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The US Firebombing of Wuhan, Part 2
One week before Christmas in 1944, nearly 200 American planes raided the Chinese city of Wuhan, dropping 500 tons of incendiary bombs. Thousands of Chinese lives were lost in this incident, which has...
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Surrender in Nanking
This article is part of a large online project — End of Empire — launched by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS). The idea is simple: To describe day by day the 100 days immediately after...
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A Boy in Wartime Shanghai, Part 1
George Kulstad, born in Shanghai in 1935, had a tumultuous childhood. His father, a Norwegian sea captain, was held captive by the Japanese, and George and his mother had to make do as best they could...
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A Boy in Wartime Shanghai, Part 2
George Kulstad, born in Shanghai in 1935, had a tumultuous childhood. His father, a Norwegian sea captain, was held captive by the Japanese, and George and his mother had to make do as best they could...
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Chennault and the Wuhan Firebombing
US Major General Claire Lee Chennault, the founder of the famed Flying Tigers, played a major role in the planning and execution of the firebombing of the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 1944. This...
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The Takeover of Shanghai, 1945
This article is part of a large online project — End of Empire — launched by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS). The idea is simple: To describe day by day the 100 days immediately after...
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Modeling the Shanghai Battle
For decades, hobby modelers have been able to bring decisive battle of World War Two back to life, and with the emergence of the Internet, they are able to reach whole new audiences and exchange...
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‘China’s Alamo’ Restored
In late October 1937, when the battle of Shanghai was pretty much decided, and the Chinese were preparing to withdraw west, Chiang Kai-shek and his commanders decided for a dramatic last stand at the...
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Second Sino-Japanese War: The PC Game
The Second Sino-Japanese War will soon appear as a video game, Morning Sun. Depending on the realism, e.g. attention to real-life issues such as logistics, PC games can be great learning tools and...
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Scenes of Death and Struggle at ‘China’s Alamo’
Recently we carried a series of photos from Shanghai’s restored Sihang Warehouse, taken by Yi Lee. On this page find some more pictures, courtesy of Yi Lee, from this historic site, where about 400...
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Nanjing 1937: Battle for a Doomed City
‘Nanjing 1937: Battle for a Doomed City’ by Peter Harmsen is now on sale. The sequel of his best-selling ‘Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze’, it tells the epic story of China’s desperate defense...
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A Life in a Passport
This article by Neil Kaplan about an unusual British passport was first published on his website Our Passports. It is reproduced here with his kind permission. Sometimes fate shines upon us...
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An Early Role Model: Changing China from Within
Mme Sun Yat Sen, or Soong Chingling, was one of the most prominent figures of the Second Sino-Japanese War. On the photo above she is pictured with Chinese soldiers in the wartime capital of...
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Jiangyin 1937: Battle for the Yangtze, Part 1
The first months of war between China and Japan in the fall of 1937 took place mostly on land and in the air. But the two nations’ navies also clashed in a fierce battle over the strategic city of...
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Jiangyin 1937: Battle for the Yangtze, Part 2
The first months of war between China and Japan in the fall of 1937 took place mostly on land and in the air. But the two nations’ navies also clashed in a fierce battle over the strategic city of...
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The Chinese Army Enters Indochina, 1945
Chinese army preparing to travel to Indochina This article is part of a large online project — End of Empire — launched by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS). The idea is simple: To describe...
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Chinese Militaria: A Hot New Area for Collectors
Chinese military items from WW2 have become more popular among collectors in recent years as China’s role in the war has become better known. However, collecting Chinese militaria involves unique...
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The Mysterious Prisoner
This website previously carried an article on Nadine Hwang (above in post-war photo from Venezuela, second from right), the mysterious Chinese prisoner of Nazi Germany’s Ravensbrück concentration...
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Operation Chahar, Part 1
The Nankou Campaign, sometimes known as “Operation Chahar,” broke out on August 8, 1937, that was 5 days earlier than the outbreak of the famous Shanghai Campaign. For decades, the Nankou Campaign has...
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Operation Chahar, Part 2
The Nankou Campaign, sometimes known as “Operation Chahar,” broke out on August 8, 1937, and is largely forgotten today. This article, written by Eric Wu, focuses on the meaning of this campaign based...
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