On the eve of the August 13 Songhu Massacre, what preparations did the Chinese government make?

All classes in China are increasingly aware that further compromise with Japan will mean destruction for all classes in China.

At 5:30 p.m. on August 9, 1937, Lieutenant Ōyama Yoshio Oyama, a lieutenant of the Imperial Japanese Marine Corps' Western Dispatch Team, took a first-class soldier Saito Tozo and drove from the French Concession into the cordon of Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, causing trouble nearby, the Chinese security forces blocked his advance, and a clash broke out between the two sides, and one person was killed by the security team, and Oyama and others were also killed, which caused negotiations. Is for the Hongqiao Airport incident. The incident increased the crisis of the Shanghai war, but both sides said that it would be resolved diplomatically. China also sent large armies along the Zhenru, Zhabei and Beijing-Shanghai railways for self-defense. Zhang Zhizhong was appointed commander of the Beijing-Shanghai garrison, and the troops under his command were the 88th Division, the 87th Division, and the Teaching Corps. The Japanese used this as an excuse to demand that the Nationalist government withdraw from the Shanghai security forces, dismantle all fortifications, and increase troops to Shanghai. China maintained the policy of not expanding the situation, and Yu Hongjun, mayor of Shanghai, and Zhou Jue, secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the National Government, spoke to the Japanese consul general in Shanghai and the Japanese Navy respectively, and clashed with the Japanese army. At that time, the Japanese side stated that the officers and men of the Japanese Marine Corps had not been ordered to go out this day. Even if someone goes out, they will never go to Hongqiao Airport. Because Japanese officers and soldiers should never go to the airport.

Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper

On August 10, Japan transported reinforcements to Shanghai.

On 11 August, 16 warships of the Japanese Sasebo Second Fleet arrived, and 2,000 Marines landed. The Military Commission of the Nationalist Government ordered Zhang Zhizhong, commander of the Beijing-Shanghai garrison, to lead the 87th and 88th Divisions to Shanghai to organize the defense. The 262nd Brigade of the 88th Division advanced toward the Zhabei area, occupied the line of the North Railway Station - Baoshan Road - Baziqiao - Jiangwan Road, quickly launched the occupation position, used Du Yuesheng to build fortifications in the house, opened the muzzle of the gun to clear the firing line, and formed a street battle position.[7]:97 The Japanese consul in Shanghai, Okamoto, met with Mayor Yu Hongjun and demanded the evacuation of security guards and fortifications in response to the Hongqiao incident. Chiang ordered the well-trained 87th Division, 88th Division, Teaching Corps, armored units, and heavy artillery units of the National Revolutionary Army to assemble on the outskirts of Shanghai; Chiang and alexander von Falkenhausen, the head of the German military advisory group, were convinced that "Shanghai must be firmly defended", because the North China Plain was undefendable, the Japanese mechanized troops could run unhindered, and the streets and waterways of Shanghai were conducive to the operations of the Chinese light armed forces.[25] The Joint Committee of the Songhu Armistice Agreement also assisted Japan in demanding that China withdraw its troops, all of which were strictly refuted by Yu Shi, saying: "China has no provocative intentions." Japan both preemptively undermined the agreement, the movement of the army, and absolute freedom. [21]:68 The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated: "China practices self-defense within its own territory, and all future responsibilities shall be borne by the Japanese side." [21]:68 Shanghai solemnly refuted that British, American, French, and Italian diplomats demanded that the Nationalist government classify Shanghai as an undefended city. At the same time, the Japanese army used more than 20 warships to escort transport ships to Shanghai to replenish military supplies, and mobilized the Japanese Marine Corps stationed in Shanghai (about 3,200 people) and the soldiers and volunteer regiments in the countryside. Yu Hongjun said: "On the one hand, Japan agrees to solve this case diplomatically, and on the other hand, it is a special disagreement with the threat of increasing troops. At 9 p.m., Zhang Zhizhong received a telephone order from the Nanjing Headquarters to advance the whole army to the vicinity of Shanghai. The Nationalist forces were scheduled to begin their attack before dawn on August 13, but because British and American envoys in China were mediating, China ordered Zhang Zhizhong on the front line to suspend the offensive in order to take into account the international audio-visual: "I hope to wait for orders and avoid the conflict of small troops." The Japanese concentrated more than 30 ships of their 1st and 3rd fleets in Wusongkou.

On August 12, the Nationalist government established the Supreme Council of National Defense[22]:111, and promoted Chiang kai-shek as grand marshal of the army, navy, and air force, commanding the overall situation and leading the war against Japan. The Chinese Navy completed the operation of blocking the Jiangyin waterway, sinking a total of 35 large and small ships. Wang Jingjiu's 259th Brigade of the 87th Division of the Nationalist Army arrived at Qiujiang Wharf; the 261st Brigade arrived at The Station of Theohama and the town of Wusong. Sun Yuanliang's 262nd Brigade of the 88th Division originally had a staging area of Zhenru, but Sun Yuanliang, in view of the experience of the 128th Operation, arbitrarily ordered the 262nd Brigade to advance to Zhabei. At 3 p.m. on the same day, at the request of the Japanese side, a meeting of the Joint Committee of the Songhu Armistice Agreement was convened. In addition to China and Japan, the meeting was attended by representatives of Britain, France, the United States, and Italy, and representative Okamoto of Japan claimed: This morning, the Chinese security forces and regular troops have set up fortifications in the suburbs. Yu Hongjun immediately refuted: "The purpose of the joint committee is to maintain peace and law and order in Shanghai, not to assist the Japanese government in carrying out its aggressive policy." After the Hongqiao incident, the Japanese side repeatedly said that it would wait to investigate the truth and solve it diplomatically, but on the one hand, warships were gathered, the army was greatly increased, and military supplies were also replenished in large quantities, in addition, there were still a large number of warships on the way, coming from source. Such measures not only hinder the security of the nationals of all countries, but are a threat to China and sufficient acts of harm. China, of course, has the right to act in self-defense within its own territory. ...... Adhering to the consistent policy of the central authorities that no one will offend me and no one will offend, our side should still protect the overseas Chinese of all countries living in Shanghai. "Delegates proposed the possibility of receding the security forces slightly to avoid conflict. Yu Hongjun replied: "The armistice agreement has long been broken by the Japanese side, so there is no need to convene a joint committee on this day." "Our army, acting on its own land, has the right to absolute freedom, and this does not allow the opinion of others." "In order to maintain peace and order in Shanghai, if Japan transfers back the additional warships and troops, we are willing to consider the withdrawal of the security forces." The meeting was inconclusive. At the meeting, Japan expressed its efforts to avoid war and to make operational preparations for war. The Japanese Army Province mobilized 300,000 troops to Shanghai and Qingdao. Japanese Marines landed one after another on the evening of the 12th and deployed themselves around the cross-border road construction area.