Public as well. The battle of china is a little over an hour and contains graphic scenes of war and death that some viewers may find disturbing. [bombs exploding] this was the battle of china. This is the great city of shanghai on a september day in 1937. This is the fearful beginning of a new kind of war. This is the first mass bombing from the air of the helpless civilian population. Why . Why are these innocent chinese men, women, and children to die beneath the hail of japanese bombs . To find the answer to these questions, we must understand something about china and japan. And to understand china, three facts must never be forgotten. China is history, china is land, china is people. Chinese history goes back for more than 4000 years, that is a long time. It was only 168 years ago that washington crossed the delaware. Only 452 years have passed since columbus discovered america. 1500 years since the world saw the fall of the ancient roman empire. 3400 years have gone by since moses received the 10 commandments. 3700 years have passed since the pyramids were built. But more than 4000 years ago, the chinese empire was already in existence. And more important, so was the chinese civilization, a civilization of art, learning, and peace. Yes, china is history. China is also land. More land than the entire continent of europe, a third larger than the United States, and rich in Raw Materials. This last area consists of china in four other providence. And four other provinces. To the north is manchurian, huge and desolate, but abounding in Raw Materials. Next to manchuria, mongolia. Here lies the gobi desert, a vast plateau twice the size of texas, inhabited by nomad tribes who lead their caravans back and forth over ancient trade groups. Over ancient trade routes. To the west, tibet, the icy roof of the world. A mystery land that few have entered. And from these vast mountains of the west rise the three great rivers. The northernmost of these is the yellow river. Far to the south is the pearl river, which interest the sea pass the great parts of hong kong. The greatest river of all is the one that flows between, the yangtze, winding for 3000 miles through the heart of china, bringing fertility to the good earth and bearing upon its broad waters half the commerce of china. Yes, china is land. Next to russia, the largest country in the world. Most importantly, china is people. 450 million of them. [singing] if the whole population of china were to walk past you, abreast, there would never be an end to the procession. The new chinese would be born and grew up before the last man could pass by. Of every five people on the face of the earth, one is a chinese. And since 1 5 of all the human beings of the world are chinese, we should know what sort of people they are. In all their 4000 years of continuous history, they have never waged a war of conquest. They are that sort of people. They developed the art of printing for movable type. They invented the mariners compass, without which, no ocean could be cross. There were among the first astronomers, and their observations of the stars and planets made possible the accurate measuring and recording of time. They are that sort of people. Why do we call our dishes china . Because the chinese invented the art of making porcelain. As we all know, they invented gunpowder, not as a weapon of war, but to celebrate their holidays and religious festivals. It was one of chinas great philosophers who, 500 years before the birth of christ, gave mankind these words. What you do not want done to yourself, do not do unto others. They are that sort of people. Enriching the world in which we live. Yes, incredibly big, incredibly popular. Yet it was until recently a land with which few of us concern concerned ourselves. But now, a great change has taken place. China is now our fighting ally. Or more accurately, we are chinas. But china has been fighting our , enemy, japan, for seven long years. Why is this, why is the chinese, with all their 4000 years of history never waged an aggressive war, been forced to fight. To fight and die by the millions. Because china is land. 4 million square miles of it. And because china is people, 450 million of them. And because japan had a plan to use them both. That plan was finally stated in the tanaka memorial, a blueprint for world congress. For world conquest. Formulated in 1927, by the Japanese Foreign minister. In order to conquer the world, we must first conquer china. Phase one, the conquest of manchuria for all materials. Phase two, the absorption of china for manpower. Piece by piece, though as not to arouse the rest of the world. Phase three, a tram to the south. Phase four, the move to crush the United States. One fact was obvious, china was to be the giant back on which japan would ride to world conquest. Just as russia was to be enslaved for german use. But how is it possible for japan, only one 20th the size of china, and with only 1 6 of the population, to think of conquering china, much less the world . In the first place, modern china, in spite of this age old history, was like the broken pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece controlled by a different ruler, each with its own private army. In modern terms, china was a country. But not yet a nation. While japan was a united highly regimented dictatorship. Second reason lies in the use that each country made of our western civilization. Lets see what china took. You will notice that this is a very old piece of film. Actually it is more than 30 years old and it shows a very great man by the name of in 1911 this man fathered a peoples revolution, which brought to an and chinas to an end chinas ancient imperial government and begin new era of a modern republic. In chinese history it secured a place as george washington. He and his followers chose for the cornerstone of their new republic, chinese words that would those of another. Government of the people, by the people, for the people. To make these principles become reality, they built more schools and colleges. They established scholarship so young men their and women could go forth to the universities of america and europe and bring back to their own country other western