Everyone's heard of Wuhan in connection with COVID-19. But 80 years ago it was equally famous as the first place on Earth to decisively defeat fascism. In 1937 Japan invaded China, slaughtering 20 million Chinese--mainly civilians. As vast swathes of the country fell to the invaders, Wuhan was appointed wartime capital and symbol of Chinese resistance. China, a medieval society, began a desperately needed reorganization--transforming itself militarily, educationally, medically, and culturally. The heroic efforts in Wuhan halted the Japanese.
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