My father used to tell me that during Resistence-Against-Jap War everybody would sing the song, even including Chiang Kai-Shek.  My father also said the power of the song could equate itself with five well-trained divisions of army on battle fields. 

Attached below is a reportage on how had the song become the national anthem of China after 1949

https://www.toutiao.com/a6753233481309897219/

PS  I did translate the song in my previous writing at http://blog.udn.com/kkuo0810/124360998.  It is the national anthem to me!