website, c-span.org/history. >> next, on american history in america, why we fight the battle of china. surveysormation film the geography, people, and history of china and details their defensive war against japan beginning with the 1931 invasion of manchuria. the film argues that a decentralized and fractious the fight byted in japanese war crimes against civilians in banking in 1937. this was supervised during world war ii i hollywood director and u.s. army major frank capra and created by a team of experienced writers, composers, directors, and technicians. the films were intended to explain to troops the reasons behind the war effort but were eventually shown to the american

public as well. the battle of china is a little over an hour and contains graphic scenes of war and death that some viewers may find disturbing. ♪ >> [bombs exploding] >> this was the battle of china.

this is the great city of shanghai on a september day in 1937. this is the fearful beginning of a new kind of war. this is the first mass bombing from the air of the helpless civilian population. why? why are these innocent chinese men, women, and children to die

beneath the hail of japanese bombs? to find the answer to these questions, we must understand something about china and japan. and to understand china, three facts must never be forgotten. china is history, china is land, china is people. chinese history goes back for more than 4000 years, that is a long time. it was only 168 years ago that washington crossed the delaware. only 452 years have passed since columbus discovered america. 1500 years since the world saw the fall of the ancient roman empire.

3400 years have gone by since moses received the 10 commandments. 3700 years have passed since the pyramids were built. but more than 4000 years ago, the chinese empire was already in existence. and more important, so was the chinese civilization, a civilization of art, learning, and peace. yes, china is history. china is also land. more land than the entire continent of europe, a third larger than the united states, and rich in raw materials. this last area consists of china in four other providence. -- and four other provinces. to the north is manchurian, huge and desolate, but abounding in raw materials. next to manchuria, mongolia.

here lies the gobi desert, a vast plateau twice the size of texas, inhabited by nomad tribes who lead their caravans back and forth over ancient trade groups. -- over ancient trade routes. to the west, tibet, the icy roof of the world. a mystery land that few have entered. and from these vast mountains of the west rise the three great rivers. the northernmost of these is the yellow river. far to the south is the pearl river, which interest the sea pass the great parts of hong kong. the greatest river of all is the one that flows between, the yangtze, winding for 3000 miles through the heart of china, bringing fertility to the good earth and bearing upon its broad waters half the commerce of china. yes, china is land.

next to russia, the largest country in the world. most importantly, china is people. 450 million of them. ♪ [singing] >> if the whole population of china were to walk past you, abreast, there would never be an end to the procession. the new chinese would be born and grew up before the last man could pass by. of every five people on the face of the earth, one is a chinese. and since 1/5 of all the human beings of the world are chinese, we should know what sort of people they are. in all their 4000 years of

continuous history, they have never waged a war of conquest. they are that sort of people. they developed the art of printing for movable type. they invented the mariner's compass, without which, no ocean could be cross. there were among the first astronomers, and their observations of the stars and planets made possible the accurate measuring and recording of time. they are that sort of people. why do we call our dishes china? because the chinese invented the art of making porcelain. as we all know, they invented gunpowder, not as a weapon of war, but to celebrate their holidays and religious festivals. it was one of china's great philosophers who, 500 years before the birth of christ, gave mankind these words. "what you do not want done to yourself, do not do unto others." they are that sort of people. enriching the world in which we

live. yes, incredibly big, incredibly popular. yet it was until recently a land with which few of us concern -- concerned ourselves. but now, a great change has taken place. china is now our fighting ally. or more accurately, we are china's. but china has been fighting our , enemy, japan, for seven long years. ♪ >> why is this, why is the chinese, with all their 4000 years of history never waged an aggressive war, been forced to fight. to fight and die by the millions. because china is land. 4 million square miles of it. and because china is people, 450 million of them. and because japan had a plan to use them both. that plan was finally stated in

the tanaka memorial, a blueprint for world congress. -- for world conquest. formulated in 1927, by the japanese foreign minister. >> in order to conquer the world, we must first conquer china. >> phase one, the conquest of manchuria for all materials. phase two, the absorption of china for manpower. piece by piece, though as not to arouse the rest of the world. phase three, a tram to the south. phase four, the move to crush the united states. one fact was obvious, china was to be the giant back on which japan would ride to world conquest. just as russia was to be enslaved for german use. but how is it possible for japan, only one 20th the size of china, and with only 1/6 of the

