The 1932 Shanghai Battle (淞滬戰爭)

On 18-19 May 2015, the French Société Asiatique (Asian Studies Society) held its annual conference at the Collège de France on “War in the societies of the Orient and the far East.” The conference brought together a wide array of scholars across time periods and boundaries, from ancient Egypt to medieval India, from the Ottoman empire to Vietnam. This provided the “War made Shanghai” group to present for the first time a work in progress on the 1932 Shanghai Battle.

Crédit photo: Fr. Guillemot

Introduction

The presentation is based on unique Japanese military sources, including a full set of battle maps, a complete case study of the conflict produced for the training of Japanese officers, multiple visual documents, graphs, etc. The various materials have been processed through GIS into an integrated database. The main line of inquiry was to explore a core question: What does spatial approach bring into the analysis and interpretation of the Shanghai Batttle ? At this preliminary stage of analysis and interpretation, we contend that spatial analysis reveals patterns of warfare that highlight a combination of the use of modern weaponry (mass destruction, mobility) and past military strategy models (trench war) that reflected the nature of the battle ground. The contending parties met with a difficult and challenging terrain that played to the advantage of the disadvantaged Chinese troops and stalled Japanese battle plans and tactics which the latter overcame only through a massive input of weaponry.

Three people were involved in the preparatory work of this presentation, Christian Henriot (IAO), Zhang Peiyao (postdoctoral fellow, IAO), and Charlotte Aubrun (GIS specialist, IAO). The presenters were graced with the presence of two major historians of China in France, Prof. Alain Roux and Prof. Xiaohong Xiao-Planes (with whom they enjoyed a happy lunch).

From let to right: Zhang Peiyao, Christian Henriot, Xiaohong Xiao-Planes, Alain Roux

From let to right: Zhang Peiyao, Christian Henriot, Xiaohong Xiao-Planes, Alain Roux

 

Prelude to “The French Concession and modern Shanghai” Conference

As an opening to the delocalized session of the “The French Concession and modern Shanghai” (“法租界与近代上海国际学术讨论会”分会场会议) that took place on May 22, two doctoral students — Liu Zhe and Jiang Jie — have composed a film prelude that we are proud to present today in avant-première. The full panel will be made available after the closing session of the conference on May 28, 2014. Enjoy !

Prelude

“法租界与近代上海”国际学术讨论会 – “The French Concession and Modern Shanghai” International Conference

On 27-28 May 2014, the Institute of History of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and the Institut d’Asie Orientale (Lyon Institute of East Asian Sudies) are organizing a joint international conference on the place and role of the French Concession in Shanghai history. The venue of the conference is the historical Fujian Guild (三山會館) at 1551 Zhongshan South Road.

The conference papers cover a broad spectrum of topics. The program include 21 presentations (the working language of the conference is Chinese):

PROGRAM

报告人

报告题目

评论人

周武 上海法租界史研究的若干问题 何品
李志茗 上海早期英、法租界:制度视野下的比较分析
陈珏 上海史中的汉学与汉学史中的上海
马军 铁门续曲(1937年11月—1946年1月)——以上海南市华法交界处为主线的考察 马长林
江文君 战时上海南市难民区

报告人

报告题目

评论人

江天岳 “拓垦者”与“保护神”的传说——法国首任驻华舰队司令卜罗德与上海法租界 陈同
侯庆斌 问题、史料与方法——上海法租界会审公廨(1869-1931)研究的若干思考
柯蓉 Christine Cornet 服役于上海法租界的越南警察:1906-1946——被服、安居、保健与教育 许洪新
朱晓明 上海法租界越南巡捕研究

报告人

报告题目

评论人

牟振宇 开埠初期上海法侨人口、职业及社会网络(1842-1875) 李志茗
谭欣欣 秩序与意外——历史图片、图表和GIS地图中的上海法租界公共交通安全情况(1908—1937)
岳钦韬 法租界高架铁路的规划与废止——兼论上海城市周边铁路路线的形成 张笑川
陆烨 市政抗捐运动与上海法租界市民团体(1919-1937)

报告人

报告题目

评论人

许洪新 论租界时期今思南公馆街区文化特点——上海法租界核心地块一居住街区的个案 冯绍霆
刘华 上海市历史博物馆馆藏法文旧书介绍
张剑 “乙酉学社丛书”翻译出版与影响——兼论知识人在战时法租界的困窘与出路 白华山
段炼 战时上海的钱币集藏 :中国泉币学社在法租界

报告人

报告题目

王钰花 (Fleur Chabaille) 上海法租界与天津法租界的扩张:用连接或比较方法来分析它们的过程及方式(1861-1937)
徐翀 东南互保还是帝国竞争 ?——庚子事变时期上海法租界的防御, 1900-1903
蒋杰 法租界会审公廨、警务处与薛华立路的开发(1900-1939)
赵伟清 政治与民族敏感性:上海法租界的电影审查(1927-1943)

14:3015:30  上海主分场与里昂分会场通过Skype进行对话交流

       主持人:牟振宇、江文君

15:4016:50  圆桌会议

       主要发言人:马长林、许洪新、冯绍霆、柯蓉、周武、马军

 

启动会议第三次会议

4月25日下午1点半至4点半,在历史所小会议室举行了启动会议的第三次会议,与会者有安克强、马军、李志茗、江文君、牟振宇、陆烨和岳钦韬。中方各位依次介绍了自己的研究背景,和介入本课题的独特路径。安克强则教授分别作了评点。启动会议自此全部结束。今后,各位将在彼此保持充分通讯联系的基础上,以“战争塑造上海”为大背景,各自展开独立的研究。

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