Which country suffered the second largest losses in the second? The price of victory

Sino-Japanese War(July 7 - September 9) - the war between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan, which began in the period before World War II and continued during it.

Although both states had been engaged in periodic hostilities since 1931, full-scale war broke out in 1937 and ended with the surrender of Japan in 1937. The war was a consequence of Japan's imperialist course of political and military dominance in China for several decades in order to seize huge reserves of raw materials and other resources. At the same time, growing Chinese nationalism and increasingly widespread ideas of self-determination made a military response inevitable. Until 1937, the sides clashed in sporadic fighting, so-called "incidents", as both sides, for many reasons, refrained from starting an all-out war. In 1931, the invasion of Manchuria (also known as the Mukden Incident) occurred. The last such incident was the Lugouqiao incident, the Japanese shelling of the Marco Polo Bridge on July 7, 1937, which marked the official start of a full-scale war between the two countries.

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The Qing dynasty was on the verge of collapse due to internal revolutionary uprisings and the expansion of foreign imperialism, while Japan became a great power thanks to effective measures in the course of modernization. The Republic of China was proclaimed in 1912 as a result of the Xinhai Revolution, which overthrew the Qing dynasty. However, the nascent republic was even weaker than before - this dates back to the period of militaristic wars. The prospects for uniting the nation and repelling the imperialist threat looked very remote. Some military leaders even teamed up with various foreign forces in attempts at mutual destruction. For example, the ruler of Manchuria, Zhang Zuolin, adhered to military and economic cooperation with the Japanese. Thus, Japan posed the main foreign threat to China during the early Republic.

The Mukden Incident was followed by ongoing conflicts. In 1932, Chinese and Japanese soldiers fought a short war called the January 28 Incident. This war led to the demilitarization of Shanghai, in which the Chinese were prohibited from stationing their armed forces. In Manchukuo there was a long campaign to combat the anti-Japanese volunteer armies, which arose out of popular disappointment in the policy of non-resistance to the Japanese. In 1933, the Japanese attacked the Great Wall of China area, leading to an armistice that gave the Japanese control of Rehe Province and created a demilitarized zone between the Great Wall and the Beijing–Tianjin area. The Japanese goal was to create another buffer zone, this time between Manchukuo and the Chinese Nationalist government, whose capital was Nanjing.

On top of this, Japan continued to exploit internal conflicts between Chinese political factions to reduce their power. This confronted the Nanjing government with a fact - for several years after the Northern Expedition, the political power of the Nationalist government extended only to the areas around the Yangtze River Delta, while other regions of China were essentially held in the hands of regional authorities. Thus, Japan often paid off or created special ties with these regional powers to undermine the central Nationalist government's efforts to unify China. To accomplish this, Japan sought out various Chinese traitors to interact with and assist these people heading some Japanese-friendly "autonomous" governments. This policy was called the "specialization" of North China and was also known as the "North China Autonomy Movement." Specialization affected the northern provinces of Chahar, Suiyuan, Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong.

Vichy France: The main supply routes for American military aid ran through the Chinese province of Yunnan and Tonkin, the northern region of French Indochina, so Japan wanted to block the Sino-Indochinese border. After France's defeat in the European war and the establishment of the Vichy puppet regime, Japan invaded Indochina. In March 1945, the Japanese finally ousted the French from Indochina, proclaiming their own colonies there.

Free France: In December 1941, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the leader of the Free French movement, Charles de Gaulle, declared war on Japan. The French acted on the basis of all-Allied interests, as well as in order to keep the Asian colonies of France under their control.

In general, all allies of Nationalist China had their own goals and objectives, often very different from the Chinese. This must be taken into account when considering the reasons for certain actions of different states.

Strengths of the parties

Empire of Japan

Republic of China

By the beginning of the conflict, China had 1,900 thousand soldiers and officers, 500 aircraft (according to other sources, in the summer of 1937, the Chinese Air Force had about 600 combat aircraft, of which 305 were fighters, but no more than half were combat-ready), 70 tanks, 1,000 artillery pieces . At the same time, only 300 thousand were directly subordinate to the commander-in-chief of the NRA, Chiang Kai-shek, and in total there were approximately 1 million people under the control of the Nanjing government, while the rest of the troops represented the forces of local militarists. Additionally, the fight against the Japanese was nominally supported by the Communists, who had a guerrilla army of approximately 150,000 men in northwestern China. The Kuomintang formed the 8th March Army from 45 thousand of these partisans under the command of Zhu De. Chinese aviation consisted of outdated aircraft with inexperienced Chinese or hired foreign crews. There were no trained reserves. Chinese industry was not prepared to fight a major war.

In general, the Chinese armed forces were superior in numbers to the Japanese, but were significantly inferior in technical equipment, training, morale, and most importantly, in their organization.

The Chinese fleet consisted of 10 cruisers, 15 patrol and torpedo boats.

