DOMESTICATING REGIONALISM: NORTHWEST CHINA IN THE WAR OF RESISTANCE, 1937-1945

Pacifying and mobilizing remote regions like Shaanxi and the greater Northwest was one of the Chinese Nationalist government's key goals during the War of Resistance Against Japan in 1937-45. This paper looks at attempts to mobilize the productive and human resources of Shaanxi by examining the education and military training programs as initialized and promoted by Hu Zhongnan, Chiang Kai-sbek's protege and the power -holder of the region. It argues that central government efforts were reasonably successful as the region was closer to the Nationalist state at the end of the war.