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In 1932, the Chinese city of Shanghai was briefly occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army as tensions mounted between the Japanese and Chinese governments after the invasion of Manchuria.
History[]
After the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, which the Japanese had launched in order to gain control of the natural resources in the province, Shanghai imposed sanctions on the aggressor.
Japanese trade harmed by this action. In 1932, on the pretext of working to returning trade to the region for the good of both Japan and China, soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army stationed in the Shanghai International Settlement were sent out into the city and overran the streets.
Amid the army's clashes with Chinese troops, the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Imperial Army Air Fleet also became involved. The aircraft carrier Hosho, just off the coast in the Pacific, launched aircraft which raided the city and destroyed large parts of it.
During the occupation, Sung-Chi Li, a Chinese policeman, was captured by Ishiguro Takashi and taken to be interrogated by Major Ryuji Matsu. Li was becoming disillusioned by the ability of the Kuomintang to defeat the Chinese Communists and restore order to China. Matsu convinced him that the Japanese Empire could restore that order and convinced Li to become a double agent.
Western powers in the International Settlement eventually intervened to protect their own trading centres and the fighting ended before it escalated into full-scale war between China and Japan.
Ishiguro Takashi, who deserted the Imperial Army after the military revolt in Tokyo in 1936, saw the fighting in Shanghai as a sign that the invasion of Manchuria was not an isolated incident. The actions of the Japanese proved that they sought to take over even more of China.
After the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in July 1937, the Japanese once again turned their attention to Shanghai by launching air raids against the city. The Fourth Doctor stated that they occasionally did this "just to prove that they can", despite the front lines being 400 miles north-east of the city. However, Woo, the new identity assumed by Takashi, knew the Japanese would eventually enter the city in force once more. Into August, he worked to created a united front in China to help repel them. (PROSE: The Shadow of Weng-Chiang)
Behind the scenes[]
- In the real world, the confrontation is known in China as the January 28 incident and otherwise as the Shanghai incident. The Shadow of Weng-Chiang gives no name to the confrontation in-universe, nor does it specify a date beyond the year it takes place. The text does state, however, that "the Japanese had briefly occupied the city in 1932".
- Two other confrontations occurred in Shanghai in later years. Both are alluded to in Shadow, although neither are depicted or discussed in great detail:
- In August 1937, the Battle of Shanghai began, a much larger engagement than in 1932 which stretched into November. Shadow is set just before this battle and makes some references to its preparation, but the story ends very shortly before it opens.
- In December 1941, the Japanese occupied the International Settlement at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. In Shadow, the Doctor mentions that he encountered some stranded Alpha Centauris in Shanghai in 1941, vaguely claiming this was "not a very pleasant time" for the city.