Plans of the parties

Empire of Japan

The Japanese Empire aimed to retain Chinese territory by creating various structures in the rear that made it possible to control the occupied lands as effectively as possible. The army had to act with the support of the fleet. Naval landings were actively used to quickly capture populated areas without the need for a frontal attack on distant approaches. In general, the army enjoyed advantages in weapons, organization and mobility, superiority in the air and at sea.

Republic of China

China had a poorly armed and poorly organized army. Thus, many troops had absolutely no operational mobility, being tied to their places of deployment. In this regard, China's defensive strategy was based on tough defense, local offensive counter-operations, and the deployment of guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines. The nature of military operations was influenced by the political disunity of the country. The communists and nationalists, while nominally presenting a united front in the fight against the Japanese, poorly coordinated their actions and often found themselves embroiled in internecine strife. Having a very small air force with poorly trained crews and outdated equipment, China resorted to assistance from the USSR (at an early stage) and the United States, which was expressed in the supply of aircraft equipment and materials, sending volunteer specialists to participate in military operations and training Chinese pilots.

In general, both nationalists and communists planned to provide only passive resistance to Japanese aggression (especially after the United States and Great Britain entered the war against Japan), hoping for the defeat of the Japanese by the Allied forces and making efforts to create and strengthen the basis for a future war for power among themselves (creation of combat-ready troops and underground, strengthening control over unoccupied areas of the country, propaganda, etc.).

Start of the war

Most historians date the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War to the incident on the Lugouqiao Bridge (otherwise known as the Marco Polo Bridge), which occurred on July 7, but some Chinese historians set the starting point of the war at September 18, when the Mukden Incident occurred, during which the Kwantung Army under the pretext of protecting the railway connecting Port Arthur with Mukden from possible sabotage actions of the Chinese during “night exercises”, it captured the Mukden arsenal and nearby towns. Chinese forces were forced to retreat, and continued aggression left all of Manchuria in Japanese hands by February 1932. After this, until the official start of the Sino-Japanese War, there were constant Japanese seizures of territories in Northern China and battles of varying scale with the Chinese army. On the other hand, the Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek carried out a number of operations to combat separatist militarists and communists.

On July 7, 1937, Japanese troops clashed with Chinese troops at the Lugouqiao Bridge near Beijing. A Japanese soldier disappeared during a “night exercise.” The Japanese issued an ultimatum demanding that the Chinese hand over the soldier or open the gates of the fortified city of Wanping to search for him. The refusal of the Chinese authorities led to a shootout between the Japanese company and the Chinese infantry regiment. It came to the use of not only small arms, but also artillery. This served as a pretext for a full-scale invasion of China, which the Japanese called the "China Incident."

First period of the war (July 1937 - October 1938)

After a series of unsuccessful negotiations between the Chinese and Japanese sides on a peaceful resolution of the conflict, on July 26, 1937, Japan switched to full-scale military operations north of the Yellow River with the forces of 3 divisions and 2 brigades (about 40 thousand people with 120 guns, 150 tanks and armored vehicles, 6 armored trains and support for up to 150 aircraft). Japanese troops quickly captured Beijing (Beiping) (July 28) and Tianjin (July 30). Over the next few months, the Japanese advanced south and west against little resistance, capturing Chahar Province and part of Suiyuan Province, reaching the upper bend of the Yellow River at Baoding. But by September, due to the increased combat effectiveness of the Chinese army, the growth of the partisan movement and supply problems, the offensive slowed down, and in order to expand the scale of the offensive, by September the Japanese were forced to transfer up to 300 thousand soldiers and officers to Northern China.

On August 8 - November 8, the Second Battle of Shanghai unfolded, during which numerous Japanese landings as part of Matsui's 3rd Expeditionary Force, with intensive support from the sea and air, managed to capture the city, despite strong resistance from the Chinese. At this time, the Japanese 5th Itagaki Division was ambushed and defeated in the north of Shanxi by the 115th Division (under the command of Nie Rongzhen) from the 8th March Army. The Japanese lost 3 thousand people and their main weapons. The Battle of Pingxinguan had great propaganda significance in China and became the largest battle between the communist army and the Japanese during the entire course of the war.

In January - April 1938, the Japanese offensive in the north resumed. In January the conquest of Shandong was completed. Japanese troops faced a strong guerrilla movement and were unable to effectively control the captured territory. In March - April 1938, the Battle of Taierzhuang unfolded, during which a 200,000-strong group of regular troops and partisans under the overall command of General Li Zongren cut off and surrounded a 60,000-strong group of Japanese, who ultimately managed to break out of the ring, losing 20,000 people killed and a large amount of military equipment.

In May - June 1939, the Japanese regrouped, concentrating more than 200 thousand soldiers and officers and about 400 tanks against 400 thousand poorly armed Chinese, practically devoid of military equipment, and continued the offensive, as a result of which Xuzhou (May 20) and Kaifeng (June 6) were taken ). In these battles, the Japanese used chemical and bacteriological weapons.

