Booklet 3 - Reasons for all-out war in 1937

Question 1

reason for war - increased hostilities since 1933

Answer 1

jiang was willing to tolerate manchuko as long as there were no further incursions. he believed Tanggu would give him time to defeat communists but:
Japan pushed for further territory (Chahar province + The East Heibei Autonomous Council proclaimed independence from China)

Question 2

communists

Answer 2

jiang didn’t want to fight japan before he had defeated the communists
but they couldn’t be destroyed (escaped on Long March 1934/5 and Xi’an 1936).

Question 3

(Xi’an)

Answer 3

Zhang Xueliang kidnapped CKS and held him hostage until he agreed to end the civil war and form a CCP/GMD united front against Japan
he was released 25/12/1936

Question 4

marco polo bridge date

Answer 4

7 july 1937

Question 5

where is marco polo bridge

Answer 5

10 miles outside of beijing

Question 6

why were japanese troops at marco polo bridge

Answer 6

since 1901 boxer protocol, foreign troops could be stationed in china

Question 7

what happened at marco polo bridge

Answer 7

japanese garrison troops challenged by Chinese troops. chinese opened fire and a Japanese soldier was lost in the fighting. no casualties. the following day, Japan demanded they be allowed to do house-to-house searches and there was a brief clash.

Question 8

marco polo bridge - escalations

Answer 8

confrontations escalated
on 29 july the japanese occupied beijing
by 8th august, 3000 troops controlled the city

Question 9

japanese were confident that..

Answer 9

they could defeat the chinese in 3 months
especially considering the previously passive attitude of CKS (now different due to Xi’an)

Question 10

when was the fight for shanghai

Answer 10

august to november 1937

Question 11

why was the shanghai fighting unexpected

Answer 11

broke the 1933 DMZ status of shanghai
opened a second front (mainly to attract westerners but also to keep japan away from capital nanjing)

Question 12

shanghai offensive

Answer 12

chinese attempted to bomb japanese fleet in harbour, but missed and hit the international settlement.
500,000 chinese troops versus 200,000 japanese
but japan retaliated with ‘Bloody Saturday’ - air attacks on civilians.
caused a refugee crisis as a quarter of a million refugees fled

Question 13

fatalities from the chinese shanghai offensive

Answer 13

chinese had 300,000 fatalities
and a quarter of a million civilians fled as refugees

Question 14

3 results of the shanghai offensive

Answer 14

japan now in a drawn out war (not 3 months anymore)
CKS diverted Japan from the north
refugee crisis