Reference News Network, September 4 report: Recently, Xu Jianmei, a reporter of Reference News stationed in Houston, conducted an exclusive interview with Richard B. Frank, a renowned U.S. military historian. Frank is currently working on a trilogy on the Asia-Pacific War during World War II. The first volume was published in 2020, and the second is expected to be released next autumn. In his books, Frank reinterprets China's role and contributions during World War II, correcting the Western academic framework that centers on Europe and the West in the narrative of World War II. The following are the interview contents:
Western academia ignores the history of China's war of resistance
Reference News: When you wrote these works, was there a specific moment or experience that prompted you to reassess the history of China's war of resistance?
Frank: One overarching theme I have tried to explore in my trilogy is based on the fact that for the past 80 years, American and Western research has referred to the non-European parts of World War II as the "Pacific War," which is completely wrong.
"The Pacific War" is a narrow framework, spanning only from December 1941 (the attack on Pearl Harbor) to August 1945 (Japan's surrender). If this framework is used, it highlights only the trans-Pacific conflict between the United States and Japan, involving the Philippines, Australia, and the Pacific islands, while completely ignoring the huge impact of World War II on the Asian continent, including China and the entire Southeast Asia region. This specific war framework actually covers about 25% of the population affected by the war and about 15% of the deaths. More strangely, this framework makes Japan appear as the country with the most civilian casualties, which completely distorts the facts.
I believe the "Pacific War" framework is entirely wrong because World War II actually began in China. Therefore, in writing, I have been committed to presenting a more comprehensive and accurate depiction of the evolution of the Asia-Pacific War during World War II, with the Chinese war of resistance occupying a central position in this picture.
There are countless incidents that have prompted me to reassess the history of China's war of resistance. One story received a lot of feedback from international readers after my book was published. Chinese military and civilians retreated upstream along the Yangtze River, carrying military industrial equipment to the interior to preserve their strength for the war of resistance. This was just as heroic as the Dunkirk evacuation in the early stages of World War II, but it was completely unknown in the West before. From a humanistic perspective, this indeed caused a great reaction, as countless ordinary Chinese people stood up and made extraordinary efforts to transport those machines back to the rear areas, continuing to persist in the war of resistance.
Looking back, it is very important to realize that the historical narratives used by the West have extremely serious flaws in erasing history.
The extent to which the history of China's war of resistance has been ignored by the West, I think can never be overemphasized. As a historian, this omission shocked me deeply.
China made significant contributions during World War II
Reference News: How do you view China's contributions and sacrifices during World War II?
Frank: China made significant contributions during World War II and also suffered tremendous destruction and suffering. The Chinese people endured all of this and continued to resist the war. China's perseverance tied down a large number of Japanese troops. The American and Western Allied forces were very lucky, not having to face these Japanese troops from December 1941 to August 1945.
From the Battle of Shanghai to the Nanjing Massacre, and then to Japan's invasion of China's coastal areas, consider how many Chinese died in this entire phase. In the European theater, such a terrifying scale of death did not occur until 1941.
In fact, economic factors caused more deaths in China and other parts of the Asia-Pacific than war violence. The reason is Japan's blockade of China. How can you fight a war without money? Then Japan launched an economic war against China, taking various measures, especially printing a large amount of counterfeit currency targeting China's currency.
The economic consequences of Japan's actions cut off the monetary supply for the Chinese people, weakening their self-sufficiency. Many Chinese either starved to death or died weakly from illness, all related to this.
I often talk about the importance of "clearing all grudges, remembering all the victims, and ensuring common humanity." Naturally, I refer to all Asians who suffered in the wars started by Japan. Basically, two-thirds of the deaths occurred in China. Unfortunately, in the United States, it is very difficult to find historians who understand this, let alone the general public. This is one aspect I hope to correct publicly among Americans.
Understanding the impact of World War II from a global perspective
Reference News: You have challenged the traditional Eurocentric perspective in the narrative of World War II, as well as the view held by many Americans that the Pacific War was a conflict between the United States and Japan. Why is it necessary to view the Chinese war of resistance from a global perspective?
Frank: I believe that understanding the overall global impact of World War II from a historical perspective can provide a basic framework for how we view the world today. A great quality of President Franklin Roosevelt was his global vision.
An important anecdote is worth mentioning. In January 1941, Roosevelt received a letter from Joseph Grew, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, asking how to handle U.S.-Japan relations. Grew and Roosevelt had been classmates since childhood. In his reply, Roosevelt said that it was important to remember that what happened in Europe, Africa, and Asia were all part of a global war.
This was how Roosevelt viewed World War II, and it was also why he worked to make China a recognized major power. For a long time before that, China's status as a major power had not been recognized.
I believe the alliance relationship between the United States and China during the war was very important. At that time, the United States indeed had a vision that China should become a major power and restore its seriously damaged sovereignty. This was a fundamental result of World War II, and I believe it was overall positive.
I am trying to fundamentally change people's views on World War II. Regardless of the indicators used, the impact of this "most significant event in human history" was enormous. At that time, the global population was about 2.3 billion, and the population involved in the war in the Asia-Pacific region far exceeded 1 billion. This also indicates that for 80 years, the narrative framework usually used by Western academia has been wrong, as it has erased the Asian part of the "Asia-Pacific War" to a large extent.
Reference News: Facing the current global tensions, what lessons does World War II leave us?
Frank: Simply put, looking at the international relations from the 1930s to the early 1940s, there was an opportunity to change the course of history, but it was missed. This is a permanent lesson. People eventually realized that there was no common ground for compromise with fascist regimes.
Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7546061023594267170/
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