Well, you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs. I guess these deaths don't count as part of the WWII total, since as we all know the war in the Pacific theatre didn't start until 12/7/41.
Lol. Yeah. Personally I have the start of WWII as September 18th 1931 so I would count it. I’m sure this move did not endear the people to the Nationalists. Remember at the same time there is Mao and his People’s Army resisting the Japanese out of their base in Yan’an. Also, Mao himself was born in the Hanan provence.