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南京保卫战 [Map]

On November 20, 1937, the Nationalist Government announced its relocation to Chongqing. After 1, 1937, all government agencies in Nanjing had been completely evacuated, and Chiang Kai-shek and his wife also flew out Nanjing on December 7. At the press conference held before the Nationalist Government's withdrawal, General Tang Shengzhi tragically vowed to live and with Nanjing. After the administrative institutions were withdrawn, the administrative responsibility of Nanjing was entrusted to an "International Committee" composed of dozens of Westerners led German John Rabe. The "International Committee" set up a safety zone in Nanjing to protect ordinary civilian refugees. On December 8, the Japanese army all the outlying positions of Nanjing, forming a three-sided encirclement of the city, leaving the only retreat route for the Nanjing defenders to cross Yangtze River to the north. However, Tang Shengzhi set up a "back-to-the-wall" battle formation, destroying all the boats on thetze River, thus cutting off the retreat route for the Nanjing defenders. Tang Shengzhi also deployed the 36th Division at the Yinmen Gate facing the Yangtze River crossing, ordering them to shoot anyone trying to escape from the city.

On December 9, General Matsui Iane dropped "surrender advice letters" into the city of Nanjing, demanding that the Chinese army surrender before December 10, but the army ignored the Japanese army's "surrender advice". Therefore, the Japanese army launched a general attack on Nanjing on December 10