Japanese Conquests

1
Chapter 9. The Japan-China War, 1937-1945.
2
Map showing the extent of Japanese control in
1940
3
Background For The Japan-China War, 1937-1945

• Pre 1937
• Japans influence in China had been rising
• since WWI.
• Japanese efforts to prevent Chinese unity and
• extend economic and political control in
• China.

4
Japanese Conquests

• 1937
• 1)fight on the Marco Polo Bridge
• 2)the attack on Beijing
• 3)capture of Shanghai Chinas most important
  port
• 4)capture of Nanjing, the capital new wartime
  capital is set in the city of Chongqing.
• 1938
• 1)1 million Japanese soldiers are in China
• 2)control of the main cities and lines of
  communication around the mouth of
• Yangzi River
• 3)capture of most important cities of Wuhan and
  Guangzhou
• 4)occupation of island of Hainan.
• Japan doesnt have an overall control of China
  due to lack of manpower, so China takes
• control of countryside.
• 1938-1944 Japanese occupied large cities,
  railways, airfields, ports and roads
• Chongqing the most bombarded city of the
  world.

5
Chinese Nationalist defenders during the Battle
of Shanghai

• Chinese soldiers march to the front in 1939

6
American Involvement

• 1941
• 1)2 million Japanese soldiers are in China
• 2)December the US declares war on Japan after
  Japanese attack of the Pearl Harbor
• 3)American airfields built in south-east China to
  smash Japans sea trade and cut off its imports.
• 1944
• 1)April new Japanese offensive in south-east
  China
• 2)capture of the city of Changsha and occupation
  of south-eastern China.
• 1945
• 1)Japanese troops were forced to retreat in the
  Pacific Ocean and Burma
• 2)August 6 Americans drop an atomic bomb on the
  city of Hiroshima
• 3)August 8 Russian Red Army declares war on Japan
  and invades Manchuria
• 4)August 9 Americans drop one more atomic bomb on
  the city of Nagasaki
• 5)the war between China and Japan is over.

7
Japanese Instrument of Surrender
8
The People At War

• Japanese forces acted with great cruelty from
• the very beginning.
• 8 years of war 4 million Chinese killed,
• 60 million made homeless.
• EXTREME DEVASTATION

9
The Communists At War

• Communists came out of the war much stronger.
• Communists had a chance to expand their spheres
  and areas of influence amidst the chaos
• 1937-1940
• Communists moved eastwards and took control of
  many parts of north China.
• 1940
• 1)an offensive Hundred Regiments Battle
  attack of Japans railway communications
• 2)paralysis of Japanese traffic to and from the
  south.
• 1941
• 1)Japanese operation against Communists named
  Three All Campaign kill all, burn all,
• destroy all
• 2)this campaign made people hate Japanese even
  more then before.
• 1945
• 1)Japanese withdrew from southern China
  Communists were able to advance into areas they
  had left
• 2)Communists controlled 18 Liberation Areas,
  mainly in countryside.