population, to think of conquering china, much less the world? in the first place, modern china, in spite of this age old history, was like the broken pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. each piece controlled by a different ruler, each with its own private army. in modern terms, china was a country. but not yet a nation. while japan was a united highly regimented dictatorship. second reason lies in the use that each country made of our western civilization. let's see what china took. you will notice that this is a very old piece of film. actually it is more than 30 years old and it shows a very great man by the name of -- in 1911 this man fathered a people's revolution, which brought to an and china's

-- to an end china's ancient imperial government and begin new era of a modern republic. in chinese history it secured a place as george washington. he and his followers chose for the cornerstone of their new republic, chinese words that would those of another. "government of the people, by the people, for the people. to make these principles become reality, they built more schools and colleges." they established scholarship so young men -- their and women could go forth to the universities of america and europe and bring back to their own country other western ideas. this new generation returned to china with new techniques of industry. architecture, science, medicine, they built more hospitals to free their people from the blight of disease. they introduced education.

they laid down as essential for freedom for which we fight today. freedom of expression, and freedom of religion. in 1925, he died, but his disciples, led by shanghai shack, carried on his monumental work. their aim, the unification and modernization of china. chinese industry was old-fashioned and inefficient. transportation was slow and inadequate. but now railroads began to link the great seaports and river harbors to the inland cities. a network of highways began to stretch beyond the railroad lines into the deep interiors. after leaving them untouched for centuries, china was beginning to use her vast source of raw materials. soon the tools and machines of the new factories were delivering the goods and products for china's new

economy. for the chinese believed in using the best of western civilization, for the progress of their country. while they were building this new nation, just a day and a half by steamer across the yellow sea lay japan. here the god emperor and his fanatic warlords were using the same western civilization for one purpose, and only one. to create one of the world's most powerful war machines. aim, the absorption of china. and the fulfillment of the tan aka memorial. ♪ for years japan had deliberately copied military weapons and industrial techniques discovered in other countries. for years japan, under the

pretext of lacking raw materials for industry had been buying, in every corner of the world, materials not only to build this war machine, the materials which were to be stored to use of an conquest they were planning. for years, while other nations were trying to outlaw war by reducing armaments japan was , feverishly and secretly building a modern army, a modern navy, a modern air force to strike from the flow of the civilized world. we all now know about the islands in the pacific, japan fortified in violation of all international treaties. these were the reasons why it was possible for japan. only one 20th the size of china, and only 16 of the population of china to think of conquering china as the first step to world conquest.

and as you is seen, in 1931, they embarked on phase one, the occupation of manchuria. the small bonfire that the japanese lead in manchuria was to grow and spread with uncontrollable fury until the entire world was a flame. phase one of the tanaka plan was completed. they were confident this plan could be accomplished without them becoming involved in a major war, and they were right. the unification of china was still too remote for the chinese of the south to care for what happened to their kinsmen in the north. using the step-by-step technique -- using the step-by-step

technique, a few months later, they took a crack at shanghai. [bombs exploding] >> the chinese resistance was so great, they called it a loft, waited another year, struck in the north causing a lot of profit. this too they got away with. the world criticized the chinese protested, but still the japs. -- but still, the chaps -- japs got what they wanted. another piece of china without a war on their hands. to rule over manchuria, they set up a puppet government under their stooge, the chinese sizzling prince. the leaders of new china that remembered other barbarians that had invaded their countries. the evidence still stood in the great wall, built by their ancestors more than 2000 years earlier. stretching for 1400 miles across mountain and desert. to protect themselves from the barbarians of the north.

