Battle of Wuhan
Wuhan and surrounding provinces along the Yangtze, Hubei, China
What happened
Chinese Nationalist armies under Chiang Kai-shek, with commanders including Chen Cheng, Bai Chongxi, Xue Yue and Li Zongren, fought Japanese armies under Shunroku Hata and Yasuji Okamura. Wuhan had become China's wartime capital. For more than four months Japan advanced along the Yangtze River and through the Dabie Mountains, while over a million Chinese troops defended the approaches. The Chinese army finally withdrew, and Japan captured the three cities of Wuhan in late October 1938.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the largest and longest battle of the Second Sino-Japanese War, and Japan suffered its heaviest losses of the war. Its end marked the beginning of a long stalemate.
What came next
The Chinese government continued the war from Chongqing. Japan made no major offensive in central China again until 1944.
Did you know?
Wuhan is made up of three former cities, Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang, which were joined in 1927.
Timeline
- October 1911The Wuchang Uprising begins in Wuhan.
- 1927Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang are merged into Wuhan.
- 11 June 1938The Battle of Wuhan begins.
- 26-27 October 1938Japan captures the cities of Wuhan.
- 26 December 1938Japan begins bombing Chongqing.