On October 22, 1938, a Japanese naval landing force, delivered on 12 transport ships under the cover of 1 cruiser, 1 destroyer, 2 gunboats and 3 minesweepers, landed on both sides of the Humen Strait and stormed the Chinese forts guarding the passage to Canton. On the same day, Chinese units of the 12th Army left the city without a fight. Japanese troops of the 21st Army entered the city, seizing warehouses with weapons, ammunition, equipment and food.

In general, during the first period of the war, the Japanese army, despite partial successes, was unable to achieve the main strategic goal - the destruction of the Chinese army. At the same time, the stretch of the front, the isolation of troops from supply bases and the growing Chinese partisan movement worsened the position of the Japanese.

Second period of the war (November 1938 - December 1941)

Japan decided to change the strategy of active struggle to a strategy of attrition. Japan is limited to only local operations at the front and is moving on to intensifying political struggle. This was caused by excessive tension and problems of control over the hostile population of the occupied territories. With most of the ports captured by the Japanese army, China was left with only three routes to obtain aid from the Allies - the narrow gauge road to Kunming from Haiphong in French Indochina; the winding Burma Road, which ran to Kunming through British Burma, and finally the Xinjiang Highway, which ran from the Sino-Soviet border through Xinjiang and Gansu Province.

On November 1, 1938, Chiang Kai-shek appealed to the Chinese people to continue the war of resistance against Japan to a victorious end. The Chinese Communist Party approved the speech during a meeting of Chongqing youth organizations. In the same month, Japanese troops managed to take the cities of Fuxin and Fuzhou with the help of amphibious assaults.

Japan makes peace proposals to the Kuomintang government on some terms favorable to Japan. This strengthens the internal party contradictions of the Chinese nationalists. As a consequence of this, there followed the betrayal of Chinese Vice Premier Wang Jingwei, who fled to Shanghai captured by the Japanese.

In February 1939, during the Hainan landing operation, the Japanese army, under the cover of ships of the Japanese 2nd Fleet, captured the cities of Junzhou and Haikou, losing two transport ships and a barge with troops.

From March 13 to April 3, 1939, the Nanchang Operation unfolded, during which Japanese troops consisting of the 101st and 106th Infantry Divisions, with the support of a Marine landing and the massive use of aviation and gunboats, managed to occupy the city of Nanchang and a number of other cities. At the end of April, the Chinese launched a successful counterattack on Nanchang and liberated the city of Hoan. However, then Japanese troops launched a local attack in the direction of the city of Ichang. Japanese troops entered Nanchang again on August 29.

In June 1939, the Chinese cities of Shantou (June 21) and Fuzhou (June 27) were taken by amphibious assault.

In September 1939, Chinese troops managed to stop the Japanese offensive 18 km north of the city of Changsha. On October 10, they launched a successful counteroffensive against units of the 11th Army in the direction of Nanchang, which they managed to occupy on October 10. During the operation, the Japanese lost up to 25 thousand people and more than 20 landing craft.

From November 14 to 25, the Japanese launched a landing of a 12,000-strong military group in the Pan Khoi area. During the Pankhoi landing operation and the subsequent offensive, the Japanese managed to capture the cities of Pankhoi, Qinzhou, Dantong and, finally, on November 24, after fierce fighting, Nanying. However, the advance on Lanzhou was stopped by a counterattack by General Bai Chongxi's 24th Army, and Japanese aircraft began bombing the city. On December 8, Chinese troops, with the assistance of the Zhongjin air group of Soviet Major S. Suprun, stopped the Japanese offensive from the Nanying area at the Kunlunguang line, after which (December 16, 1939) with the forces of the 86th and 10th armies, the Chinese began an offensive with the aim of encircling the Wuhan group of Japanese troops. The operation was supported from the flanks by the 21st and 50th armies. On the first day of the operation, the Japanese defense was broken through, but the further course of events led to a halt in the offensive, a retreat to their original positions and a transition to defensive actions. The Wuhan operation failed due to shortcomings in the Chinese army's command and control system.

Japanese occupation of China

In March 1940, Japan formed a puppet government in Nanjing in order to obtain political and military support in the fight against partisans in the rear. It was headed by former Vice-Premier of China Wang Jingwei, who defected to the Japanese.

In June-July, the successes of Japanese diplomacy in negotiations with Great Britain and France led to the cessation of military supplies to China through Burma and Indochina. On June 20, an Anglo-Japanese agreement was concluded on joint actions against violators of the order and security of Japanese military forces in China, according to which, in particular, Chinese silver worth $40 million, stored in the English and French missions in Tianjin, was transferred to Japan.

