ABSTRACT
Shanghai in the 1930s was one of the most sophisticated and complex metropolises in the world. When the Japanese launched their assault on the Chinese parts of the city in August 1937, Shanghai also became the first major city to come under the impact of concerted attack by armored columns and bomber armadas in the mechanized warfare of World War II. The financial, manufacturing, publishing, and entertainment industries continued to thrive. The political autonomy that the largely British and American concession authorities sought to maintain vis-a-vis the Japanese was precarious at best. Since 1945, in a climate dominated by the civil conflicts between the Nationalists and the Communists, few attempts have been made to come to terms with the history of wartime Shanghai in its full complexity. The troops that pulled out of Shanghai withdrew westward along the highways and railroads in the direction of Nanjing. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
