Hello, and thank you for listening to the History of World War II podcast, Episode

201, The Battle of Shanghai Part One.

Last time on August 2, 1937, with Chinese nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek facing certain destruction

at the hands of the Japanese, he did the last thing he wanted to do, create an alliance

with Mao Zedong and the communists.

Only together, perhaps, did they stand a chance of victory in the coming war.

Now that this was done, just five days later, on August 7, Chiang met with his various ministers,

along with Mao's representatives, Zhou Enlai and Red Army Marshall Zhu Duh.

The meeting was a confidential joint national defense meeting in Nang Jing at the meeting

house of Liar-ji Shu, the Society for Vigor's practice of the three principles of Sun Yat-sen,

his former mentor.

And now that war with Japan had been decided, it was time to work out the details.

Japan's greatest advantage over the Chinese was its Air Force, and as the invaders had to

come at Nang Jing, the nationalist capital.

The main question for the Chinese was, how were the people of the capital to be protected

from bombers?

Chiang still speaking at the defense meeting, read out a report that the air raid shelters

were almost done.

But these were just words on paper.

Not trusting such things, Chiang had an aerial reconnaissance conducted.

The truth was that nine out of the ten shelters were still exposed and vulnerable.

The evacuation of the bureaucrats' families was very no better.

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