The Second Sino Japanese War

Status of China before the conflict began : By 1937 Japan had about 300,000 soldiers under his command, but with a military team that was probably the best of all east. Among his allies included the Manchus and Mongols, which numbered about 150,000 soldiers. On the island there were nearly 2 million well-equipped and trained reservists. Obviously it was a considerable force, which the Chinese, despite being one of the most numerous peoples of the world, were not prepared to endure.
Already a terrible genocide was planned. To address this Chiang had approximately two million soldiers who suffered from a declining quality and training.In addition, they were somewhat tired and even demoralized after defeats against the Japanese and fight the Communists.

The latter had accepted the truce with men possessed Chiang and then 150 thousand well educated and trained for combat soldiers, but like nationalists, had no modern weapons. Regarding aviation, China burned their last rounds, almost 100 aircraft in Shanghai in 1932 to repel the Japanese; and while he came to destroy even multiple squads almost entirely, it could not compare to the Japanese airplanes in terms of quantity and quality.

To make matters worse, China totally lacked a navy. Moreover, the soldiers of Chiang had a few scrawny and efficient artillery officers to conduct a war of this magnitude. Although of course, always has an ace up his sleeve, and Chinese was simply its vast territory, which allowed them to obtain the raw materials needed both Japan at any time and back without feeling cornered. For the Japanese, this should fill them with anger, especially considering that the Chinese did not have the means to build a large industry.

Another advantage of the Chinese was international support. Consider: Although surprising the Germans gave some support to China in terms of economy and military equipment provided in exchange for raw materials. At the end do not support large because Hitler preferred an alliance with Japan against the USSR. Regarding the Land of the Soviets, then the Anti-Comintern Pact Germany and Japan, decided to support the Chinese, not wanting a Japanese invasion with respect to Siberia. In the end, despite the Japanese-Soviet non-aggression pact, nearly 4000 Russians would fight the Chinese side in the war. With those that would be a strong partnership with the British and even more Americans are crystallized.

The start of the Second Sino-Japanese War

The Second Sino-Japanese War, became the first head of the Asia-Pacific War. It all began on July 7, 1937 when Japanese units attacked the Marco Polo Bridge near Beijing, taking by surprise Chinese troops on duty. The attack was claimed as a response to an unjustified Chinese aggression, because apparently a Japanese soldier had died or disappeared after that they PERFORMED provocative and hot Japanese military maneuvers on the border, to which the Chinese responded cautiously, with a pair of throws. Japanese suggested retire, and everything seemed to move to higher except for the missing soldier. The Japanese ask permission to enter Wanping so you can look, something denied by the Chinese but promised to look for them. That's when the first talks begin, something promising, while the Chinese sought the lost soldier to avoid war or problems with Japan. By 9 seemed that everything was back to your site, but hope ended a few hours later. At the end of the late Lieutenant General Tashiro was replaced by Katsuki as leader of the forces in the area and the rest of July the fighting between Chinese and Japanese were really brutal. The talks never prospered, and Japan would not miss this opportunity. The bridge lay in Japanese hands since the 10th of that month.
The first advances and 1937 Battle of Shanghai

