On August 13, 1937, the Battle of Shanghai erupted, marking the beginning of the Chinese resistance against Japanese aggression. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) led the people of Shanghai in their anti-Japanese and national salvation movement, actively supporting the Nationalist Party's (Kuomintang) war efforts. After the fall of Shanghai, the CCP maintained and expanded its presence in Shanghai, engaging in a wide range of activities aimed at building a united front against the Japanese occupation. They rallied individuals from all walks of life to sustain a prolonged resistance against the Japanese while also dispatching forces to the regions near Shanghai, such as Jiangnan and Jiangbei, to carry out armed struggles in the enemy-occupied territories.

In the rural areas surrounding Shanghai, which were tightly controlled by Japanese puppet authorities, the CCP initiated and organized guerrilla warfare against the Japanese starting in 1938. They gradually established several guerrilla bases over the course of eight years, resembling steel daggers driven into the heart of the enemy. These guerrilla forces, in collaboration with the New Fourth Army's eastward expeditionary units, played a vital role in commanding and striking against Japanese puppet forces, supporting resistance bases in the hinterlands of central China and eastern Zhejiang, and coordinating with the urban population's anti-Japanese and national salvation movement. The Shanghai suburban guerrilla warfare was an integral aspect of the broader anti-Japanese struggle in Shanghai and a critical component of the extensive battlefield in the eastern region of China.

This book compiles the history of the CCP-led resistance in Shanghai's suburbs, recounting the arduous and remarkable eight-year struggle, emphasizing the hard-fought victories that provide profound inspiration. The guerrilla warfare in Shanghai's suburbs unfolded under extremely challenging and complex circumstances. The CCP-led anti-Japanese guerrilla forces upheld the banner of national liberation, implemented comprehensive political strategies for the war effort, and actively engaged and armed the masses. They steadfastly resisted Japanese aggression and opposed surrender, representing the strong patriotic desire of the suburban population to avoid becoming slaves of a foreign invader. Thus, the guerrilla forces, distinct from local armed factions, possessed the broadest popular support. The collaboration between the armed forces and the people was the key to success in the eight-year-long resistance, relying on the valiant guerrilla fighters and the heroic people who shielded and supported the guerrilla warfare.

The CCP-led guerrilla forces diligently followed the policy of "develop progressive forces, win over middle-of-the-road forces, isolate stubborn reactionary forces." They extensively worked on building a united front against the Japanese occupation, rallying and winning over social elites and enlightened gentry, reforming local forces affiliated with various factions of the Nationalist Party, and converting patriotic soldiers from the puppet regime. They established democratic anti-Japanese governments, achieving considerable success. Depending on the local conditions and the balance of power between friend and foe, the guerrilla forces adopted diverse and flexible strategies, such as utilizing legal means and conducting open struggles or engaging in covert operations deep within enemy territory. All of these strategies aimed at gaining allies, isolating enemies, and strengthening their own position. The CCP's united front work was an essential weapon that allowed the suburban guerrilla warfare to endure, grow, and eventually triumph in the face of the strict control and complexity of the enemy-occupied territories.

The CCP-led suburban guerrilla warfare underwent a challenging and convoluted process of development, contraction, and subsequent expansion leading to victory. In the early stages of the resistance, the CCP tirelessly established and developed secret party organizations in the suburban areas, forming a strong leadership core that laid the organizational foundation for creating anti-Japanese armed forces and launching mass movements. During the long and difficult phase of anti“Combing-Out” struggles, the CCP made the correct decision to preserve their core strength and relocate their main forces. Local party organizations at all levels maintained prolonged concealment in their original locations, rallied the masses, accumulated strength, and conducted covert operations. They not only steadfastly preserved and expanded the anti-Japanese front in the suburbs but also provided vital support to the struggles in the anti-Japanese bases in southern Jiangsu, central Jiangsu, northern Jiangsu, and eastern Zhejiang. The CCP's correct leadership was the fundamental guarantee of victory in the struggle.

The success of the suburban anti-Japanese guerrilla warfare in Shanghai was also a result of the close cooperation and mutual support between urban and rural areas. From the beginning of the suburban armed resistance, the underground CCP in Shanghai adhered to the central directives and sent key party members and material support to aid the suburban guerrilla warfare. The valiant struggle of the suburban population and their continuous victories greatly boosted the confidence of the urban population, reaffirming the belief in ultimate victory. The cooperation and mutual support between urban and rural areas, the steadfast commitment to the struggle, were indispensable conditions for achieving the final victory of the resistance.

The compilation and publication of this book are meaningful and necessary. Due to the war conditions of the past, historical records of the Shanghai suburban anti-Japanese guerrilla warfare have not been fully preserved, and without timely collection and organization, numerous remarkable achievements and valuable historical experiences that are still relevant today might be lost. Comrades Zhang Yiyu, Weng Sanxin, and Li Fei, in a three-year effort, conducted interviews with nearly a hundred veteran comrades, examined relevant archives and materials, and collaborated with party history collectors from various counties in the Shanghai suburbs and sister provinces and counties. They collected a vast amount of information, which was then sorted, verified, and researched to compile this comprehensive and reliable historical record. This undoubtedly constitutes a valuable contribution to accurately and thoroughly document party history and provides a systematic historical reference for the veterans who participated in the struggle and researchers of party history.

