The China-Japan War demands to be understood and digested by we in the West who have taken-in America's heroic tale of the Pacific War with our mother's milk, so to speak. It mattered then and it matters even more today, as we confront a nationalistic, capitalistic, expansionist CHINA. The Chinese people know OUR history better than we know THEIRS.
The death of democracy started with the Shanghai Massacre of 1927 - endorsed by Chang and the Inner Circle but - outsourced to Shanghai's Green Gang. Exterminate the Commies in Shanghai - a breeding ground for 'ideas'.
This is 6 years before Hitler came to power, concurrant with Mussolini's beginnings ... but the 'shape' of Fascist Regimes was the face, of Nationalist China.
From the outset, Chang's War was with the Communists - he slaughtered them. So, as with The Eastern Front and Spain (fought from 1936 to 1939) things were political, and vicious
1935 - 1945 the longest campaign of WW2 ... and oddly .... a campaign where
an influential portion of Chinese society wanted the Japanese in control because
they did it ruthlessly .. business and trade flourished.
But, could Chang's knock-off Heer fight and win? In General Stillwell's view, the Nationalists
never took the challenge for what it really was.