日军对天津的野蛮侵略,给天津造成了极大灾难。据不完全统计,侵略者几天的狂轰滥炸,使抗日战士牺牲2000多人,被炸毁的民房2545间,校舍377间,无家可归的难民达10万人之多,摧毁工厂企业53家,直接财产损失约2000多万元。天津市政府、南开大学、南开中学等被炸毁,北洋大学的各种贵重仪器,或被烧毁,或被抢劫一空。
        1937年7月30日天津沦陷后,处于日本法西斯的殖民统治之下。日本侵占天津的8年中,扶植汉奸傀儡政府,前后历经3个阶段:
        1937年7月至1937年12月,是伪天津市地方治安维持会。早在日军侵占天津以前,日军驻津司令和特务机关就拼凑了一批汉奸、反动政客,做好了建立傀儡政权的准备。沦陷的第2天,即8月1日,就炮制出伪组织“天津地方治安维持会” 。由高凌霨(曾任北洋政府代理国务总理)任委员长,王竹林(商会会长、日本大阪公司买办)等人为委员,井上垣浚为高等顾问,另有日本顾问若干人。“维持会” 实际上起着地方政府的作用,它管辖的范围,除市区外,还包括天津、静海、青县、沧县、南皮、交河、东光、吴桥、武清、安次等各县。
        1937年12月至1943年11月,是伪天津特别市公署。1937年12月14日,日本在北平策划成立了伪“中华民国临时政府” ,王克敏任行政委员会委员长。下辖晋、冀、鲁、豫4省及平、津、青岛3市。随之,伪天津地方治安维持会于12月17日宣告改组,成立伪“天津特别市公署” ,受伪“华北临时政府”领导,原维持会长高凌霨任伪河北省省长兼天津特别市公署市长。1939年,温世珍继任伪市长。1943年,王绪高接续温世珍,任伪市长。
        1943年11月至1945年8月,是伪天津特别市政府。1943年11月,伪华北政务委员会将伪“天津特别市公署”改称伪“天津特别市政府” ,一直到日本战败投降。
        在上述3个不同名称的傀儡政府,及其所属机构和部门中,都安插了日本“顾问”和 “辅佐官” ,由他们总揽大权,中国人任职的伪官员,都听从他们的指挥。
        此外,日本侵略军还在天津设立了两个凌驾在傀儡政权之上的机关。一是“日本宪兵队” ,老百姓称之为“红帽衙门” 。一个是“日本警察署” ,老百姓称之为“白帽衙门” 。

        

·海光寺日本驻屯军司令部及兵营

        另有一个是准政权组织“新民会” ,开展反共工作,进行奴化教育。
        日本侵略者不仅杀人放火,而且对天津进行大规模的经济掠夺,以支持其侵略战争。在“军管理”的名义下,日本对天津的企业强行没收和吞并。大量霸占中国工厂,对生产销售强加限制,并经常进行各种征购。侵占天津的大、中学校作为兵营,并通令各学校,取缔原教科书,改用修改课本,增添日语课,不准使用旧版中国地图,派日本教官到中学任教。在天津周围,大肆掠夺土地,抢掠军粮。大量抓捕劳工,分批装船运往日本充当苦役。七七事变至1942年7月,天津被抓劳工5万人; 1942年头7个月,从天津运往日本的各地劳工70万人。1943年,日本侵略者还在塘沽设立了 “劳工营” ,就是“人间地狱” 。先后五次在市区进行“强化治安运动” ,在街上行走都要被阻止、被搜查,甚至会遭到屠杀。耀华中学校长、爱国教育家赵天麟,因抵制日本的奴化教育,进行爱国活动,竟被日本特务枪杀。据1938年1月15日 《新华日报》报道: 在最近两个月内,日军在东站杀害我同胞3000余人。日本侵略者在天津郊县,更加残酷地实行灭绝人寰的 “三光政策” ,制造了无数起骇人听闻的惨案。
        日军统治期间,天津的经济日益萧条,物价上涨998倍。贸易额成倍下降,塘沽港进出船只由1938年的557万吨,下降到1945年的26万吨。天津人民食不饱腹,挣扎在水深火热之中。
        The invasion of Japan was a catastrophe to Tianjin.According to incomplete statistics,several days ofbombing of invaders killed 2000 anti-Japan soldiers,destroyed 2545 civilian houses,377 school rooms,made100,000 civilians homeless,and smashed 53 factories.The total direct loss was 20 million yuan. Tianjinmunicipal buildings,Nankai University and NankaiMiddle School were blown down. The expensive utensilsof Beiyang University were fired or looted.
        After the fall,Tianjin was under the colonial rule ofthe Japanese fascists for eight years. It set up the puppetgovernment of three stages.
        Stage one: From July to December,1937,thepuppet government was the Tianjin Local SecurityMaintenance Committee. The Japanese army and itssecret agents lured a group of politicians and traitorsto prepare for a puppet government. On August 1,they set up the Tianjin Local Security MaintenanceCommittee. Gao Lingwei,the ex-acting PM of theNorthern Government,was the Chairman. Wang Zhulin(the chairman of the commercial union and GM of NaviCompany of Japan) and others were members. Therewere also some Japanese consultants. The TianjinLocal Security Maintenance Committee was actuallythe local government presiding the downtown Tianjin,Jinghai,Qingxian,Cangxian,Nanpi,Jiaohe,Dongguang,Wuqiao,Wuqing,Anci and other counties.
        Stage 2: From December,1937 to November,1943,the puppet government was the Government Office ofTianjin Special City. On December 14,1937,Japanset up the Temporary Government of the Republic ofChina,whose region covered four provinces of Jin,Ji,Lu,Yu and three cities of Beijing,Tianjin and Qingdao.Wang Kemin was the chairman of the AdministrativeCommittee. Tianjin Local Security MaintenanceCommittee was restructured to the Government Office ofTianjin Special City under the leading of the TemporaryGovernment of North China. Gao Lingwei was thegovernor of Hebei Province and the mayor of TianjinSpecial City.In 1939,Wen Shizhen was the mayor. In1943,Wang Xugao was the mayor.
        The third Stage: From November,1943 to August,1945,the puppet government was the Tianjin SpecialGovernment. In November,1943,Political Committeeof North China changed the Government Office ofTianjin Special City to Tianjin Special Governmentaccording to the Statute of the Organization of PoliticalCommittee of North China. until the surrender of Japan.
        In the three puppet governments,there wereJapanese consultants and assistant officers. Theycontrolled all issues. All Chinese officers followed theirdirections.
        To suppress the rebellions from the Chinese peopleand control the occupied areas,the Japanese army setup two institutions above the puppet government. Onewas Japanese Gendarmerie responsible for arrestingand suppressing the anti-Japan activities and economicblockade,which was called Red-cap Yamen. Nearly allpeople caught in the Yamen were killed.
        The second one was the Japanese Police Bureau,which was called White-cap Yamun,responsible forthe suppression of anti-Japan activities,residenceregistration,traffic and business administration in thearea from Tianjin to Qinhuangdao.
        There was also a quasi-political organization "NewPeople Association" responsible for anti-Communismpropaganda and enslaving education. Its objective wasto "separate the people from the Communist".

