7th July 1937: Marco Polo Bridge Incident acts as a trigger for the Second Sino-Japanese War

What began as a local military incident near the Marco Polo Bridge on the outskirts of Beijing developed into the Second Sino-Japanese War, which later became part of the wider Second World War in Asia.

20th October 1935: The 6,000 mile Long March by the Red Army of the Communist Party of China ends when the troops led by Mao Zedong arrive in Shaanxi

It was during the Long March that Mao Zedong emerged as the best person to lead the Chinese Communist Party, and his survival alongside less than 10% of the original troops mythologised him and reinforced his authority.