After losing Manchuria to the Japanese, Zhang Xueliang and his Northeast Army were tasked with suppressing the Red Army after their Long March. This resulted in severe casualties for his Northeast Army, which received no support from Chiang. On 12 December 1936 a deeply disgruntled Zhang kidnapped Chiang Kai-shek in Xi'an, hoping to force an end to the conflict between KMT and CCP. The KMT agreed to a Second United Front with the CCP against Japan, and the Red Army fought together with KMT forces during the Battles of Taiyuan, and Wuhan.