After the fall of the bridge the Japanese advance was overwhelming. Very soon fell Beijing the capital, exactly 29 July. Tianjin, followed the next day. The Japanese Operation Chahar began with great success resulting Chinese defeated once after another. They came to make epic battles such as the Wall. However, here a very clear symptom was noted: things fast at first, seemed to stagnate. There was no doubt about this when Chiang Kai Shek ordered the Japanese marines attack the August 13, 1937, which culminated in the Battle of Shanghai. These Chinese had reached land after another incident called the Omayra. This time a Japanese military was introduced in a Chinese airport without permission and was shot to death. It is not known whether it was planned or had done so on their own, the fact is that excuse enough. Some kind of conversation between 9 to August 12 was attempted, but everything turned out fruitless.
It was the second battle of Shanghai in just a decade. While the landings were accelerating, fighting occurred immediately by various parts of the city of Shanghai. But Chiang Kai-shek deployed his men as he could and a few divisions jeopardized the Japanese advance. Shortly thereafter, the Japanese sent reinforcements to avoid an embarrassing defeat, as they could not believe that Chinese weak oppose much resistance. They were eventually gaining ground inside. Then the Japanese bombed the city cruelly inhumane effects actually leaving because it came to kill thousands of thousands of civilians every night. Meanwhile, on land, the Chinese resisted for weeks fighting street by street to the invaders. So come October, when the Japanese decided to land more troops north and south of Shanghai, to go surrounding the Chinese. The Japanese came to deploy up to 200,000 soldiers, compared to almost half a million Chinese. Undoubtedly it was a battle of gigantic proportions, inch by inch, meter by meter without a second's rest. During this battle and for many more Japanese used gas and bacteriological weapons that resulted in huge massacres and genocides which civilians suffered most. At the Battle of Shanghai only died as the most extreme sources, up to 200 thousand Chinese, against 70,000 Japanese.
1938 The struggle continues
After intense battles in late October the Chinese began to give ground, despite their heroic resistance in various parts of the city, and end up dropping November 8th Shanghai. Chinese remnants headed Nanking, while Chiang had established their base in Hankow a little earlier, in Central China. Not daunted even a minute, actually the exploits of its soldiers in Shanghai showed that yes you could win the war, although this will take decades; otherwise he devoted himself to seek international assistance. The furious Japanese advanced on Nanking or Nanjing where they locked another devastating battle that ended with the fall of the capital of this city, in December 1937. To the north of the Yellow River, the Japanese were arrested. For this course, the conquest of China, it would be quick, and in retaliation for his soldiers have fun, the Japanese military leaders had no better idea to let your boys give free rein to their instincts and so happens the Slaughter Nanjin. The imperial soldiers perpetrated looting, rape, destruction, unnecessary deaths, mass murder, for camps where prisoners were treated like lab rats, among other atrocities. The slaughter lasted nearly four months and left a balance between 200,000 to 300,000 dead according to various sources between civilian and military. In this city a puppet government was installed.
In early 1938, the Japanese pushed from the northeast to the south in the direction of Soochow railway junction, and this time, although the Chinese fought dramatically, could not defeat the invader. Chiang decides, it off, give a surprise attack on Tai-erh-chuang it was a success because the Chinese were able to isolate and encircle 60,000 Japanese soldiers. As we shall see, were no Australian or British or Americans who managed to defeat the myth of  invincibility of the Japanese soldier. Fortunately for the Japanese, were saved from shame and after a few days of grueling battles opened the fence and escaped, though it cost them 20,000 casualties. However, for the Chinese, there was no time for celebrations. The Japanese were furious with new and renewed forces conquered Soochow late May and occupying the region north of the Yellow River and Hwao. From Soochow the Japanese sought to continue their advance towards Hankow, which sought to find another column, from Nankin march west. The Chinese had to just destroy the levees near Chengchou, and thanks to that the Yellow River, which had caused millions of deaths among the Chinese for centuries, now dropped his power over the Japanese. The Chinese left no doubt of his cunning as the Japanese losses were painful, plus supplies, transportation, ammunition, weapons and men were lost. The moral of the imperial went on the floor, although they had no choice but to look ahead. They attacked with their columns from the east along the banks of Yang-tze kiang to Hankow, which fell on October 25, 1938 after a savage and merciless struggle that lasted five months. Casualties on both sides were sinister but the Japanese have always been one step ahead since its aviation raged in Chinese. This time he moved his capital to Chiang Chung-King and applied the same tactics apply Stalin years later: scorched earth. The Japanese were met with another headache as they move through the destroyed and extensive Chinese territories. To keep in touch with the shore or remote territories the Chinese used guerrilla tactics hartar who kept the enemy. Thus came October 1938 and the invaders made another landing on the southern coast of China that managed to take the city of Canton, the main port of military aid to the country after Shanghai fell.
From 1939-1941