♪ >> of the great wall, it has been said that it is the only work of man which would be visible from the moon. the chinese knew that modern barbarians cannot be stopped a wall. however strong or high. they cannot even be stopped by people. unless the people are united. by 1937, the unification of china was making such progress the japs got worried. the one weapon they cannot permit china was unity. they would strike again before china could become a nation. this time it would be a big bite. five more northern provinces out of the heart of china. at the united states embassy in china, the military attaché there was colonel william mayer. what him tell you a happy and.

-- let him tell you what happened. >> the first thing they did was to prepare their usual fake alibi. it was not a damage railroad track as it has been in muncher area. jap soldier was disappeared and obviously, had been kidnapped by the chinese. japan's honor has been insulted. once more the insult must be avenged. on the night of july 7, 1937, at the marco polo bridge, the jap war machine struck. [bombs exploding] >> within the space of a few weeks, the invaders were in control of two cities. japs woulds if the have another walkover. >> now the japs sat back to organize a new conquest. a peaceloving japanese did not want a war if they could get their land without one. this time they were in for a

rude surprise. this time, instead of protesting and negotiating, the chinese struck back. not in the north, but at shanghai where the japs least expected it. to understand the fighting that followed, we must know something about the city of shanghai itself. situated near the mouth of the yangtze river, it is the biggest city in china. as the largest seaport in the far east, it dominated the commerce and foreign trade. it passed most of the wealth. in shanghai, truly the east, not -- in shanghai, truly they east met the west. within this city of three and a half million chinese was another

city, a foreign settlement, made up of a french concession and a well-known international settlement. there, the various powers, including great britain, the united states, and japan had stationed detachments of troops. japanese, british, french, and our own united states marines to assist the police of a shanghai municipal council, and the preservation of peace and order, and to protect the boundaries of the international settlement. these detachments were limited in size, but the japs secretly, and in violation of treaties had increased their garrison so , that when fighting started in 1937, they thought they were fully prepared for any eventuality. ♪ [gunfire]

>> the force of the chinese counterattack almost drove the japs into the river. backed up by the heavy guns of their worships, however, they managed to hold out until reinforcements arrived. jap landings were then made in the vicinity of the fort, and on the yangtze river north of shanghai. the chinese drew back to positions five or 10 miles inland where they could secure some protection from the heavy japs naval gunfire. [bombs exploding] >> at the same time, the invaders succeeded in making a

surprise landing some 20 miles to the south of shanghai. onshore, andions pushed rapidly north outflank north toshed rapidly outflank the city. ♪ [screaming] [gunfire] position was thus made untenable and the withdrawal was ordered to the west and to the south. only about half of the chinese army that had fun at shanghai -- that had fought at shanghai was left to withdraw. meanwhile, enraged at the idea of anyone resisting the imperial japanese might, they took their vengeance upon the civilian population in the city. a city without guns or planes to defend itself, deliver at least slaughterederately thousands from the air. [explosions]

[planes flying while dropping bombs] ♪ >> for some there was refuge inside the international settle, -- inside the international settlement, where japan was afraid to bomb the property of foreign powers. just yet. but there was not room for all.

for each who found safety inside, there were thousands beyond the gates, standing helpless and undefended against the jap attacks. there was no escape for these strickennd panic people. throughld only scurry the streets, pushing and packing into the center of the city. only to be buried alive in the collapsing buildings. ♪

>> thus the japanese introduced the world to a new kind of war. a war of deliberate terrorization, a deliberate mass war. and deliberate mass murder. ♪

>> when the campaign was over, the japs occupied the entire peninsula, east of shanghai. one column pushed along the railroad, while another swung further to the south. this column been split, and continued its drive, hoping to cut off any retreat of the chinese army. it would after in the yangtze, but they attacked an american gunboat, despite the distinctive marking. [plane flying overhead] [gunfire] >> the ship was bombed and sung -- and sunk, the first of american warships to go to war. this was a mistake in the japanese government apologize. -- this was a mistake and the

japanese government apologized. meantime, chinese armies defended their city, which was the capital of the chinese republic. [bombs dropping] ♪ [bombs dropping]

>>[men screaming] >> but again japanese power was too great. after a battle lasting but a few days, the city fell to the invaders. >>[men screaming] ♪ >> in their occupation of nanking, the helpless populace was captured by the city walls and could not flee. the japanese soldiers went berserk, they raped and tortured. they killed and butchered. [gunshots]

