Chinese soldiers on Futuyu Great Wall, 1938

Eighth Route Army soldiers manning a machine gun nest on Futuyu Great Wall, as Japanese forces were expanding their invasion south of the wall into China’s coastal strips during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Photograph taken in Laiyuan, Hebei, China, 1938.

The Eight Route Army was theoretically under the banner of the National Revolutionary Army, but in reality it was operating under the exclusive command of the Chinese Communsit Party. Members of this group are pictured here on the Futuyu Great Wall, which at the time was in a state of disrepair, but provided exceptional strategic value and vantage points due to its location on mountain ridges and peaks.

The Second Sino-Japanese War started in 1937 and was a central part of World War Two. Many historians actually consider the start of the conflict between Japan and China to be the real beginning of the global battle. The war ended on September 2nd 1945, when Japan officially surrendered.

Book suggestions ⤵️

📖 Forgotten Ally: China’s World War II, 1937-1945 (Rana Mitter, 2013)

📖 The Battle for China: Essays on the Military History of the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945 (Mark Peattie, Edward Drea, Hans van de Ven, 2010)