In 1939 on the eve of the attack on Poland, the Japanese launched amphibious operations taking Hainan Island and other Chinese ports to stop foreign aid. In China and was left only two ways to receive foreign resources, through the thin road linking the port of Haiphong in French Indochina with Nankin, while the other was tortuous Burma Road. Many battles had this year of course, and the same in 1940, including that of Amoy, Chongqing, Wuha, Nanchang, Changsha, etc.
We have already noted the two routes of which depended China, but in 1940 everything changed, as France surrendered to Germany, leaving the gala Indochina abandoned, and Japanese allies of the Nazis acted peacefully. There was no resistance beyond a few light guns and shooting unimportant. The railway Haiphong-Nan-Ming took advantage and took over many airfields from which they could trample Chinese south. Now there was only the Burma Road and Chiang hope, in a circuitous march from Rangoon through all obstacles in the mountains and jungle to the Chinese province of Yun-nan. Among the Chinese Nationalists, divisions, such as Wang Ching-wei, who ran the Japanese side and stood in front of that puppet government in Nanking arise. The alliance between the Nationalists and Communists had also cooled too much and were the first who endured the brunt of the conflict.
A powerful Japan requested him but threatened to Britain ceded the last route, the Burma. Churchill, humiliated and depressed by the Battle of Britain, he had no choice but to accept. This seemed to be one China, but continued to fight the invading hated, perhaps by inertia, or because they simply had no other alternative. The year 1940 was full of surprises, because the United States with his Lend-Lease began helping Britain and China also Churchill reopened Burma Road on October 18, 1940, after he showed himself more confident to win the air war against Germany. Roosevelt also warned the Japanese imposing some trade barriers, though it was impossible to be total, for they were not at war. But the end came the famous paralyzing all trade with Japan and especially ending the shipment of oil and steel badly needed the last country to war. England and Holland and their respective colonies, did the same. At the end as we know happened the attack on Pearl Harbor, because Japan has no choice.
1941-1943

Winter from 39 to 40 began with a Japanese winter offensive culminating in a strategic victory in China. Between 1940 and 1942 the fighting were many in the Chinese territory itself such as Zaoyang-Yichan-Shanggao, Shanxi, Changsha battles, Zhejiang-Jiangxi, among others as the failed invasion of Sichuan in victory for the Chinese. In short, after making ports, Japan did not get big wins in China, and progress was slow. The country's reserves, human resources and seemed finished at first glance, but in fact, were inexhaustible. Not to mention when the Allies began to indirectly help the Chinese, not only with military equipment, but also with military trained troops. Indeed, with the entry of the United States into the war, everything was changing. In addition, Chiang came to send up to 30,000 troops to Burma when they had left Rangoon. They tried to stop the runaway Japanese advance to the northwest, ie towards the border with China and despite delay them were not successful in repelling them fully. Soon after, both Chinese armies, 5 and 6, were placed under the command of Stilwell, US.
The fact is that despite the defeat of the Japanese at Midway and Guadalcanal, in the spring of 1943, the Burma Road was still under its power supply complicating China. Actually Chinese stage or front of the Asia-Pacific War remained almost inactive in 1943, although this was used by the Americans in command of Stilwell, as the Chinese Army training intensified. On the other hand, the Japanese began to feel the pressure and elsewhere in the front and at the end had to settle fight the Chinese guerrillas and keep them in place. Japan, to this point, was already at the limit of their strength. Nevertheless China did not walk any better and did not have the strength to finish entirely expel his country to the Japanese. What is undeniable is that almost 1 million Japanese were entertained for almost eight years when peacefully could be used on other fronts. Between 1942 and 43, despite all the casualties in China, continued to hold the advantage on the side of Japanese. It is also recognized that the support of the Chinese Communists barely existed since Mao tse Tung was cold and calculating and following his break with Chiang did not shake hands with the time to let the full weight of the war. Fortunately for nationalists, ties with Churchill and Roosevelt narrowed after meeting with them in November 1943 in Cairo, Egypt. However in late 1943 and early 1944, the war in China seemed to take a new course of an impending Japanese offensive, called Ichi-Go, which seemed to be the final blow to overthrow the Chinese.
US aid

