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Mao: The Unknown StoryMao had completed his stranglehold on communications with the two places that counted БЂ” Moscow and Chongqing. At this time, in May 1940, the Sino-Japanese war entered a critical phase. The Japanese began to intensify their bombing of Chongqing, which soon became the most heavily bombed city in the world to date; over the next six months, the tonnage dropped on it equaled one-third of what the Allies dropped on all Japan throughout the Pacific War; up to 10,000 civilians died in one raid. The Japanese army meanwhile advanced up the Yangtze towards Chongqing. Tokyo demanded that France close the railway from Vietnam, and that Britain shut down the Burma Road БЂ” the only routes into now landlocked China other than from Russia. Both Western states acquiesced, on 20 June and 18 July, respectively (although BritainБЂ™s closure was only for three months). In Chongqing, sentiment strengthened for a deal with Japan. Chiang БЂ” and China БЂ” were facing a momentous crisis. To Mao the crisis was a godsend БЂ” the worse the better ...» |
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