On August 20, 1940, a joint large-scale (up to 400 thousand people participated) offensive of the 4th, 8th Chinese Army (formed from communists) and guerrilla detachments of the Communist Party of China began against Japanese troops in the provinces of Shanxi, Chahar, Hubei and Henan, known as “ Battle of a Hundred Regiments. In Jiangsu province, there were a number of clashes between communist army units and the Kuomintang partisan detachments of Governor H. Deqin, as a result of which the latter were defeated. The result of the Chinese offensive was the liberation of a territory with a population of more than 5 million people and 73 large settlements. The personnel losses of the parties were approximately equal (about 20 thousand people on each side).

During 1940, Japanese troops limited themselves to only one offensive operation in the lower Hanshui River basin and successfully carried it out, capturing the city of Yichang.

The beginning of 1944 was characterized by offensive operations of a local nature.

In May - September 1944, the Japanese continued to conduct offensive operations in a southern direction. Japanese activity led to the fall of Changsha and Henyang. The Chinese fought stubbornly for Henyang and counterattacked the enemy in a number of places, while Changsha was left without a fight.

At the same time, the Chinese launched an offensive in Yunnan Province with Group Y forces. The troops advanced in two columns, crossing the Salween River. The southern column encircled the Japanese at Longlin, but was driven back after a series of Japanese counterattacks. The northern column advanced more successfully, capturing the city of Tengchong with the support of the American 14th Air Force.

On October 4, the city of Fuzhou was captured by a Japanese naval landing. In the same place, the evacuation of troops of the 4th VR of China from the cities of Guilin, Liuzhou and Nanying begins; on November 10, the 31st Army of this VR was forced to capitulate to the 11th Army of Japan in the city of Guilin.

On December 20, Japanese troops advancing from the north, from the Guangzhou area and from Indochina, united in the city of Nanlu, establishing a through railway connection across all of China from Korea to Indochina.

At the end of the year, American aircraft transferred two Chinese divisions from Burma to China.

The year 1944 was also characterized by successful operations of the American submarine fleet off the Chinese coast.

On January 10, 1945, parts of a group of troops of General Wei Lihuang liberated the city of Wanting and crossed the Chinese-Burmese border, entering the territory of Burma, and on the 11th, troops of the 6th Front of the Japanese went on the offensive against the Chinese 9th BP in the direction of the cities of Ganzhou and Yizhang , Shaoguan.

In January - February, the Japanese army resumed its offensive in Southeast China, occupying vast territories in the coastal provinces - between Wuhan and the border of French Indochina. Three more air bases of the American 14th Air Force Chennault were captured.

In March 1945, the Japanese launched another offensive to seize crops in Central China. The forces of the 39th Infantry Division of the 11th Army struck in the direction of the city of Gucheng (Henan-Hubei operation). In March - April, the Japanese also managed to take two American air bases in China - Laohotou and Laohekou.

On April 5, the USSR unilaterally denounced the neutrality pact with Japan in connection with the commitments of the Soviet leadership, given at the Yalta Conference in February 1945, to enter the war against Japan three months after the victory over Germany, which at the moment was already close.

Realizing that his forces were too stretched, General Yasuji Okamura, in an effort to strengthen the Kwantung Army stationed in Manchuria, which was threatened by the entry of the USSR into the war, began to transfer troops to the north.

As a result of the Chinese counteroffensive, by May 30, the corridor leading to Indochina was cut. By July 1, the 100,000-strong Japanese group was surrounded in Canton, and about 100,000 more returned to Northern China under the attacks of the American 10th and 14th Air Armies. On July 27, they abandoned one of the previously captured American air bases in Guilin.

In May, Chinese troops of the 3rd VR attacked Fuzhou and managed to liberate the city from the Japanese. Active Japanese operations both here and in other areas were generally curtailed, and the army went on the defensive.

In June and July, the Japanese and Chinese nationalists carried out a series of punitive operations against the communist Special Region and parts of the CCP.

Fourth period of the war (August 1945 - September 1945)

At the same time, a struggle developed between the Chinese nationalists and communists for political influence. On August 10, the commander-in-chief of the CPC troops, Zhu De, gave the order for the communist troops to go on the offensive against the Japanese along the entire front, and on August 11, Chiang Kai-shek gave a similar order for all Chinese troops to go on the offensive, but it was specifically stipulated that the communists should not take part in this. -I and 8th armies. Despite this, the communists went on the offensive. Both communists and nationalists were now primarily concerned with establishing their power in the country after the victory over Japan, which was rapidly losing to its allies. At the same time, the USSR secretly supported primarily the communists, and the USA - the nationalists.

On September 1, 1940, the first stage of a new aircraft assembly plant built by Soviet specialists was launched in Urumqi.

In total, during the period 1937-1941, the USSR supplied China with: 1285 aircraft (of which 777 fighters, 408 bombers, 100 training aircraft), 1600 guns of various calibers, 82 medium tanks, 14 thousand heavy and light machine guns. , cars and tractors - 1850.

