Full-scale war changes China’s geography
Following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937, fighting expanded into full-scale war. Attacks on Shanghai and Nanjing led the Nationalist government to relocate to Chongqing, while factories, schools and residents moved inland. Occupation extended beyond the already controlled Northeast. Mass killing in Nanjing and other atrocities caused extensive civilian deaths. Bombing, displacement and disrupted transport made shelter and supply central concerns for households and public institutions.
Battlefields, bases and social mobilization
Nationalist armies fought major conventional campaigns, while Communist and other resistance forces operated behind enemy lines. Cooperation also involved conflict. Transport, food, manufacturing and medicine supported warfare, drawing women, students and communities into varied activities. Relocated schools and factories continued operating inland. After the Pacific War began in 1941, China’s campaign became more closely connected with Allied operations, assistance and international supply routes, while rural populations endured competing military demands.
Victory brings reconstruction and renewed conflict
Japan’s surrender in 1945 ended the war, but recovered territories required restored administration, transport and production. Returning refugees, shortages and inflation complicated reconstruction. Nationalist and Communist negotiations failed to settle questions of military power and government, and civil war expanded. Wartime migration and industrial relocation continued shaping society. Families confronted bereavement, separation and property loss as survivors sought to rebuild lives within a new period of political conflict.