Finally, as this book is being released, we respectfully commemorate the martyrs who valiantly sacrificed their lives in the fight against Japanese aggression. We extend our profound respect to the veteran comrades and soldiers who led and participated in the suburban anti-Japanese guerrilla warfare. Their heroic achievements will forever be recorded in the annals of the people's revolutionary struggle.

一九三七年八月十三日，上海抗战爆发。中国共产党领导了上海人民的抗日救亡运动，积极支援国民党军队的抗战。上海沦陷后，中国共产党一面保持和发展着上海群众运动的阵地，广泛开展抗日民族统一战线工作，团结各阶层人士进行持久的抗日斗争，另一面输送力量到上海附近的江南、江北一带开展敌后武装斗争。 在日伪反动统治严密控制的上海郊县农村，中共从一九三八年起就积极发动和组织抗日游击战争，并逐步建立起若干游击根据地，经过历时八年的艰苦斗争，犹如一把把钢刀插在敌人的心脏里。郊县的抗日武装与新四军东进部队相结合，在率制和打击日伪力量，支援华中、浙东敌后抗日根据地和配合上海城市人民抗日救亡运动等方面，均起到了重要的作用。上海郊县抗日游击战争是上海人民抗日斗争的重要方面，也是华东广大敌后战场的重要组成部分。 1 .本书汇集了党领导的上海郊县抗日武装斗争始末，回顾八年艰苦卓绝的战斗历程，深感胜利来之不易，给人以深刻启迪。 上海郊县的抗日武装斗争是在极端困难和复杂的环境中进行的。党领导的抗日游击队高举民族解放战争的旗帜，实行全面抗战的政治主张，广泛发动群众、武装群众，坚持抗日，反对投降，代表着郊县广大群众不愿做亡国奴的强烈爱国愿望。因此，我们的游击队，有别于任何派系组织的地方武装，拥有最广泛的群众基础。兵民是胜利之本，八年抗战得以坚持，依靠着英勇的游击队指战员，也依靠着掩护和支援游击战争的英雄人民。 中共领导的抗日游击队，认真贯彻“发展进步势力，争取中间势力，孤立顽固势力”的方针，广泛开展抗日民族统一战线工作，团结、争取社会名流、开明士绅，争取改造国民党各派系的地方部队，策反伪军中具有爱国心的官兵，建立三三制抗日民主政权，均取得较大成绩。根据当地当时形势的变化和敌我力量的对比，游击武装在党的领导下，又采取了灵活多样的斗争策略，如利用合法，进行公开的斗争；深入敌营，坚持隐蔽斗争等等。这些都服务于争取同盟者，孤立敌人，壮大自己。党的统战工作是郊县抗日武装在敌伪势力严密控制、错综复杂的敌占区能够长期生存、发展、壮大，最终克敌制胜的重要法宝。 中共领导的郊县抗日武装斗争经历了发展、收缩、再发展，直至胜利的艰难曲折过程。抗战初期，党就开始坚持不懈地秘密建立和发展郊县各级党组织，形成坚强的领导核心，为创建抗日武装，莲勃开展群众运动莫定了组织基础。在漫长而艰苦的反清乡斗争阶段，党又正确地决定，为保存有生力量，主力部队转移，各级地方党组织坚持原地长期埋伏，团结群众，积蓄力量，开展隐蔽斗争。既出色地坚持和发展了郊区抗日阵地，又支援了苏南、苏中、苏北和浙东抗日根据地的斗争，为迎接抗战胜利作出了可贵的贡献。党的正确领导，是斗争胜利的根本保证。 上海郊县抗日武装斗争的成功，也是城市和农村紧密配合，互相支援的成果。从上海郊县武装斗争一开始，上海地下党就遵循中央指示，输送了党的骨干力量和物资支援郊县武装斗争，郊县人民的英勇斗争和不断取得的胜利，又极大地鼓舞了城市人民抗战必胜的信心。城乡配合，互相支援，坚持斗争，也为抗战取得最终胜利，提供了必不可少的条件。 本书的编纂和出版是一项很有意义和必要的工作。由于过去的战争环境，上海郊县抗日武装斗争的史料，无法完整地保存至今，如不及时搜集、整理，大量可歌可颂的战斗业绩和至今仍值得借鉴的历史经验，就有湮没的可能。张义渔、翁三新、李飞三位同志化了三年时间，走访了近百位老同志，查阅了有关档案和资料，并与市郊各县和兄弟省、县的党史征集工作者协作，收集了大量资料，经整理、查核、研究，汇编成这本较为完整可信的史料书。这无疑为立准、立好党史，做了件有益的工作，也为参加当年斗争的老同志和党史研究工作者，提供较为系统的历史资料。 最后，值此出版本书之际，谨向在这场抗击日本侵略者斗争中英勇牺牲的烈士，致以深切的悼念。向当年领导和参加过郊县抗日游击战争的老同志、老战士致以崇高的敬意。他们的英勇业绩，将永远载入人民革命斗争的史册。