The end of Old-Shanghai

In 1936, Shanghai was one of the most populated city with 3 million occupants including 35 000 foreigners(That's A LOT of people). However, foreigners controlled half of the city(ugh foreign talent). Most of the foreigners were Russians seeking refuge in China(WHY?).
The city was thus divided into two. The western part of Shanghai was predominantly European while the eastern part of Shanghai was mainly occupied by traditional Chinese. The westerners helped transform Shanghai into a metropolis.

Shanghai Grand
During this period, Shanghai was known as "The Paris of the East, the New York of the West". Shanghai was made a special city in 1927, and a municipality in May 1930. The city's industrial and financial power increased, because the merchants were in control of the city.

Artistically Shanghai made major strides for the nation by becoming the home and headquarters of three new art forms; namely, the city was recognized and credited as the entertainment hub for Chinese cinema, Chinese animation and Chinese popular music. Other forms of entertainment include Lianhuanhua comic books.

The architectural style at the time was modeled after British and American design(Hmm, foreign influences). Many of the most grand scale buildings in The Bund such as Shanghai Club, Asia Building and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation building were constructed or renovated at the time. The city created a distinct image that separated it from all other Chinese cities that came before it.

Economic achievements include the city becoming the commercial centre of East Asia, attracting banks from all over the world. When movies and literature depict the golden days of Shanghai of the past, it is generally associated with this era.

End of Old Shanghai (1937 - 1945)
World War II and the Japanese Occupation
1931-1941:
Shanghai becomes a haven for Jews fleeing Nazi terror. As other countries closed their doors to immigrants in the lead up to the Second World War, over 20,000 Jewish refugees found asylum in Shanghai. Germany wanted Japan to exterminate the Jews of Shanghai, but Japan only put them into a ghetto. The Japanese were harsher on the British, Americans and Dutch.
1937:
Japanese bombs hit Shanghai and the foreigners evacuate en masse. Japanese control Shanghai and much of China's eastern coast until their defeat at the hands of the Allied Powers in 1945.
End of foreign Concessions
The major government controlled companies in Shanghai of KMT-China became corrupt after moving to inland China in 1937. The foreign concessions were closed in 1946 when the French departed. Shanghai merchants and bankers had lost faith in the economy during the KMT-rule as the nationalists were not concern about the public interest but tried to force everyone to accept autocratic rule(understandably). The main protectors of the mafia, the Shanghailanders (westerners) were gone and the mafia was ignored by the nationalist government. Communists gained control over the workers. The success of the communists had mainly to do with a different policy. Instead of exclusionism of non-communists, the communists tried to gather a broad coalition.

Maziyyah


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