ideas. This new generation returned to china with new techniques of industry. Architecture, science, medicine, they built more hospitals to free their people from the blight of disease. They introduced education. They laid down as essential for freedom for which we fight today. Freedom of expression, and freedom of religion. In 1925, he died, but his disciples, led by shanghai shack, carried on his monumental work. Their aim, the unification and modernization of china. Chinese industry was oldfashioned and inefficient. Transportation was slow and inadequate. But now railroads began to link the great seaports and river harbors to the inland cities. A network of highways began to stretch beyond the Railroad Lines into the deep interiors. After leaving them untouched for centuries, china was beginning to use her vast source of Raw Materials. Soon the tools and machines of the new factories were delivering the goods and products for chinas new economy. For the chinese believed in using the best of western civilization, for the progress of their country. While they were building this new nation, just a day and a half by steamer across the yellow sea lay japan. Here the god emperor and his fanatic warlords were using the same western civilization for one purpose, and only one. To create one of the worlds most powerful war machines. Aim, the absorption of china. And the fulfillment of the tan aka memorial. For years japan had deliberately copied military weapons and industrial techniques discovered in other countries. For years japan, under the pretext of lacking Raw Materials for industry had been buying, in every corner of the world, materials not only to build this war machine, the materials which were to be stored to use of an conquest they were planning. For years, while other nations were trying to outlaw war by reducing armaments japan was , feverishly and secretly building a modern army, a modern navy, a modern air force to strike from the flow of the civilized world. We all now know about the islands in the pacific, japan fortified in violation of all international treaties. These were the reasons why it was possible for japan. Only one 20th the size of china, and only 16 of the population of china to think of conquering china as the first step to world conquest. And as you is seen, in 1931, they embarked on phase one, the occupation of manchuria. The small bonfire that the japanese lead in manchuria was to grow and spread with uncontrollable fury until the entire world was a flame. Phase one of the tanaka plan was completed. They were confident this plan could be accomplished without them becoming involved in a major war, and they were right. The unification of china was still too remote for the chinese of the south to care for what happened to their kinsmen in the north. Using the stepbystep technique using the stepbystep technique, a few months later, they took a crack at shanghai. [bombs exploding] the chinese resistance was so great, they called it a loft, waited another year, struck in the north causing a lot of profit. This too they got away with. The world criticized the chinese protested, but still the japs. But still, the chaps japs got what they wanted. Another piece of china without a war on their hands. To rule over manchuria, they set up a puppet government under their stooge, the chinese sizzling prince. The leaders of new china that remembered other barbarians that had invaded their countries. The evidence still stood in the great wall, built by their ancestors more than 2000 years earlier. Stretching for 1400 miles across mountain and desert. To protect themselves from the barbarians of the north. Of the great wall, it has been said that it is the only work of man which would be visible from the moon. The chinese knew that modern barbarians cannot be stopped a wall. However strong or high. They cannot even be stopped by people. Unless the people are united. By 1937, the unification of china was making such progress the japs got worried. The one weapon they cannot permit china was unity. They would strike again before china could become a nation. This time it would be a big bite. Five more northern provinces out of the heart of china. At the United States embassy in china, the military attache there was colonel william mayer. What him tell you a happy and. Let him tell you what happened. The first thing they did was to prepare their usual fake alibi. It was not a damage Railroad Track as it has been in muncher area. Jap soldier was disappeared and obviously, had been kidnapped by the chinese. Japans honor has been insulted. Once more the insult must be avenged. On the night of july 7, 1937, at the marco polo bridge, the jap war machine struck. [bombs exploding] within the space of a few weeks, the invaders were in control of two cities. Japs woulds if the have another walkover. Now the japs sat back to organize a new conquest. A peaceloving japanese did not want a war if they could get their land without one. This time they were in for a rude surprise. This time, instead of protesting and negotiating, the chinese struck back. Not in the north, but at shanghai where the japs least expected it. To understand the fighting that followed, we must know something about the city of shanghai itself. Situated near the mouth of the Yangtze River, it is the biggest city in china. As the largest seaport in the far east, it dominated the commerce and foreign trade. It passed most of the wealth. In shanghai, truly the east, not in shanghai, truly they east met the west. Within this city of three and a half million chinese was another city, a foreign settlement, made up of a french concession and a wellknown international settlement. There, the various powers, including great britain, the United States, and japan had stationed detachments of troops. Japanese, british, french, and our own United States marines to assist the police of a Shanghai Municipal council, and the preservation of peace and order, and to protect the boundaries of the international settlement. These detachments were limited in size, but the japs secretly, and in violation of treaties had increased their garrison so , that when fighting started in 1937, they thought they were fully prepared