War in China, late 1936-40

Chinese Reactions to Japanese Militarism

Manchukuo

Collaboration

Puyi, March 1934

Passive acceptance

"United Front," Dec. 1936

Kidnapping and Secret Negotiations

Chiang Kai-shek, Guomindang

Zhang Xueliang (The Young Marshall)

Manchurian Army

Zhou Enlai, Communists

Renewed Japanese Aggression

Anti-Comintern pacts

Germany, 1936

Italy 1937

*Prince Konoe Fumimaro

Aristocrat

Pan-Asian nationalist

Shōwa Research Association (Gordon, p. 217)

Kishi Nobusuke

Prime Minister

June 1937-Jan. 1939

National General Mobilization Law, 1938 (Gordon, p. 217)

“Time of national emergency” clause

July 1940- Oct.1941

*"China Incident"; "Anti-Japanese War"; WW II

North China hostilities

*Marco Polo Bridge, July 1937

Beijing, Tianjin, late July 1937

South China hostilities

Shanghai, August 1937

GMD attempt to bomb Japanese ships, August 1937

Hirohito's speech to Diet, Sept. 4, 1937

{Japan is preoccupied with} “securing peace in Asia through cooperating with China,…{but} China…does not really understand our empire's true intention. To our deep regret they have constantly caused difficulties and problems that have finally resulted in the present incident. Our troops, displaying loyalty and bravery, are suffering hardships solely to make China self-reflect and quickly establish peace in East Asia.”

What seems to be the public rationale for an undeclared war in China?

*"Rape of Nanjing," December 1937

J. Spence, The Search for Modern China, 3rd ed., p. 401

42,000 killed and 20,000 rapes

Chinese figures

Iris Chang, Rape of Nanking (1997)

300,000+ killed, 80,000 rapes

Japanese figures

About 10,000 Chinese soldiers killed

Gordon (p. 210) gives new figure of 40,000

Isolated rapes of women

Wuhan December 1938

SE coast, 1938-9

China Quagmire, 1937-40

Japanese Occupation

850,000 soldiers

Guomindang

Chongqing (Chungking)

Burma Road, 1938-1942

Chinese Communist Party

Yan’an

Japanese Puppet Regimes, 1937-45

*Manchukuo

*“Emperor” Puyi

Mongolian Autonomous Government

Mongol Prince Teh

Provisional Government

Beijing, 1937-1940

Reformed Government

Nanjing
Wang Jingwei

Politics of Memory

China

“Anti-Japanese War”

50th Anniversary of end of WW II in 1945

Museum of Japanese War Atrocities

Japan

*“China Incident”

Repression of memories of war

Textbooks

Emphasis on victimization

Discussion: “Introduction” and Chapters 1 and 2 in Yamashita, Daily Life in Wartime Japan, 1940-1945

1. This book is a work of history by a professional historian. Why is it important to pay attention to the Introduction of this type of book?

What are the author’s sources?

What is the author’s thesis about the role of the Japanese public in supporting the war effort?

2. Chapter 1 is entitled, “We Are All Home-Front Soldiers Now.” Why does Yamashita give the chapter this title?

What was the system of “community councils” and “neighborhood associations” that the Home Ministry organized in 1940? (p. 13)

Based on the diaries, what sorts of activities and duties did the councils and associations organize in local society?

According to Yamashita, how effective were the councils and associations in mobilizing the populace?

What are the strengths and weaknesses of wartime diaries as sources of evidence to support this argument?

3. Chapter 2 deals with food and food distribution through the neighborhood councils. Why did food production decrease throughout wartime?

How did the impact of food shortages vary over time and in different regions?

Based on the diaries, how did families cope with food shortages?