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Diefledermas

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DieFledermas - UK; Harbinger - France; Diesel - Australia; Aphrochine - USA; Gustave - Germany; Russomatroso - Italy; Jones - Japan; TieDup - Romania; Reap - USSR

This is the BBC World Service.

Thank you for joining us as we look back in our weekly series, “The War Years”.

Tonight we bring you, "1936 - The Calm Before the Storm" We’ve compiled radio broadcasts from the BBC of that year combined with rare transcripts and interviews of the important people of the day.

January 2, 1936 - Manchurian Transfer of Xilinhot

Hong Kong Bureau: Good evening. Reports indicate the city of Xilinhot in northern Manchuria was transferred from direct Japanese control to their client state Manchukuo. There can be little doubt; the Japanese are shifting forces south for something big…

January 4, 1936 - Germany Reoccupies the Rhineland

Paris Bureau: German troops reoccupied the Rhineland today in violation of the Versailles Treaty. Inquiries with the British government indicated the administration agreed with the act in principle. Lord Lothian, "The Germans are after all only going into their own back garden" however he rejected the Nazi manner of accomplishing said act.

January 12, 1936 - Revolution in Paraguay

Belize Bureau: The Revolutionary Febrerista Party in Paraguay assumed power today at the cessation of the Chaco War with Bolivia.

January 19, 1936 - Militarist Coup d'état in Nicaragua

Belize Bureau: In Nicaragua tonight, Anastasio Somoza is widely suspected of engineering the assassination of General Sandino. With Sandino's death, Somoza has effectively taken control of the country in a coup d'état. American involvement has been strongly denied.

January 21, 1936 - King George V Dies

London Bureau: The Times reported this morning that the King passed away late last night after complaining of a cold. The King had bee in ill-health since the trying times of the Great War. His reported last words were “God Damn You!” uttered to his nurse. The Duke of Windsor, Edward VIII will succeed his father, George V as King of England and Ireland, Emperor of India.

February 6, 1936 – Winter Olympics

Paris Bureau: The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were completed tonight in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. Norway was the leading nation taking home 7 gold medals.

February 9, 1936 – Second Italo-Abyssinian War Ends

Rome Bureau: The Second Italo-Abyssinian War ended today in bloodshed as Italian troops occupied the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. Victor Emmanuel III, has been proclaimed emperor with the merging of Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somaliland into a new state known as Italian East Africa.

London Bureau: A telegraph from Mussolini to General Graziani was acquired by elements of His Majesty’s Secret Service and provided to the BBC - "Rome, 8 February 1936. A.S.E. Graziani. I have authorized once again V.E. to begin and systematically conduct a politics of terror and extermination of the rebels and the complicit population. Without the legge taglionis one cannot cure the infection in time. Await confirmation.”

February 16, 1936 - Rightwing coup d'état in Cuba

Belize Bureau: The de Céspedes government in Cuba suffered a rightwing coup d'état lead by General Fulgencio Batista. The leader of the constitutional liberals Ramón Grau San Martín has been installed to replace de Céspedes.

February 17, 1936 - National Front elected in Spain

London Bureau: The National Front has won a sweeping victory in the General Election today in Spain. The current Republican government has stated they will attempt to form a majority government with other leftist parties.

February 28, 1936 – The 226 Incident

Hong Kong Bureau: In what has is being called, the 226 Incident, the Imperial Way Faction launched a right-wing nationalist coup attempt in Japan today. This political wing of the Japanese military may have achieved their goal of establishing a military government. Emperor Hirohito ordered the Japanese army not to harm any of the participating officers and held a midnight audience with the conspirators in the Tokyo government. In the aftermath, pro-democratic militarist Keisuke Okada stepped down as Prime Minister of Japan and has been replaced by radical militarist Koki Hirota.

March 21, 1936 – Pact of Steel formalizes the Axis Powers

Rome Bureau: The Pact of Steel, known formally as the Pact of Friendship and Alliance between Germany, Italy, and Romania was signed by the foreign ministers of each country in Bucharest, Count Galeazzo Ciano for Italy, Constantin von Neurath for Germany, and King Michael I for Romania. Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin expressed little concern over Continental Affairs. Former Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill issued a strong statement condemning “The Gathering of Vile Tyrants and Blackened Hearts.”