[speaking chinese] announcer: but the chinese knew the will to resist was not by itself enough. they knew the chinese must develop a result. gallantly it would work in the they may do a plan. it was this. they would slowly yield territory, peas by piece, while usually three small they apartment at developed power and the weapons. pretty lights when you you are is not usually a will you and is

in fixing the industrial strength of china must removed you strength of china must removed to the west, beyond the mountains. beyond the railroad lines. the on the lines of communication. forward the enemy attack, they might produce the guns they needed. they might trade space for time. blowup the roads. space for time. scorch the earth. space for time. blowup the factory building. leave nothing for the invaders. and then the people rose and moved. writing, walking, crawling. ♪

announcer: 30 million of them, spontaneously driven by an epic impulse rose and made their way west. moving westward on a track that stretched for 2000 miles of roadless wilderness. the world witnessed one of the most amazing spectacles in human history. the greatest mass migration ever recorded. whatever could be of use and moved, the chinese took with them on a homeric journey. their schools, hospitals, dismantled and carried away. machinery from over 1000 factories weighing over 300 million pounds was moved away and trucks and foxconn's and on their backs.

-- and ox carts and on their backs. whatever they could, they gathered to the railroads. when they had packed the last train with the last ounce of humanity and machinery, the tracks themselves were taken up, rail by rail, tie by tie. to leave nothing for the enemy. ♪ every river pointing westward was heavy-laden. every sandbag stretched into service. precious tools for new china.

♪ announcer: nothing could stop them. not only the -- not even the rivers that narrowed into mountain gorges. not with their machinery, more precious than gold. [singing] ♪

announcer: progress was measured right the mile. by feet, by inches. a trail of rope was moistened every step of the way by their threat. no trains, boats, foxconn. but willing hands and feeds and straining backs. 30 million people moving westward. westward from the invader. westward from slavery. westward from debt. westward, to freedom. [singing] ♪

>> now in the free mountain land of the west, ancient cities is spraying with fresh and modern life. chief of them all was the new capital of free china. here, high above the yanks d river, the chinese reestablish their government. they knew the people of the city

would not be safe from air raids. the memories of shanghai were fresh in their mind. on the sandstone cliff which the city was built, they rushed the building of enormous case for the human life. to the jacks, it became the heart of the nation they were determined to conquer. break the spirit of china. [yelling in chinese] announcer: but they could not reach the city by land. they would send their farmers to blasted from the face of the earth.

announcer: against these japanese, slow and obsolete chinese plans -- planes made an attempt to stop them. [airplane engines roaring] [gunfire and artillery]

[air raid sirens] [gunfire and explosions]

announcer: but neither japanese bonds nor japanese planes could destroy the life of the city. at the chinese had gone underground or they could offer -- where they could work day and night. this time, the chinese anticipated there enemy in spite of bombs and fire and destruction. this time the chinese fought back. ♪

announcer: flaming chongqing became the symbol of their indestructible spirit. ♪ announcer: now, the call to arms sounded throughout new china and from the vast interior, chinese millions answered the call. [bugle blaring] announcer: make him from the south and from the north, from the east and from the west. they formed the people's army. with a new faith in their hearts, men and women left their homes and farms to fight for something rigor now than each man's home and farm and each man's life. they were fighting for new china.

new soldiers, awkward and unskilled, like all new soldiers were toughened and trained. [sounding off] announcer: they learned the discipline and order of drills. they knew they must strike and stray card. they learned to kill. the youth of china also came forward. training to care for the sick and wounded. girls joined their husbands,

brothers, and sweethearts in uniform. and, to the aid of china came volunteers from other lands. men who pledged to fight against tyranny and oppression no matter where. americans, like the legendary colonel and his flying tigers. knocking down american -- knocking down planes with american planes 20-to-one. phase two of the plan called for breaking the horse to their well. but the great patient horse refused to be broken. the enraged gaps saw their plan of cup -- the enraged japs's other plant breaking down. so they tried to cut up the lifeblood. the river, the railroads of her rebuilt with slave labor as the