The Chinese Air Force had about 100 aircraft. Japan had tenfold superiority in aviation. One of the largest Japanese air bases was located in Taiwan, near Taipei. By the beginning of 1938, a batch of new SB bombers arrived in China. The chief military adviser for the Air Force, brigade commander P.V. Rychagov, and the air attache (future commander-in-chief of the USSR Air Force) P.F. Zhigarev developed a bold operation. 12 SB bombers under the command of Colonel F.P. Polynin were to take part in it. The raid took place on February 23, 1938. The target was successfully hit, and all bombers returned to base.

On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the victory in the anti-Japanese war, correspondents of the Breath of China magazine talked with the director of the Institute of Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia of the People's Republic of China, Professor Li Yongquan, who worked in Russia for many years and devoted most of his life to studying the process of development of Chinese-Russian relations.

What do you think are the reasons for the outbreak of World War II and what are its consequences?

Li Yongquan: The Second World War was a struggle between developed imperialist countries for the redivision of the world and the redistribution of resources. This is a war that has caused unprecedented damage to all humanity and led to enormous human and material losses. According to incomplete data, several tens of millions of people died during the Second World War. The greatest losses were suffered by the two main fronts of military operations - China and the Soviet Union. This is over 27 million Soviet citizens and about 35 million Chinese. However, these are only official data; we can only guess how many dead we will never know.

What role did cooperation between China and the USSR play during the war?

Li Yongquan: The Soviet Union began providing assistance to China back in the late 30s. It is worth noting that even after Germany attacked the USSR, the Soviet Union, despite the fact that its main forces were sent to the front with the Germans, did not cease to support China. In 1945, it was the Soviet army that played a decisive role in the final defeat of the Japanese in Northeast China.

On the other hand, China also provided support to the Soviet Union. After Japan occupied Northeast China, the Japanese army intended to attack the Soviet Union. The Japanese had to abandon this idea for two reasons: firstly, in the late 30s, multiple military conflicts took place between Japanese and Soviet troops on the Sino-Soviet and Sino-Mongolian borders, in which Japan was clearly losing. Secondly, the resistance of the Chinese people was so unexpected that the implementation of all strategic goals was simply beyond the capabilities of the Japanese army. Perhaps in a different situation, under more unfavorable circumstances, the fate of the Soviet Union and even the whole world would have turned out differently.

After Germany attacked the USSR, the Soviet Union, despite the fact that its main forces were sent to the front with the Germans, did not stop supporting China

For many years, most historians paid special attention only to the role of the Western Front of World War II, forgetting about the Sino-Japanese confrontation. I consider such a view of military history incorrect. In recent years, China's role in World War II has finally begun to be assessed more objectively. We held back Japanese troops, allowing the Allies to confront Nazi Germany.

What does achieving victory in World War II mean for the world?

Li Yongquan: After the victory in World War II, a post-war world order was formed, led by the UN. In February 1945, during the Yalta Conference, the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition reached agreements, which, however, in the opinion of many of my Chinese colleagues, infringed on the rights of China. Despite this, there is no doubt that we should continue to follow the results of the Yalta Conference. Since the end of World War II, much has changed, including views on the war and its results. Let us at least remember that not all countries of the anti-fascist coalition took part in the anniversary events in Moscow dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Victory. Unfortunately, many now look at the outcome of the war through the prism of the current geopolitical situation. Historical facts cannot be denied to suit current political ambitions. It is necessary to defend historical truth.

Now many are looking at the outcome of the war through the prism of the current geopolitical situation. Historical facts cannot be denied to suit current political ambitions. It is necessary to defend historical truth

State leaders at the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in Moscow. Photo: TASS

What lessons from World War II are most relevant in the current international situation?

Li Yongquan: Currently, the international situation is far from stable. Despite the fact that over the 70 post-war years the countries have coexisted in peace, regional conflicts still could not be avoided. Let's remember Afghanistan, Iraq, the Middle East and North Africa, and now the conflict in Ukraine. In my opinion, security issues are inextricably linked with the development issue. The Second World War began precisely because the imperialist countries were ready to sacrifice general interests in order to achieve their own goals. That is why Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the concept of China's development and security, where special attention is paid to creating a community of common destiny. You cannot strive for self-development while infringing on the interests of other countries. In the current climate, such thinking will not lead to anything good. China's initiative to create the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is based on the concept of development and security. This initiative is understood and supported by the vast majority of neighboring and developing countries. Many developed countries have also joined in the implementation of these concepts. An example of this is the creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Other international organizations, such as the SCO and BRICS, also approach the issue of development from fundamentally new positions that correspond to modern realities, but also take into account the bitter experience of the past.

Now, on the eve of the anniversary date - the 70th anniversary of the victory in World War II, we must once again thoroughly understand history, learn lessons from the past and prevent similar tragedies from reoccurring in the future.

What is the significance of joint Russian-Chinese events dedicated to the 70th anniversary of victory in World War II?

