In early July 1927, Feng Yuxiang allied with Chiang to form a new government in Shaanxi and implemented the White Terror there.[1]: 17 The Nationalist crackdown included a focus on eliminating Chinese Communist Party (CCP) presence in schools.[1]: 18 By September 1927, they had killed 496 people including students.[1]: 18 The CCP ordered its Shaanxi Provincial Committee to respond with peasant revolts.[1]: 18 These early responses failed and in March 1928 the Weihua Uprising began.[1]: 18
Liu Zhidan led the Weihua Uprising (in modern Weinan) with several thousand men and established the National People's Army of the Northwest.[2]
As part of the Nationalist response to the Weihua Uprising, Nationalist forces mass arrested CCP members and students.[1]: 18 Nationalist forces executed members of the Communist Youth League, including 62 Youth League members in a single county.[1]: 18
In June 1928, Song Zheyuan defeated the uprising and Liu fled to northern Shaanxi.[2]