japanese moved inland. china supply lines were cut off by jap warships blockading the coast. the japanese strategy was isolation. port after port was occupied. japan was cutting off china from supplies she could not manufacture for herself. supplies they were getting from france. china was doomed without this. with the whole of the chinese coast in the hands of the japs, there were only two routes for vitally necessarily material a. from indochina, a railway connecting with a truck road. at the capacity was limited. then there was the old trail of camel caravans across the gobi

desert, which could bring in even less. not only did these routes provide too little but they were too near the jack territory. they could not be safe. -- too near the japanese territory. they cannot be safe. hundreds of miles in deep river gorges. if the stretch of tortuous modern roads could be replaced with a modern highway, china would have a tactical supply route. several internationally known firms of engineers were called in to do the job. they said the work might be completed in 6-7 years of china can supply them with the most modern machinery. in china did not have the modern machinery, nor did she have 6-7 years.

so she began building the road with her bare hands. ♪ they toil to carve the past out of the reluctant mountain. ♪ announcer: and out of their sweat and toil they created the burma road not in six or seven years, but in less than 12 months. a monument to the spirit of the new china.

as soon as it was completed, the road went into immediate service. by thousands, the trucks shuttled back and forth. climbing to nearly 10,000 feet, around hairpin curves, along the edges of sheer precipice is where passing trucks had barely

one foot of clearance. the blood plasma of new supplies flowed steadily over china's lifeline to the sea, protected by the kernel land his flying tigers. but it cannot be measured only in the miracle of construction, it must be counted in the tragedy of destruction. while the burma road was being built, the invading jap armies had straddled two thirds of the railroads of the country. in the summer of 1938, they set out to capture the remaining one-third starting with ching chou. situated on the banks of the yellow river, originally the river flowed southeastward to the yellow sea. at nearly a century ago, a great flood of ripley changed the course, swinging it far to the north. her generation upon generation,

the plane flats rushed down -- four generation after generation, the floods rushed down. the chinese tried to hold, to protect their homes and their crops. now is the japs advanced on chengchow, the chinese released a flood between themselves and the japs. once more, the river flowed in its old course, forming a barrier which to this day has repented the japs from entrenching themselves in this area. -- prevented the japs from an trenching themselves in this area. yes, once more, with no thought of the human life or material cost, the chinese traded space for time. and they had other tricks to pull from their patch to eat and faded sleeves. you'll notice from this map, it does not look like the military maps use on the previous films.

while standards, it should have looked like this, which is the way the japs wanted it to look. of the japanese were learning the occupation of chinese cities and the control of chinese rivers and railroads still was far from meaning the subjugation of china. the chinese formed themselves into guerrilla bands. these were mostly farmers who had stayed behind on the land when the great migration to the west took place. peaceful farmers one day, deadly fighters the next. they made an unpredictable and uncontrollable enemy. ♪

announcer: the japs held the lines of communication, but in the pockets these gorillas constantly sniped. when the jets tried to annihilate them, only to reappear in another spot. [yelling] announcer: attacking with speed and surprise, they ambushed enemy patrols. announcer: the people of japan were fighting not just the chinese people but the chinese land. the river, the floods come the swamps, the marshes.

these, too, were enemies that divide the japanese war machine. it was proving to be a bucking rocco. phase two of the plan had bogged down and what the japs still referred to as "the china incident." this left them in a quandary. phase two was still in complete by phase three and could no longer be delayed. in russia, the overwhelming offensive was taxing the military offensive to the limit, removing any fear of russian interference. threatened after the sledgehammer of dunkirk, it was left militarily exhausted. the navy scattered across the sea, guarding the lifeline of supplies. here in america, we were finally awakening to our danger and taking steps to protect

ourselves. we had appropriated funding and our army was rapidly expanding. if the ultimate objective of the plan were to be achieved, now was the moment to strike. now, when russia was otherwise occupied. now, before written -- britain could recuperate. now, before we could gather too much strength. so the japs made a decision to embark on phase three and phase four, the conquest of the indies and the united states without waiting to complete phase two, conquest of china. thus, paralyzed american power in the pacific without warning. as they have always struck, they struck again. [explosions and gunfire]

announcer: according to all of the rules, chinese position could now be improved. they now had fighting allies. the british, the dutch. but it did not work that way for china. for in those tragic early months of 1942, when we sustained defeat after defeat of the hands -- at the hands of our common enemy. china enjoyed the worst setback of all. out of our defeat, chinese lost the burma road. but still, chinese courage never faulted. her determination never weekend.

