Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

The Chinese People at War: Human Suffering and Social Transformation, 1937–1945 , and: China at War: Regions of China, 1937–45 (review)

The Chinese People at War: Human Suffering and Social Transformation, 1937–1945 , and: China at... Reviews 91 internaldebatesoverthevaluesandcategoriesofthegoodlife,asdefinedbythe Westernindustrialrevolutionoftherecentcenturies.Sothequestionremainsasto whetherunderBRICSandotherwisetheywouldjointheotherbigpowersand replicatethegrowthmodelsoftheWest.Itshouldbestressedthatthesedominant growthmodelshavecausedenormoussocialinequities,environmentaldegradation,andmoraldegenerationandhaveinvitedprotestationfromsocialmovementswithintheircountriesandfromtheirneighborsandothersmaller countries.Onehopesthattheeliteslistentothedemocraticvoicesofthepeople's movementsofAsia,Africa,andLatinAmericatoworkforanequitableand harmoniousworld.Asagainstthe"Washingtonconsensus,"whichspreadglobalizationthroughfreeenterpriseallovertheworld,themuchtalkedaboutBeijing Consensuscenteringonstate-ledeconomicgrowthmaynotberealalternative unlessitrepresentedanalternativedevelopmentparadigmemergingfromAsian andglobalcivilizationalhistory.Themessagefromtheanticolonialstrugglesand people'smovementsofthepasthundredyearsisclearlyforexpandingthearenaof freedom,justice,andself-determinationandresistancetoallformsofhegemony. U.S.policiesinAsia,andworldwide,haveyettoreflectanappreciationofthisnew globalmoment.ChinaandIndiamayhavelearnedlessonsfromtheirpastdecades oftensionswithneighborsandhopefullywillrefrainfrombecomingcompeting hegemoniesinAsiaandtheworld.TheSingaporeperspectiveinspirestheglobal actorstopromotewin-winrelationsandbegintowriteanewdemocraticscriptfor theexcitingAsianDramaofthefuture. ManoranjanMohanty Manoranjan Mohanty is an honorary fellow and chairperson, Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi; the Durgabai Deshmukh professor of social development, Council for Social Development; and a former professor of political science, University of Delhi. DianaLary.The Chinese People at War: Human Suffering and Social Transformation, 1937­1945. NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress,2010. xiv,214pp.Hardcover$95.00,isbn978-0-521-19506-5.Paperback$29.99, isbn978-0-521-14410-0. © 2012 by University of Hawai`i Press StephenR.MacKinnon,DianaLary,andEzraF.Vogel,editors.China at War: Regions of China, 1937­45. Stanford,CA:StanfordUniversityPress, 2007.xix,351pp.Hardcover$65.00,isbn978-0-8047-5509-2. 92 ChinaReviewInternational:Vol.18,No.1,2011 MostbooksandarticlesdealingwiththewarinChinafocusontheAmericanor Japanesepointsofview,plans,andexperiences.Ortheymightexplorethe GuomindangandCommunistrivalryforpowerandthefactorsthathelpedor hamperedthecompetition.Rarely,untilthepublicationofthesebooks,havethe problems,hardships,andsurvivaloftheChinesepeopleinvariousareasbeen explored.Somewereoccupiedearlyintheconflictwithlivesapproachingnormal asaresultofthequickdefeatorretreatofChinesemilitaryforces.Otherswerein theactivewarzones,whichwerefoughtoverforextendedperiods.Stillothers wereremovedfromtheareasofactivemilitaryengagementbutweresubjectto bombingraids,refugeeinfluxes,requisitionsforthewareffortofmenandmaterial,andotherdislocationsofwar. ThesenewstudiesremedyalacunaintheunderstandingofChina'sroleinthe warandthescopeofitsimpact.Thelackofstudieshasdistortedthecontributions ofthecountryanditspeopleandtheprofoundeffectsofthewaronit.Thewarin Chinawasbetweenacountrywithanagriculturaleconomyandonethatwas highlyindustrialized;onethatwasintheprocessofpreparingforamodernwar afteracenturyofwarandrevolution,andonethathadsuccessfullymodernized anddefeatedbothChinaandRussiainpreviouswars. DianaLary'sbookisorganizedchronologically,exploringtheeffectsofthe warontheChinesepeopleasthewarprogressedthroughthevariouscampaigns andstalemates,changesintacticsandresponses,andconditionsunderwhichthe warwasfought.Herfocus,asdefinedinthebook'ssubtitle,isthehumansuffering andsocialtransformationasaresultofthewarexperiences.Shedetailstheproblemsofsocialcoherenceatatimewhennotonlywerevillagesandurbanareas