March 30, 1936 - Xi'an Incident

Hong Kong Bureau: Rogue elements of the Kantogun (Japan's Army in Manchuria) attempted to assassinate Manchurian warlord Zhang Xueliang in the city of Xi’an this evening. Zhang has since issued a statement swearing loyalty to Chiang Kai-shek. Sinkiang, Xibei San Ma, Shanxi, Guangxi Clique and Yunnan have all entered a formal military alliance with the government in Nanking. In the aftermath, Mao Zedong has declared an armistice in his struggle against the Nationalists in the hopes of forming a Unified Front against the Japanese.

April 10, 1936 - Rightwing coup d'état in Greece

Athens Bureau: General Ioannis Metaxas established the 4th of August Regime in Greece. With the endorsement of King George II, Metaxas has declared a state of emergency, decreed martial law, annulled various articles of the Constitution and established a crisis cabinet to put to an end the growing riots and to restore social order. "I have decided to hold all the power I need for saving Greece from the catastrophes which threaten her". PM Stanley Baldwin of has stated the British Empire has little concern over the internal affairs of Greece.

June 13, 1936 – Socialists win French Elections

Paris Bureau: The French have spoken with a resounding voice and elected the Socialist Party to power. Many experts have pointed to the current government’s failure to enforce the Versailles Treaty earlier this year when Germany re-occupied the Rhineland as the main reason for their defeat. Yesterday, the Socialists also won victories in Czechoslovakian elections with the sole exception being the heavily German Sudetenland where the Conservative Democratic Party won the most of the local elections.

June 20, 1936 – Summer Government in Sweden

Stockholm Bureau: In Sweden today, the ruling Social Democrats turned over power to the Agrarian Centrist Party for the summer as a political gift for the AGP’s assistance in the past and future promises of cooperation. In this unprecedented move, it must be said Sweden has shown a truly progressive attitude in stark contrast to the darkening world around them.

July 23, 1936 – Civil War in Spain!

Spanish War Journal as reported by John Stanton, BBC

SWJ: I’m aboard the HMS Warspite off the coast of Bilbao. The phrase "Over all of Spain, the sky is clear" was broadcast on Radio Madrid last night signaling the start of the rebellion. The Nationalists have taken most of the northwest and southern areas of Spain. General Francisco Franco has seized the Balearic and Canary Islands. It has been reported the Republicans are receiving weapons and volunteers from the Soviet Union, France, and the United Kingdom. In addition, the international Communist movement and the International Brigades are reported to be active in giving support. The Nationalists are receiving weapons and soldiers from Italy and Germany, as well as logistical support from Portugal, and the support of various Fascist organizations such as the Blueshirts and Croix de Feu.

August 1, 1936 – Summer Olympics

Paris Bureau: The Summer Olympics open in Berlin, Germany today. A live television broadcast of the event marked a first in world history. Controversially, the broadcast was heralded by the German government as a testament to Aryan superiority.

August 2, 1936 - Salamanca

SWJ: The Nationalists won a battle against Republicans in Salamanca last night opening up the supply route from Portugal. Heinkel He 111 bombers on loan from the Luftwaffe were reported to have played a significant role in routing the Republican defenders.

August 3, 1936 - Democratic coup d'état in Bolivia

Belize Bureau: Bolivia's defeat by Paraguay in the Chaco War marked a turning point in this South American nation. The workers staged a coup of the de facto feudal government in La Paz today toppling the military dictatorship.

Paris Bureau: Black American athlete Jesse Owens won the 100 meter dash at the Berlin Olympics much to the disappointment of the German hosts.

August 8, 1936 - Castellón

SWJ: From the deck of the light cruiser HMS Ajax, I can see the fires from the coastal villas of Castellón. Nationalist forces under General Franco have routed the Republican troops and driven them into the sea. The Royal Navy is currently engaged in a major rescue operation of these troops. Several Me 109s in the area were driven off by aircraft from the HMS Illustrious. It has been reported both the German and British pilots have been ordered not to engage each other directly, although tensions are high…

August 17, 1936 - Castellón

SWJ: I’m with the Thirteenth Infantry Battalion, affectionately known as the Conquistadors, in Castellón. The Spaniards defeated the Fascists here ending the two week occupation. The mood here is jovial after reports València was captured by the volunteer French forces two days ago in a battle against their ex-patriot countrymen, the Croix de Feu.

