Conflicts & Resolutions · Crisis

Xi'an Incident

1936 · 20th century

The Xi'an Incident was the detention of Chiang Kai-shek in Xi'an in December 1936 by his own generals Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng, who wanted him to stop fighting the Communists and resist Japan. After about two weeks of negotiations, in which the Communists took part, Chiang was released. The incident led to the Second United Front of Nationalists and Communists against Japan.

Xi'an Incident
Image: Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Xi'an Incident. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/xian-incident
MLA
“Xi'an Incident.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/xian-incident. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Xi'an Incident.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/xian-incident.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Xi'an Incident’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/xian-incident (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