Li Yongquan: China and Russia made a huge contribution to the final victory over fascism, which is why both China and Russia value peace so much. The decision to hold joint anniversary events in honor of the 70th anniversary of the victory in World War II was made by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin back in 2014. In this way, China and Russia want to remind the whole world of the price of victory, of the suffering and disasters caused by the war, that we must take care of peace and not try to develop to the detriment of other countries. This, of course, emphasizes that the fundamental post-war principle is respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries.

Security issues are inextricably linked with development issues. The Second World War began precisely because the imperialist countries were ready to sacrifice general interests in order to achieve their own goals. That is why Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the concept of China's development and security, where special attention is paid to creating a community of common destiny.

At a museum in the suburbs of Beijing, on the 78th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II in China, soldiers and schoolchildren observed a minute of silence in memory of the 20 million Chinese who died. /website/

However, the true history of this war of survival, which the Kuomintang (Chinese National Party) government waged against the Japanese invaders for 8 years, is kept silent in China. In 1949, after four years of civil war in China, the Nationalist government was overthrown by the Communist Party.

Now the official communist media are broadcasting their version of World War II. The theme of war is often used to stir up nationalist sentiment, sometimes leading to anti-Japanese demonstrations and riots.

In 2013, when disputes flared up between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands near Okinawa, a video showing a nuclear bomb destroying Tokyo was extremely popular on the Chinese Internet.

Chinese television is abuzz with fictional communist heroes facing off against "Japanese devils." The Sino-Japanese War, as World War II is known in China, has become a politically safe topic. In this field, television producers show wild imagination.

The official Communist version of the war greatly downplays the campaigns and battles led by the Kuomintang. But it was this force that played a key role during the war and contributed to the Allied victory.

The truth about the forgotten war

On July 7, 1937, two years before Nazi Germany attacked Poland, Chinese troops exchanged fire with a Japanese garrison south of Beijing. This “spark” ignited the flames of an eight-year war throughout Asia.

Beginning in the 1920s, a militaristic faction in the Japanese government dreamed of dominance in Asia. Since 1910, Korea received the status of a Japanese colony. In 1931, officers of the Imperial Japanese Army occupied and annexed Manchuria, a northern Chinese region with a population of 35 million people and rich natural resources.

By 1937, Japanese troops had occupied most of Inner Mongolia after Manchuria and increased pressure on Beijing. The capital of China at that time was Nanjing. Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of China and head of the Kuomintang, understood that further connivance with the Japanese would lead to a large-scale war.

Japanese troops parade in defeated Hong Kong in 1941. Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images

By the end of July, clashes near Beijing intensified. The Chinese refused to comply with the Japanese demands and retreat. Chiang Kai-shek ordered the Chinese army to move to Shanghai, where Japanese strike forces were stationed. The Battle of Shanghai cost the lives of 200,000 Chinese and 70,000 Japanese killed during urban fighting. This was the first of 20 major battles fought by the Kuomintang against the Japanese. According to the communists, the Kuomintang was constantly retreating, leaving Chinese territory to the Japanese.

In one of the episodes of the battle for Shanghai, a Chinese unit, which had German weapons and training (before World War II, China collaborated with Germany in the military sphere), being in a fortification, held back the attacks of tens of thousands of Japanese. This unit became known as the "800 Heroes".

Despite all the heroism of the defenders, the Japanese captured Shanghai. Further, thanks to reinforcements in the Japanese army, the fighting moved to the Yangtze River Delta, threatening the Chinese capital Nanjing.

Lingering resistance

In the first months of the war, the Chinese communists were not active. The only Communist victory, the Battle of Pingxinguan Pass, cost the lives of several hundred Japanese soldiers. However, official propaganda extolled it as a major military victory.

Meanwhile, the Kuomintang continued its bitter war against the Japanese, losing hundreds of thousands of people. In Nanjing, due to incompetent military leadership, a riot occurred among Chinese soldiers. The Japanese took advantage of this and captured prisoners, who were later executed. The number of casualties was so enormous that the official number of Chinese military casualties in World War II is still unknown.

Japanese troops then turned on the civilian population, killing hundreds of thousands of people (Nanjing Massacre).

Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong (left) and former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai (right) in Yunnan Province in 1945 during the Sino-Japanese War. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Defeats in Shanghai and Nanjing dampened the spirit of the Chinese, but the Kuomintang continued to resist. In 1938, the largest battle of the Sino-Japanese War took place near the city of Wuhan in central China. The Kuomintang army, numbering over a million people, held back Japanese troops for four months.

The mobile and well-armed Japanese army used hundreds of gas attacks and eventually forced the Chinese to abandon Wuhan. The Japanese lost over 100,000 soldiers. The damage was so serious that it stopped the advance of the invaders inland for years.

Stabbed in the back

After the Communists came to power in 1949, Chinese screens were flooded with patriotic films about the struggle of Chinese guerrillas in Japanese-occupied territories. Of course, this struggle was led by communist revolutionaries.