August 19, 1936 – Moscow Trials

Stockholm Bureau: The trial of 16 members of the so-called "Trotskyite-Zinovievite Terrorist Centre" got underway today in Moscow, Russia. The chief defendants are Grigory Zinoviev and Lev Kamenev, prominent former party leaders now accused by Stalin of treason. If they are found guilty, it is widely speculated they will be executed.

August 25, 1936 - China

Hong Kong Bureau: Communist China refused to give in to Nationalist China's territorial demands signally what may be a cooling of the armistice signed after the Xi'an Incident. This was the second demand by Chiang this month.
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September 13, 1936 - China

Hong Kong Bureau: Communist China refused for a third straight month to give in to Nationalist China's territorial demands. In an exclusive interview with BBC Reporter Miles Blackstone, Mao Zedong is reported to have commented, "Chiang has the tact of rusty scythe."

September 24, 1936 – Battle of Madrid

SWJ: The Conquistadors along with Republican mechanized elements re-captured Madrid this evening after a 72-hour siege of the beleaguered capital. General Franco and the surviving forces have fled west into the disputed Salamanca region.

September 25, 1936 - Salamanca

SWJ: Two months after the region fell to the Nationalists; Republican forces have retaken Saragossa and captured 20,000 prisoners cut-off after the fall of Madrid. Franco is reported to have relocated his headquarters from Madrid to somewhere in the northwestern mountains.

September 29, 1936 - End of the Summer Government

Stockholm Bureau: The Agrarian Centrist Party in Sweden peacefully returned power to the Social Democrats. Offers by the government to negotiate a truce in the Spanish Civil War under the auspice of the League of Nations were met with rebuffs by both sides.

October 12, 1936 - Seville

SWJ: Republican Spain won a battle against Nationalist Spain in Seville closing the southern theatre. 25,000 prisoners were captured although several Fascist divisions are believed to have been evacuated by Italian ships to Spanish Morocco. French volunteers played a significant role the battle. I was surprised to encounter a Yank among them.

Stanton, “So how did you end up with the French Volunteers?”

Rick Blaine, “I was living in Paris before the War with a dame I met there. Joining up seemed like the right thing to do.”

October 18, 1936 – Gulf of Cadiz

SWJ: A battle of the skies above the Gulf of Cadiz saw the first action between British and German volunteers. Red Squadron - or the “Tommy Boys” as they like to be called - engaged elements of the Condor Legion while covering an aborted amphibious landing by Moroccan colonial troops. While the Hawker Hurricane proved a formidable warplane, British pilots reported the Me 109 had superior speed, especially when diving. Hopefully the new fighter spotted over Liverpool this summer will prove more of a match for the Gerry’s vaunted Messerschmitt.

October 26, 1936 - Barcelona

SWJ: Republican Spain won the battle of Barcelona tonight. Several dozen German aircraft were captured when the airfield was overrun by Republican forces. No German personnel were among the prisoners, however. In a related report, Aircraft from the HMS Illustrious reported sighting a German u-boat off the coast. With the closing of the Mediterranean Front, this rout has been hailed as a turning point in the war, possibly the point of no return for the Fascist rebels.

October 28, 1936 – US Presidential Race

New York Bureau: US President Franklin Roosevelt rededicated the Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary today in a whirlwind tour of the northeast of the United States. Polls indicate his once overwhelming lead over his Republican challenger, Alf Landon has been slipping. In other news, although officially neutral, US volunteers of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade set sail from New York Harbor for Spain today.

Hong Kong Bureau: Unbelievably, Chiang Kai-shek has sent his second envoy in the month of October to Communist forces in the central mountains of China. Mao Zedong has officially ended diplomatic relations with Nanking.

November 3, 1936 – United States Presidential Election

In a surprise upset, Republican presidential candidate, Alf Landon narrowly defeated incumbent Franklin Roosevelt. Landon campaigned on a strict isolationist, “America First” platform. As his first official order of business, Landon promised to remove US restrictions on trade with Japan and “open the floodgates for oil shipments.”

