Nanjing and Shanghai fall to Chinese Communists in 1949

By the end of April, troops met little resistance and crossed the Yangtze River. On April 24th, they captured Nanking, a city with a population of 1,000,000. Subsequently, the major city of Shanghai, with over 4,000,000 residents, also fell. The sentiment of escape was prevalent among both civilians and soldiers.

What significant event occurred at the end of April regarding the Yangtze River?

On what date did the city of Nanking fall?

What was the population of Nanking at the time it was taken?

What was the population of Shanghai when it fell?

What sentiments were expressed by civilians and soldiers during this period?