        

·1939年被大水淹后的日本警察署,俗称“白帽衙门”

        Japanese invaders killed Chinese people,set fireeverywhere,and conducted economic plundering tosupport its invasion. In the name of military control,Japan confiscated or controlled Tianjin factories. Itrestricted their production and bought their productsat very low price. In April,1944,Japan sealed up allbicycle factories and bought their 15,000 bicycles atvery low price for military use.
        The Japanese invaders attempted not only torule the Chinese people but also to perish the Chineseculture. They occupied the middle and higher schools inTianjin as barracks. They forced all schools to ban theuse of previous textbooks and the old version of Chinesemap. They sent Japanese teachers to middle schools toteach Japanese with revised textbooks.
        The Japanese army looted lands and grain inTianjin. In 1937,they confiscated 50,000 mu lands of18 villages in Ninghe County,on which 4,300 peasantscaught from Korea were forced to plant rice. Duringtheir invasion,the Japanese army built 120 farms andlevied 921,700 mu of lands. To guarantee the supplyof army provisions,the Japanese army forebode theChinese people eating rice,whoever violated the rulewere killed.
        To make up the shortage of labors,the Japanesearmy caught labors everywhere in China and shippedthem to Japan. From 7.7 Event to July,1942,50,000labors were caught in Tianjin. In the first seven monthsof 1942,700,000 labors were shipped from Tianjin toJapan. In 1943,the Japanese army built labor camp atTanggu. The labor camp was "hell in the world",wherelabors lived inhuman life. Everyday,there were laborswho were tortured to death. In the beginning,the corpseswere carried out by people,but later they were carriedout by trucks. In the Ten-Thousand-Corpse Tunnel atKazimen of Tanggu,hundreds of thousands of laborswere buried.
        The Japanese army and its puppet governmentorganized five "strengthening security activities" inthe city. Tianjin people lived without freedom underthe trampling of the Japanese cruel oppression. Evenwalking on the street,they were forced to stop,beingarrested or killed. Zhao Tianlin,the Principal of YaohuaMiddle School and patriotic educator was killed by theJapanese secret agent because of his patriotic activitiesagainst the Japanese enslaving education. XinhuaNewspaper reported on January 15,1938 that "Japanesearmy killed our 3,000 fellowmen at East Railway Stationin the last two months".
        During the reign of the Japanese army,Tianjineconomy declined. The inflation rate rose to 998 timesbut the trade volume decreased much from 5,570,000tons in 1938 to 260,000 tons in 1945. Tianjin peoplelived in an abyss of suffering without food to eat andclothes to wear. In the suburbs of Tianjin,the Japanesearmy carried out the cruel "Three Sweep-Out Policies"and made many appalling murders.