November 28, 1936 - China

Hong Kong Bureau: Chiang continued to send emissaries to Communist China with territorial demands. The officials sent to Mao have not returned and unconfirmed reports indicate they may be deceased.

November 26, 1936 – Anti-Comintern Pact Signed

Paris Bureau: In case of an attack by the Soviet Union against Germany or Japan, the two countries have agreed today to consult on what measures to take "to safeguard their common interests". They also agreed that neither of them would make any political treaties with the Soviet Union. Italy and Romania were also present at the proceedings. In related news, Germany recognized the Japanese puppet-state of Manchukuo.

November 29, 1936 - Burgos

SWJ: The Conquistadors participated today in liberating the key region of Burgos from Nationalist forces this afternoon. What remains of the Nationalist forces are now confined to the tough mountainous regions in the northwest. Germany and Italy are both reported to have withdrawn their volunteer forces.

November 30, 1936 – Crystal Palace Destroyed

London Bureau: The Crystal Palace was destroyed by fire last night. The fire could be seen for miles with the night sky reportedly “lit up by the flames”. This historical London landmark had been built for the 1851 Great Exhibition.

December 12, 1936 – Edward VIII Abdicates

London Bureau: The Empire was shaken to its core today when King Edward VIII signed the instrument of abdication at Fort Belvedere in the presence of his three brothers, The Duke of York, The Duke of Gloucester and The Duke of Kent. Parliament immediately passed His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936 on behalf of the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Shortly thereafter, the King performed his last act as sovereign by giving royal assent to the Act Prince Albert, Duke of York. Albert is now King, ruling as King George VI. King Edward VIII, now HRH Prince Edward, will make a broadcast to the nation tonight explaining his decision to abdicate. He plans leaves the country for Austria. In the wake of this crisis, Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin has announced his retirement and will be succeeded by Armaments Minister Neville Chamberlain.

Belfast Bureau: In related news, the Irish Free State passed the External Relations Act to legislate for Edward VIII's abdication in that realm.

December 19, 1936 - China

Hong Kong Bureau: After Chiang sent yet two more diplomatic missions to Mao demanding Communist China cede sovereignty to the Nationalists, two of his generals, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng have reportedly kidnapped Chiang in order to force him to stop harassing the communists. Sources within MI-6’s Asian Office have suggested Chiang Kai-shek may be an opium addict.

December 30, 1936 – Churchill Speaks

Winston Churchill gave a thunderous New Years Eve speech several hours ago condemning the current government for its laissez-faire attitude towards the growing Fascist threats in Europe and Asia. Although the new PM Chamberlain dismissed “the ramblings of an old drunkard” out of hand, His Majesty George VI suggested the two meet to discuss Churchill’s concerns. Only time will tell what this means for the Commonwealth and the World.
 
This is the BBC World Service. Thank you for joining us for our weekly series, “The War Years”. In the second installment, "1937 - Dawn of the Rising Sun", we look at the year some historians arguably have claimed World War II began, with Imperial Japan’s invasion of China.

January 12, 1937 - Militarist coup d'état in Cuba

Belize Bureau: General Batista assumed direct control of Cuba tonight removing the San Martín government entirely from power. The island is under a news blackout however reports indicate widespread arrests by Batista’s troops. In other news, the Socialist Party defeated the incumbent Conservatives in Honduran elections over the weekend.

January 19, 1937 – New Airspeed Record set in America

New York Bureau: Howard Hughes set a new air record by flying from Los Angeles to New York City in 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds. Hughes promises many new innovations to come in aeronautics.

January 20 - U.S. President Alf Landon Sworn in.

Washington Bureau: Alf Landon has become the 33rd President of the United States. He campaigned on a strict isolationist policy. In a Rose Garden Speech, Landon promised to reverse the New Deal, “In my opinion the emergency of 1933 was a mere excuse.... National economic planning—the term used by the previous Administration to describe its policy—violates the basic ideals of the American system. . . . The price of economic planning is the loss of economic freedom. And economic freedom and personal liberty go hand in hand.”

