gThe Battle of Chinah was a war-time propaganda film directed by Frank Capra. Today, you can watch this film on Youtube and see how people can be easily deceived by fake stories.

The film also provides good source materials to consider the history of the period: What was the real cause of the 1937-1945 Sino-Japanese War?

Jung Chiang and Jon Hallidayfs book gMao the Unknown Storyh says, gStalin had publicly identified Japan as the principal menace. Now, we believe, he activated a long-term Communist agent in the heart of the Nationalist army, and detonated a full-scale war in Shanghai, which drew the Japanese inextricably into the vast heartland of China --- and away from Russia.h (pp.198-199, Chapter 19)

If their observation is true, the 1937-1945 Sino-Japanese War presents a whole different story from s conventional view: It is not that Japan invaded China for her insatiable desire of land-grab and occupation, but rather, that Japanese army was lured into the heart of China Proper and pinned down there by Chiang Kai-shekfs Nationalist forces.

Does the film describe all the important incidents or events precisely true to the historical facts, or present wrong interpretation or otherwise is missing something that had led to the eventual war between Japan and the United States?

The author of this website trusts that, in many ways, gThe Battle of Chinah is a good start to consider all these problems.

 

At the end of the film, a description comes up to display as follows:

gAll film used in this picture comes from Chinese sources, American and British Army Photographic Services, Missionaries, News reels and captured Japanese filmsh

Sounds like the film is a documentary? However, if this film is a documentary and supposed to reflect the true picture of the war, the author has the following few questions.

1) Why are there some people smiling and laughing during the bombing raids?
(See the Slides 01 through 05 below)

2) The 1937 Second Battle of Shanghai took place from August 13 through mid-November. Then, why some people wear summer clothes while the other people wear winter clothes? They cannot co-exist in the heat of summer in Shanghai. (See the Slides 06 through 09 below)

3) Why are some Chinese smiling while being yanked to the place of slaughter in the Rape of Nanking ? (See the Slides 10 through 11 below)

 

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People are smiling under bombardment
 

	Slide No., time & description
	Slide 01/ 21:58 She is laughing while being bombed.
	Slide 02/ 22:09 People to the right are running while those to the left are walking.
	Slide 03/ 22:48 Some of them are smiling during the air-raid.
	Slide 04/ 39:40 Enjoy emergency evacuation !
	Slide 05/ 39:49 Are you looking forward to see Elvis?

 

Summer clothes and winter clothes co-exist at the same time
 

	Slide 06/ 21:57 People are running in summer clothes.
	Slide 07/ 22:30
	Slide 08/ 23:18 People are running in winter clothes.
	Slide 09/ 22:38

 

The Chinese are smiling while being butchered in the Rape of Nanking
 

	Slide10/ 27:37

	Slide11/ 27:39

 

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