New Fourth Army Incident

The New Fourth Army Incident occurred in January 1941 during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It involved a clash between Nationalist government forces and the Communist New Fourth Army. The government had ordered the New Fourth Army to move north of the Yellow River, but most of the army remained in northern Jiangsu province, competing with government troops for territory. Nationalist forces attacked the communist base, resulting in heavy casualties for the New Fourth Army and the capture of its commander, Ye Ting. This incident intensified the conflict between the Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), though neither side was willing to engage in full-scale civil war at that time. The event highlighted the underlying tensions and competition for influence between the two parties, even while they were ostensibly united against the Japanese invasion.12