In reality, the Communist Party gradually penetrated into regions where there was no military force and order. Japanese troops were deployed unevenly and partially controlled the territory they had conquered from the Kuomintang. Such areas became an ideal environment for the expanding communist movement.

The Nationalist government received military assistance from the United States. Cooperation was complicated by mutual distrust and disputes between Chiang Kai-shek and American General Joseph Stilwell.

The Chinese communists did not support the nationalists and saved their strength for further military actions against the Kuomintang. In this way they made the most of the plight of their fellow countrymen. A Soviet diplomat who visited the base of the Chinese communists noted that Chairman Mao did not send his fighters to fight the Japanese.

Chinese prisoners of war guarded by Japanese troops near Mount Mufu between the northern boundary of Nanjing's city wall and the southern bank of the Yangtze River, December 16, 1937. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

At the beginning of the war, in a short time, the Communist Party managed to create a combat-ready army. This is evident from the only offensive undertaken by the Communists, the Battle of the Hundred Regiments in 1940. This campaign was led by General Peng Dehuai. But Mao criticized him for revealing the military strength of the Communist Party. During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), Peng was a victim of a purge, Mao Zedong remembered his "betrayal".

In 1945, Japan capitulated first to the United States and then to the Kuomintang troops. And then a brutal four-year civil war began in China. The Chinese Communist Party, now aided by the Soviet Union, expanded its forces into northern China. The Kuomintang lost. The US chose not to intervene.

Silencing the past

The Chinese Communist Party is hiding the reason for the distortion of the history of World War II - its meager role in this war. Recognition of the military merits of the Kuomintang, which built its own state in Taiwan after the civil war, raises the question of the legitimacy of the Communist Party.

Therefore, the Party is fanatically hiding the truth, depriving the Chinese people of the opportunity to know the real story, said Xin Haonian, a Chinese historian. “The Chinese Communist Party is doing this in an attempt to glorify itself, but the result is the opposite,” Xin told New Tang Dynasty TV.

Propaganda is used not only to correct the perception of the war, but also to create “enemies” of China. It is not surprising that in the eyes of modern Chinese, the main enemy is Japan. This has been evidenced in recent years.

Official apologies from Japanese leaders are considered insufficiently sincere, and statements by a faction of far-right politicians are presented as official Japanese policy.

The absurd depiction of the war and the declaration of modern Japan as enemy No. 1 looks especially vivid against the backdrop of Mao Zedong's attitude towards Japan. Chairman Mao did not consider the Japanese his enemies.

In 1972, official diplomatic relations were established between the PRC and Japan. Mao Zedong expressed personal gratitude to Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei and said that he “does not need to apologize for anything.” This story was confirmed by Kakuei and Mao's personal physician.

Mao Zedong’s doctor said: “Mao convinced him that the communists’ rise to power was made possible by the ‘help’ of the invading Japanese army. This made possible a meeting between Chinese communist and Japanese leaders."

As a sign of gratitude for this "help", the communists rejected Japan's offer of war reparations.

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China's losses in World War II are estimated at a figure that is, without exaggeration, astronomical: 35 million people

On the eve of the Beijing parade in honor of the 70th anniversary of China's victory in the war with Japan, news agencies did their best: they wrote about unprecedented security measures, the unprecedented purity of Beijing air, and even about the specially trained falcons and monkeys involved.

This has truly never happened in the Celestial Empire, which has seen everything in its 4 thousand years. Around Beijing, factories have been closed, construction has been stopped, and all sources of the thick smog familiar to Beijing residents have been blocked. All resources have been mobilized, including birds of prey to scare away other birds, and trained macaques to destroy bird nests, throwing them from the trees around the airfield where parade squadrons take off.

This reminded me of the late 80s: once the editor-in-chief of Komsomolskaya Pravda removed a piece from the page with the headline “There are fewer Chinese.” The conversation in it was about a crashed helicopter with four Chinese on board, which somewhat grotesquely echoed the words of a famous physicist, where he reported, among other things, that “there are as many Chinese as us, plus another billion!” The people at the meeting, understandably, laughed: “Well, there really are four fewer people?!” No malice, of course, just an ineradicable desire to look for paradoxes and laugh everywhere.

But now, over the years, I see that behind all these jokes and humor, we have missed very important things in our picture of the world. For example, China’s losses in World War II are estimated at a figure that is, without exaggeration, astronomical: 35 million people. And I will not forget the amazement I felt when I heard it from Valentin FALINA, former head of the international department of the CPSU Central Committee and the USSR Ambassador to Germany. Because in all available sources such as Wikipedia, a completely different figure is given on this score - “only” 5.8 million. To this objection, the reserved Valentin Mikhailovich exclaimed:

- Bullshit! In 1991, I asked this question personally to Jiang Zemin. “There are no exact figures,” he replied, “but certainly no less than 35 million.” But there are no numbers because the Japanese destroyed the civilian population, conducting all kinds of experiments on them. For example, they encircled an area of ​​40 by 40 square kilometers and did not allow any medicine, food, or fresh water into it. And the people there died out, every single one..."

