The Great Sweep of 1942 arrived right on schedule. In a bid to further consolidate their rule over China, the Japanese military launched a massive campaign against the anti-Japanese base areas.
To annihilate the anti-Japanese armed forces—the Eighth Route Army, in particular—the Japanese military drafted a comprehensive plan. The North China Area Army assembled a force of approximately 50,000 troops. This included the 41st Division, the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade, the 110th Division, and various other infantry battalions, as well as cavalry regiments and aviation units, all preparing for a full-scale military assault on the Jizhong region.
The objective of this Great Sweep was explicit: to destroy the main force of the Eighth Route Army in Jizhong, raze their base areas, and achieve "pacification" through a combination of political, economic, and ideological strategies.
Chapter 146