Anyway, the arrival of Stilwell in front changed things. He came to China with a concise mission: to train the Chinese in the war to conquer or at least retain the Japanese in China. Stilwell became part of staff of Chiang Kai-shek, and was appointed commander in chief ally in the same country and responsible for much of some operations. Stilwell then he was placed in command of troops in China, Burma and India, and was the highest-ranking US leader said sub-front. But despite all the support given to China and Yankee military potential support, the situation was still worrying. Stilwell had to improvise and created two knobs, one in New Delhi and another in Chung King to better manage support for China before the devastating Japanese advance. An air route of nearly 800 km starting from Assam located in northeastern India, reaching Kunming and then through some pretty inhospitable mountain ranges are created. So China is supplied in those fateful months of war. Then when northern Burma was most threatened, the route ran a little and Allied aircraft had to overcome and go further north and then east, crossing the tops of Southeast Tibet surpassing the mountains located on the south end Burma and the Yun-nan. However, from inside China, Chennault even better would be caught, he was quite worried because of all supplies was particularly alarming amount of fuel that invested those flying fortresses.
So then for the fall of 1943, at the rate of strengthening the aircraft carrying supplies, in total about 7000 tons, US aircraft and the Chinese army, maintained the struggle waged against the Japanese. The training is also accompanied some fighters, and so gradually over central China recovered. Chennault transferred its units fighter aerodromes located a little further east, passing Kueilin. Thanks to the alarm system and radar, the Allies ending 1943, I had the aerial advantage in China, something unthinkable two years earlier. However by 1944, the Yankees brought an ace up his sleeve, super strengths flyers, b-29, which trasportaban each to 10,000 kilos of bombs. As of June 44, inclusive attacked the Japanese archipelago from bases in China, although permanent were in India, where it had the resources to repair and maintain, rather expensive and difficult without a doubt.
The Chinese, however, prepared five airfields in the area of ​​Cheng-tu almost in the center of China. The reserves of fuel and general supplies reached optimal levels and Americans could bomb Japan from China by returning the suffering caused Japanese so in China. Come the June 15, 1944, Kyushu, a steel installation, the first bombing raid against Japan if we discard Doolittle, two years earlier. And so all was unstoppable, as the Japanese continued to be pounded from the air. In December 1944 was planned, along with Chennault, a raid on the Japanese base at Hankow, which even attacked with firebombs.
1944 and 1945 decisive years

The eastern China and Manchukuo were also victims of Allied advances and gradually going fencing plan on Japan. The b-29 came to realize his latest foray from China in January 1945. But long before the last year of the war, of course, the Japanese entered a desperate situation and victory looked like they were going out of hand, so They began planning a counter or at least something to counter the powerful allies. The Japanese would counter both by sea and by land. It was not until 27 May 1944 when the Japanese army 11 composed of 250,000 soldiers attacked south from Hankow to Chang-sha, while the Army 23 50,000 soldiers launched an offensive west, starting from Canton. It was the first major Japanese offensive since 1938. Despite bitter resistance of the Allies, the Japanese showed stronger remain ashore. In fact, Chinese and Americans were shocked, it was believed that Japan was no longer able to launch such an offensive. The July 19 after devastating fighting the Japanese conquered and in the following weeks the Chinese gave ground, perhaps tired and fed up. The months of June and July continued, while the Japanese were becoming less resistance to southern and central China. After the capture of Chang-sha, joined with the troops in the north, and the Japanese shook hands with peers who started the war in 1937 leaving in the central part of the country a bag of Chinese trapped against the coast east and west Japan.
The US Air Force was commissioned to constantly push the Japanese but these did not stop progress and at the base of Heng-yang, for example, turned to submit a tenacísimo combat. Stilwell did get some reinforcements and supplies from the air while Allied aircraft bombed the Japanese. But the Japanese took over the city and the airfield despite all resistance. Suffice it to say that the destruction was complete, the dead loads and suffering reached the limit. Civilians in their path was razed and reduced almost to the level of slavery, but also might be killed or taken to camps. Almost the entire eastern China was now in Japanese hands, and supplies for these began to seriously dwindle, from food to ammunition. But above all, despite the success on other fronts, lacking moral. The Chinese continued to apply the scorched earth, but it was not enough to stop the Japanese. Now only fleeing latter, as they had already to stop them. To the south and west the Japanese came and took airfields, camps and bases. The 14th Air Force, incidentally, was in a truly critical situation, and without ammunition or fuel reserves.
Stilwell and the Chinese Nationalists reneged on that Mao's Communists do not fight the Japanese, and instead, they have agreed to a truce. They tried to organize the country and realized that they were almost facing an impossible mission. However it should resist the precariousness that had and had no choice. But relations between Chiang and Stilwell became more difficult because of the lack of coordination and urgent situations. Chiang also rejected the US request to include Mao's Communists in the Chinese Army. Moreover Chiang started their own allies suggest that the leader should change strongly-for fights with Stilwell were increasing-and in his talks with Roosevelt, in fact, this was subject header. In October 1944, Roosevelt was forced to cede, mostly because I did not defeat the Chinese front nor break the collaboration with the nationalists. Replacements were Lt. Gen. Dan I. Sultan, and would address specifically the Chinese Major General Albert C. Wedemeyer became head of state of Chiang Kai Shek. Chinese resistance against the Japanese should continue.