The Japanese had taken both Shanghai and Nanking (Nanjing)—resulting in the Nanking Massacre, an atrocity Mao never spoke of all his life—and was pushing the Kuomintang government inland to Chungking.
Japanerne havde indtaget både Shanghai og Nanking (Nanjing) — hvilket resulterede i Nankingmassakren, en grusomhed som Mao aldrig talte om i sit liv — og de pressede Kuomintang-regeringen ind i landet til Chungking.