Implications of Expanding the War to Shanghai

Expanding the war to Shanghai could result in severe consequences as losing the city to the Japanese forces would lead to them advancing into central China towards Nanjing. The Chinese, having exhausted significant resources, might not be able to halt the Japanese advance, risking the impending capture of the Chinese capital. The potential outcome in Nanjing is often compared to a brutal sacking similar to historical incidents, with the Japanese anticipated to conduct severe atrocities upon reaching the city.