for any eventuality. [gunfire] the force of the chinese counterattack almost drove the japs into the river. Backed up by the heavy guns of their worships, however, they managed to hold out until reinforcements arrived. Jap landings were then made in the vicinity of the fort, and on the Yangtze River north of shanghai. The chinese drew back to positions five or 10 miles inland where they could secure some protection from the heavy japs naval gunfire. [bombs exploding] at the same time, the invaders succeeded in making a surprise landing some 20 miles to the south of shanghai. Onshore, andions pushed rapidly north outflank north toshed rapidly outflank the city. [screaming] [gunfire] position was thus made untenable and the withdrawal was ordered to the west and to the south. Only about half of the chinese army that had fun at shanghai that had fought at shanghai was left to withdraw. Meanwhile, enraged at the idea of anyone resisting the Imperial Japanese might, they took their vengeance upon the civilian population in the city. A city without guns or planes to defend itself, deliver at least slaughterederately thousands from the air. [explosions] [planes flying while dropping bombs] for some there was refuge inside the international settle, inside the international settlement, where japan was afraid to bomb the property of foreign powers. Just yet. But there was not room for all. For each who found safety inside, there were thousands beyond the gates, standing helpless and undefended against the jap attacks. There was no escape for these strickennd panic people. Throughld only scurry the streets, pushing and packing into the center of the city. Only to be buried alive in the collapsing buildings. Thus the japanese introduced the world to a new kind of war. A war of deliberate terrorization, a deliberate mass war. And deliberate mass murder. When the campaign was over, the japs occupied the entire peninsula, east of shanghai. One column pushed along the railroad, while another swung further to the south. This column been split, and continued its drive, hoping to cut off any retreat of the chinese army. It would after in the yangtze, but they attacked an american gunboat, despite the distinctive marking. [plane flying overhead] [gunfire] the ship was bombed and sung and sunk, the first of American Warships to go to war. This was a mistake in the japanese government apologize. This was a mistake and the japanese government apologized. Meantime, chinese armies defended their city, which was the capital of the chinese republic. [bombs dropping] [bombs dropping] [men screaming] but again japanese power was too great. After a battle lasting but a few days, the city fell to the invaders. [men screaming] in their occupation of nanking, the helpless populace was captured by the city walls and could not flee. The japanese soldiers went berserk, they raped and tortured. They killed and butchered. [gunshots] [speaking chinese] announcer but the chinese knew the will to resist was not by itself enough. They knew the chinese must develop a result. Gallantly it would work in the they may do a plan. It was this. They would slowly yield territory, peas by piece, while usually three small they apartment at developed power and the weapons. Pretty lights when you you are is not usually a will you and is in fixing the industrial strength of china must removed you strength of china must removed to the west, beyond the mountains. Beyond the Railroad Lines. The on the lines of communication. Forward the enemy attack, they might produce the guns they needed. They might trade space for time. Blowup the roads. Space for time. Scorch the earth. Space for time. Blowup the factory building. Leave nothing for the invaders. And then the people rose and moved. Writing, walking, crawling. Announcer 30 million of them, spontaneously driven by an epic impulse rose and made their way west. Moving westward on a track that stretched for 2000 miles of roadless wilderness. The world witnessed one of the most amazing spectacles in human history. The greatest mass migration ever recorded. Whatever could be of use and moved, the chinese took with them on a homeric journey. Their schools, hospitals, dismantled and carried away. Machinery from over 1000 factories weighing over 300 Million Pounds was moved away and trucks and foxconns and on their backs. And ox carts and on their backs. Whatever they could, they gathered to the railroads. When they had packed the last train with the last ounce of humanity and machinery, the tracks themselves were taken up, rail by rail, tie by tie. To leave nothing for the enemy. Every river pointing westward was heavyladen. Every sandbag stretched into service. Precious tools for new china. Announcer nothing could stop them. Not only the not even the rivers that narrowed into mountain gorges. Not with their machinery, more precious than gold. [singing] announcer progress was measured right the mile. By feet, by inches. A trail of rope was moistened every step of the way by their threat. No trains, boats, foxconn. But willing hands and feeds and straining backs. 30 Million People moving westward. Westward from the invader. Westward from slavery. Westward from debt. Westward, to freedom. [singing] now in the free Mountain Land of the west, ancient cities is spraying with fresh and modern life. Chief of them all was the new capital of free china. Here, high above the yanks d river, the chinese reestablish their government. They knew the people of the city would not be safe from air raids. The memories of shanghai were fresh in their mind. On the sandstone cliff which the city was built, they rushed the building of enormous case for the human life. To the jacks, it became the heart of the nation they were determined to conquer. Break the spirit of china. [yelling in chinese] announcer but they could not reach the city by land. They would send their farmers to blasted from the face of the earth. Announcer against these japanese, slow and obsolete chinese plans planes made an attempt to stop them. [airplane engines roaring] [gunfire and artillery] [air raid sirens] [gunfire and explosions] announcer but neither japanese bonds nor japanese planes could destroy the life of the city.