Hey, future historians! 🌟 Strap in for a wild ride through China in the 1930s, where we'll decode Jiang Jieshi's thoughts, understand the Treaty of Tanggu, and dive into the intense battles for Shanghai! 🌏🔥

• Waiting Game: Jiang Jieshi took almost a month to make a military move. He was hoping for some backup from the League of Nations and major world powers. Spoiler alert: Didn't happen! 😓

  • Real-World Example: Imagine you're playing a video game, and you're waiting for your online buddies to join and help you beat the final boss. But alas, they never show up. You're on your own!
• League of Nations = All Talk, No Action: Even though they condemned Japan, no concrete steps were taken. Japan said "BYE!" to the League in 1933. 🙄
• Finally Fighting: Shanghai's garrison commander, Cai Tingkai, led a counter-attack against Japan. The Chinese suffered heavy losses, but it made Japan reconsider their strategies. 🤔

Quick Trivia 🤓

• Who Dominated in the End?: Despite a combined Sino-Japanese admin in Shanghai, the Japanese were the big bosses. Chinese who cooperated with them were seen as traitors.

• Unity? Nah, Just for Show: While all Chinese parties united against Japan initially, it was more like a temporary alliance. Jiang had his eyes set on crushing Communists at home. 🎯
  • Real-World Example: Think of Batman and the Joker teaming up to fight a common enemy. They hate each other, but sometimes they have to put that aside. Not a perfect match!
• Strategy: Jiang thought Japan could never fully conquer China due to its size. He wanted to "trade space to buy time."
  • Real-World Example: Imagine you're playing chess and you sacrifice a few pawns to set up a better attack later. That’s what Jiang was trying to do!