January 24, 1937 – Anti-Comintern Pact

Paris Bureau: Italy and Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact proposed by Germany this afternoon. The German foreign minister released this statement, "… the toleration of interference by the Communist International in the internal affairs of the nations not only endangers their internal peace and social well being, but is also a menace to the peace of the world desirous of co operating in the defense against Communist sub¬versive activities"

January 31, 1937 – Show Trials end in Moscow

Stockholm Bureau: 31 people were executed in the Soviet Union for "Trotskyism". The victims were Communists accused of participating in a plot led by Leon Trotsky to overthrow Joseph Stalin's regime.

March 10, 1937 – Pope’s Encyclical Mit Brennender Sorge published in Germany

Paris Bureau: The encyclical deals with the condition of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany, and has condemned Nazism. There was no pre-announcement of the encyclical and its distribution was kept secret in an attempt to ensure the unhindered public reading of its contents in all the Catholic Churches of Germany.

April 9, 1936 – Japanese complete Tokyo to London air route

London Bureau: The Kamikaze arrived at Croydon Airport in London this morning to claim the prize of the first aircraft to accomplish this feat. The flight from Tokyo to London took 51 hours, 17 minutes and 23 seconds

May 6 – Oh the Humanity!

New York Bureau: Tragedy struck this afternoon in the United States when the German airship Hindenburg burst into flame when moored to a mast at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey.

May 7, 1937 – Lord of the Admiralty announces combined Allied Fleet

London Bureau: The Royal Navy and the Marine Nationale have been put under unified command. Government spokesmen revealed growing concerns over world events required greater tactical coordination between the British Empire and France.

May 11, 1937 - Swiss Elections

Geneva Bureau: The Swiss Parliament put forward a vote of confidence in the current administration. The Swiss policy of neutrality and banking for all was soundly applauded by the populace.

May 12 - Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth

London Bureau: Westminster Abbey was the sight of pomp and circumstance this evening as the King and his Queen received their crowns. Crowds of onlookers cheered on the monarch “Long Live the King!”

May 14, 1937 - Spanish Civil War Ends

SWJ: Madrid was the site of mass celebration as the victorious armies of the Republicans marched thru the streets. Francisco Franco and the last of the Nationalist rebels were defeated earlier in the week. Franco escaped to exile in Berlin. Pablo Picasso’s Guernica has been displayed prominently in the Madrid museum to remind the world of the evils of Fascism.

June 10, 1937 - Second Sino-Japanese War Begins

Hong Kong Bureau: There has been a battle between the Republic of China's National Revolutionary Army and the Empire of Japan's Imperial Japanese Army at the Marco Polo Bridge. Shanxi, Guangxi Clique, Sinkiang, Xibei San Ma, Shanxi, Guangxi Clique and Yunnan have joined with Nationalist China in a war which threatens to engulf the entire region. The famed “Tommy Boys” RAF squadron has been dispatched to the Far East in case the Japanese turn their eyes towards Hong Kong.

June 11, 1937 - Pitman Act

In a surprise action, the United States Congress overwhelmingly passed a bill to assist the Chinese with material and arms. President Landon declined to veto the Act in light of a certain Congressional override.

June 13, 1937 - Battle of Hangzhou Bay

Far East Theatre Journal as reported by John Stanton, BBC

FETJ: Greetings from Nanking. The Japanese showed their teeth last night in Hangzhou Bay annihilating the Chinese Fleet with no losses of their own. The battleship IJN Yamashiro drew first blood cracking the back of the Chinese light cruiser Ning-Hai in the first minutes of the engagement. After an hour of desperate maneuvering, the entire Chinese cruiser fleet was at the bottom.

June 14, 1937 – Chinese Rout

Hong Kong Bureau: Nationalist China has been transferring their industry wholesale as the Japanese advance virtually unchecked in the north. Unconfirmed reports indicate mass slaughter of civilians is ongoing.

June 14, 1937 - Sino-Soviet Nonaggression Pact

Stockholm Bureau: The Sino-Soviet Nonaggression Pact was signed in today in Moscow signaling Russia’s intentions not to exploit the current hostilities between China and Japan.

Delhi Bureau: The BBC has received reports from an anonymous source within MI-6 that the Soviets have launched a secret plan codenamed Operation Zet. The Soviet Union is providing military and technical resources to the Republic of China. Under the name of Soviet Air Force Volunteers, Soviet pilots fought in the defense of Nanking and are currently engaged up and down the northern front.