in history of those long and tragic months of black defeat in 1942, 1 bright page stands forth. the page written by our chinese ally. the japs wanted the city for two reasons. it was in the center of the chinese rice ball and also an important railway juncture. they had tried to take it before twice and twice been thrown back. messing a large striking force on christmas eve, 1941, the japs started southward. at three points during the drive south, chinese forces put up token resistance. in incentive withdrawing towards ching shot, they withdrew east. -- changshaw by new year's eve, in spite of fierce resistance, the japanese were sure the fall was only a matter of hours but what they did not know was that they had walked into a well-baited trap. the chinese fortress in the hills now struck down on the japanese supply line and cut them to ribbons. they soon ran out of food and ammunition and begin to withdraw.

the chinese launched a counter offensive and push the japanese back where they had come from. [gunfire and explosions] announcer the japanese were forced to withdraw from the advancing chinese forces. -- announcer: the japanese were forced to draw back from the advancing chinese forces. [explosions and gunfire] [bugle] announcer: it was a magnificent

victory for the people of china. the people who would not surrender. a people determined to fight for their freedom. a people who cannot be beaten. as 1934 don, another story was being written. from the aleutians to the south pacific, we were on the offensive. on the jungles of new guinea and in the gilbert and marshall islands, on the shores of new britain, on the pacific waters, japan faces the expanding power of the nation she attacked. [bombs and gunfire and airplane

engines] announcer: in india, american, british, and indian forces gathered. china's war is our war. now her millions belong not only to united china, but also to the united nations. leader of american forces had the unique honor of being the chief of staff of all the chinese. division after division are being thrown from china to -- flung from china to india where they were equipped with the most modern american weapons. trained and hardened to spearhead the coming drive against japan. through enemy-held territory and new burma, the new road was being pushed. over mountains. through jungles and swamps. from india to china, to connect with the old burma road. in the jungle on either side, american and chinese patrols controlled the road and strike at the jacks.

planes were brought in. ♪ announcer: from india, and airport command airplane takes off every six minutes loaded with artillery, jeeps, ammunition. man and supplies for the armies of china. over this burma skyway. over these mountains 16,000 feet high, more tonnage is being flown into china than was ever tracked in over the old burma road. in the skies over china, japan faces new opposition. younger chinese, many of them trained in the fields of arizona, new mexico, california, fly and fight beside their american counterparts.

the fighters and bombers of the chinese air force and the 13th air force, today fly far and wide over china. hitting enemy concentrations. smashing them along the chinese coast. the same people that moved a nation 2000 miles, that built the burma road, are building airfields out of stones, mud, and patient hands. ♪ announcer: today, from land and sea to the rest of the world, chinese armies, chinese

guerrillas still stand firm against the japanese war machine. the oldest and the youngest of the world's great nation, together with the british commonwealth, fight site-by-side and a struggle as old as chinese itself. a struggle for freedom. civilization. good against evil. upon their victory depends the future of mankind. >> we in china, like you, want a better world. not for ourselves alone but for all of mankind. we must have it. [applause] [singing] ♪

you could be featured on our next life program, join the conversation on facebook. as well as on twitter at c-span history. >> up next on american history tv, larry wood, author of the ozark gunfights and other notorious incidents, shares the areas violent history. he talks about feuding groups and infamous criminals from wild bill held kok -- wild bill hickok to bonnie and clyde. mr. wood: first of all, thank all of you for turning out. i would also like to thank c-span. as jeremy says, the main book am going to be talking about is "ozarkgu