Valentin Mikhailovich generally has his own opinion about dates:

— The day the Second World War began is considered to be September 1, 1939, when Germany attacked Poland. And the green light allegedly turned on the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression treaty of August 23, 1939. And for some reason, the fact that Japan started a war against China back in 1931 is not recognized as the beginning of World War II. Although by the time the German Wehrmacht crossed the Polish border, almost 20 million Chinese were already dead!

And in this unclean manipulation of facts, Western historians come into conflict even with the assessment of Franklin Delano Roosevelt himself. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 9, 1941, Roosevelt, in an address to the nation, said that the attack of Japan on China and Germany on Poland, and then the USSR, were all links in one chain.

“According to the documents cited there, Japan decided to attack the USSR in... 1923,” continues Falin. — And in 1931, they summed up the implementation of the first five-year plan in the USSR and realized: the Soviet Union is creating a powerful industry, and if we do not capture Manchuria and Northern China, and then Baikal, Vladivostok - Khabarovsk, Omsk - Novosibirsk, until we modernize our army, They will never succeed in this. This, I repeat, is 1931.

And with the date of the end of the war, everything is completely funny with them: the Second World War ended, as the Americans themselves say, on September 2, 1945, with the signing of the act of surrender by Japan. Why then did it begin with Germany’s attack on Poland? Where is the logic here?

And yesterday at the parade, Xi Jinping pronounced these mournful figures publicly: in the world war against fascism, China lost 35 million human lives, the Soviet Union - 27 million. It is impossible to comprehend them. Which doesn't mean that we normal people shouldn't constantly try to do this - isn't that the guarantee that something like this will never happen again?

But I can’t help but think that all these unimaginable sacrifices have long been written off as scrap - especially when I see that there were no representatives of Western democracies at the Chinese parade. Just as they were not present in Moscow at the Victory Parade.

Which country suffered the second highest casualties in World War II? July 31st, 2013

Original taken from krasavchik c Which country suffered the second highest casualties in World War II?

The war claimed the most human lives in the USSR. The second largest number of victims was China.

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 became the largest military conflict in human history. When Hitler sent an army of three million into the Soviet Union, he expected a quick victory. According to various estimates, in four years the Soviet army lost 8 million soldiers, and the Soviet state - 14 million citizens; The Germans lost 5 million people. It was in the USSR that the outcome of World War II was predetermined.

It was a vast theater of military operations, thousands and thousands of square kilometers. At the early stage of the war, the Red Army demonstrated its complete unpreparedness and was hopelessly behind the Germans in weapons and military equipment: often untrained infantry were thrown against enemy tanks. At first, the German advance into the depths of the USSR was rapid: cities and villages were wiped off the face of the earth, industry and agriculture were destroyed. Millions of Soviet citizens were left without bread and shelter. When the German offensive bogged down, the troops received the order to “show no mercy” - both prisoners of war and civilians were exterminated without counting.

A similar set of factors produced the second highest losses in this war. In Russia and the West, little is known about the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945, but even according to the most conservative estimates, the number of Chinese deaths was 2 million military and 7 million civilians. Official figures published by the Chinese themselves give a total figure of 20 million.

The Japanese invaded China in 1937 in order to provide a buffer between themselves and their main enemy, the USSR. China actually had no central government. Most of the country was controlled by former warlords, the nationalists (Kuomintang) Chiang Kai-shek and the communists of Mao Zedong hated each other no less than the Japanese. Chinese industry was not ready for a big war; there were not enough weapons and military equipment (some soldiers fought with swords). The Chinese armed forces, although superior in numbers to the Japanese, were significantly inferior to the disciplined and merciless Japanese Imperial Army.

The invasion turned into the largest and bloodiest guerrilla war in history. Both sides strictly adhered to the “scorched earth” policy: during the retreat, crops, farms, villages and bridges were destroyed so that nothing would fall to the enemy. The result was widespread famine and starvation. As in Russia, the lack of military equipment was compensated by the huge number of Chinese who were ready to fight to the death. By the end of the war, 95 million Chinese had become refugees.

At the first stage of the war, after the capture of the Kuomintang capital of Chiang Kai-shek, the city of Nanjing, the Japanese staged a real massacre there; the massacre, torture and rape lasted six weeks. It is believed that the death toll was at least 300 thousand. During the entire war, 200 thousand Chinese girls were kidnapped to work in Japanese military brothels. Another 400 thousand Chinese died after contracting cholera, bubonic plague and anthrax from bacteriological bombs dropped by Japanese aircraft. And yet, despite the horrific losses, the Chinese did not yield.

But few people now remember the victims suffered by China.