June 21, 1937 - Nationalist China annexes Shanxi

FETJ: The Japanese advance captured the capital of Shanxi with heavy fighting still going on in outlying neighborhoods. Nationalist Chinese forces moved into the southern region of Shanxi declaring all of Shanxi now part of greater China.

June 25, 1937 – Ireland demands return of the North

London Bureau: The United Kingdom refused to give in to Irish demands for the return of the Northern Ireland. Royal Marines were dispatched to Belfast to ensure local stability.

June 29, 1937 - China Transfers Industry to the Interior

Hong Kong Bureau: It appears the Chinese forces have adopted a strategy of stalling tactics, scorched earth, and relocation of vital resources. The industrial base along the northeast coast has been disassembled en masse and transfered deep within the interior of China.

July 1, 1937 - Battle of Shanghai

FETJ: The recent defeat of the 8th Route Army at the Battle of Shanghai may have been a tactical victory for the Japanese but it proved a strategic victory for the Chinese. With the tough stand, the Chinese have gained the sympathy of the world and shown a willingness to fight.

July 2, 1937 – Earhart missing and Feared Dead.

Sydney Bureau: American aviation pioneer, Amelia Earhart and her navigator disappeared over New Guinea. She was attempting to become the first woman to fly around the world.

July 14, 1937 - Czechoslovakia refuses to give in to Hungary's territorial demands

Under the auspice of irredentism, Hungary demanded the return of the Ruthene region from Czechoslovakia today in an open letter. The Czechoslovak government responded with a resounding rebuff stating, “The League of Nations will never accept an inch of Czechoslovakia be given to foreign aggressors”.

July 17, 1937 - Massacre in Nanking!

Hong Kong Bureau: In what is being called the Rape of Nanking, the Japanese army has committed numerous atrocities, such as rape, looting, arson and the execution of prisoners of war and civilians. U.S. President Landon has stated his isolationist policies do not extend to ignoring genocide and sent a stern warning to Tokyo.

July 20, 1937 - U.S. Gunboat shelled by Japanese

Hong Kong Bureau: The Japanese attacked the United States Navy gunboat Panay while she was anchored in the Yangtze River outside of Nanking. Tokyo has responded the U.S. had no business being in a combat theatre. A drunken Japanese Ambassador to London is quoted as saying, “Let them know fear of Japanese strength of arms” This has caused U.S. opinion to turn sharply against the Japanese although President Landon has refused to take military action.

August 22, 1937 - Japan establish puppet state of Mengkukuo

Hong Kong Bureau: Japan has re-organized Inner Mongolia into Mengkukuo. The League of Nations has refused to recognize the validity of the new state with the exceptions of Germany and Romania. Fallout from the incident has seen a withdrawal of the German military mission to China.

September 25, 1937 - Churchill Demands Constitutional Changes

London Bureau: The government has caved in to what some are calling extremist demands by Winston Churchill after a fiery speech at White Hall. Under the insistence of the King, Chamberlain has agreed to ban pro-Communist and pro-Fascist speech and media. Changes to the Constitution are expected to be ratified later in the week.

September 27, 1937 - Xibei San Ma refuses to give in to Communist demands

Hong Kong Bureau: Taking advantage of the turmoil in China, Mao Zedong attempted to integrate vast tracts of land from Xibei San Ma. The local warlords refused to acquiesce.

October 26, 1937 : HMS Ark Royal launched from Portsmouth Shipyards

London Bureau: The lead ship of the Royal Navy’s new carrier fleet was christened by the Queen this morning. The HMS Ark Royal is slated for sea trials for the remainder of the year before she joins Force H at Gibraltar Station. Three additional modern carriers are due for completion by the end of the year.

November 13, 1937 - Australia Keeps Current Government

The Australian government was re-elected in a landslide vote by the population in a sign of confidence in the current administration.

November 25, 1937 – Battle of Guangzhou

FETJ: The Guangxi militia proved no match for the professional army of Imperial Japan. Guangzhou province fell with minimal resistance spelling the doom of an independent Guangxi Clique.