During the warlord melee, Chiang Kai-shek, with the support of British and American imperialism, sent troops to attack warlord Zhang in an attempt to unify the north. Japanese imperialism, which supports Zhang, is afraid that British and American forces will invade its interests northward. On the pretext of protecting overseas Chinese, he drove troops into Jinan to stop Chiang Kai-shek's troops from advancing northward. 1 In May, as soon as Chiang Kai-shek's army entered Jinan, the Japanese army started shooting and killed many soldiers and civilians in China.
On the 3rd, the Japanese army raped and plundered Jinan under various pretexts, and did everything possible. When China soldiers and civilians walked on the road, bought things in shops, even bathed in bathhouses and had their hair cut in barbershops, they were killed whenever they met Japanese soldiers. The Japanese army also instigated the Japanese Overseas Chinese Volunteers to kill China students, workers and shop assistants who made anti-Japanese remarks or banned the sale of Japanese goods on weekdays. At that time, Jinan became the battlefield for Japanese invaders to slaughter China soldiers and civilians.
The Japanese invaders killed more than 6,000 soldiers and civilians in China and injured more than 1700, which aroused strong opposition from the people all over the country. The anger of "overthrowing Japanese imperialism" and boycotting Japanese goods immediately swept the country. Chiang Kai-shek's officers and men were fed up with Japanese atrocities and forced to fight back in self-defense. However, Chiang Kai-shek, who was in Jinan at that time, ignored the lives of his compatriots and ordered all divisions to "limit their troops and not fight back."
The following year, the Chinese and Japanese governments signed the Jinan Massacre agreement, stipulating that the Nanjing government was responsible for ensuring the life safety of overseas Chinese in Japan, and all Japanese troops were evacuated two months later. As the Kuomintang government surrendered to Japan, the "May 3rd" tragedy ended hastily. 1998, the Chinese and Japanese governments signed the Jinan Massacre agreement, stipulating that the Nanjing government was responsible for ensuring the life safety of overseas Chinese in Japan, and all Japanese troops were evacuated two months later. As the Kuomintang government surrendered to Japan, the "May 3rd" tragedy ended hastily.