-Japanese movement. Mao claimed that 9 December marked a new period in the Chinese revolution; the CCP had begun to supersede the Guomindang (GMD) as the true representative of Chinese nationalism. Strength was given to his claim by a remarkable set of events, known subsequently as the Xian Incident. During the twelve months following the 9 December movement, frustration with Chiang Kai-shek's less than resolute opposition to Japan began to mount.