damagedordestroyed,orvillagesocialandpoliticalstructuresdividedorreconstructed,butnooneseemedtoberesponsibletoremedytheseproblems.The divisionbetweenthosewhocouldaffordtoleavethewarzonesandestablish themselveselsewhere,thosewhohadnochoicebuttobecomerefugeesandhope forthebest,andthosewho,duetoage,infirmity,orotherproblems,wereforced to staybehindisdescribedindetail.Inparticular,shehighlightstheproblemsof familiesandfamilystructure,whichwasbrokenaspeoplecouldnotreturntotheir homesfromtravelsorweresuddenlydraftedintoanarmy.Inmanysuchcases, familieswereneverreunited,havingnoinformationastothefateofmissing familymembers,andwereleftwithuncertaintyandfearasaresult. Theseissuesaresetwithinaframeworkofspecificyearsandconditionsofthe war.Chapterheadingsreflecttheperiodization:the"HighTideofWar,""Defeat andRetreat,"andsoforth.Inaddition,specificregionsarehighlightedwiththeir differentproblems,suchasthesufferingcausedinHenanwiththebreachingofthe YellowRiverdike,wherehundredsofthousandswerekilledbytheresultant floodingandthefaminethatensued.Withintheunfoldingexperiencesofwar, Laryconcentratesonhermainthemes:howthechangingfortunesofwaraffected thefamilyandvillagestructures,refugeeexperiences,businessconditions,and Reviews 93 occupationpoliciesinregardtoconfiscations,reprisals,ortheformationofpuppet regimes.ThewaraffectedallareasofChinatoagreaterorlesserdegreeasillustratedbythemapsincludedinthetext.MostChinese,therefore,experienced someofthehardshipsofthewar:tensofmillionsbecamerefugees,atleasttwenty tothirtymillionChinesedied,andseveralmillionwereinvolvedwithvarious militaryorganizations.Businessesanduniversitiesmovedtheirequipmentand personnelfromthecoastalareastotheinterior,wheremodernizationeffortshad notbeenaswidespreadandconditionsweremuchharsherthanhadbeencustomarilyexperienced. Atfirst,formany,thefactofsurvivalandthechallengesofanewplaceand theneedtofindthenecessitiesresultedinaconfidenceintheirability,and,therefore,thecountry's,toachieveasuccessfulendtotheconflict.However,asconditionsrarelyimprovedwithtime,asadditionalthreatsorshortagesmadeevena modicumofsustainedsurvivaluncertain,peoplebegantobediscouragedand depressedandbegantoblamethoseinpowerfortheircontinuedsufferings.With thechangesforcedbythewar,theoldsocialandpoliticalorder,butinparticular theformer,hadfailedtoprovideprotectionforthepeoplefromtheexperiences of theJapaneseinvasion.Iftheoldorderhadfailed,thenwhatsortofsystem shouldtakeitsplace?Thereweremanydifferentexpressionsofneededchanges; theprimaryonewastorepairthedamagesfromthewarinboththephysicaland intellectualrealms. Oneofthemajorinfluenceswasdemographic,duetothelossofmeninthe warandthedraftingofmenforworkinKoreaandJapan.Theresultinglowerbirth rate,inadditiontoconsiderablenumbersofwidowsandorphansandfamilies headedbywomenhadamajorimpactonsocietyandtheeconomy.Women havingtorelyonthemselves,cutofffromthenormalfamilysupportstructure, begantochangetherolesandattitudesofwomeninsociety.Formanypeople,the focusbecameimmediateorshortterm;long-termplanningwasnolongerpossible.Theemphasisonlandasabasisforstatusdeclinedasthefocusbecameone ofmoreportablewealthandtheelevationofthemilitaryasvaluablemembersof society.Thus,theemphasisisontheexperiencesofthoseforwhomeveryaspectof lifeseemedturnedupsidedown. Theideathatsocialsufferingofpeoplecaughtinacatastrophicsituation beyondtheircontrolchangesthefabricofsocietyiswellillustratedinLary's accounts.Thedistinctionbetweensocialclasseswasvirtuallyeliminated;everyone waspoor.Thetraditionalsocialstructurehadbeendestroyed,butanewonehad notyettakenitsplace.Sheusesawiderangeofsources:regionalnewspapers, governmentpropagandaandrecords,individualmemoirs,missionaryanddiplomaticrecords,aswellasfiction,poetry,film,photographs,andcartoons.She beginseachchapterwithfourcharacterphrasesorquotationsthatsumupa situationorattitudeandendseachwithrelevantexcerptsfromcontemporary literature.Oneobviousresultofthesufferingduringthewarwas(andremains) 94 ChinaReviewInternational:Vol.18,No.1,2011 thefearofchaos,afearthatjustifiescontinuedauthoritarianismwellafterthe postwarera.ThisbookisoneintheseriesofNewApproachestoAsianHistory andisintendedforstudentuse.Itis,therefore,readable,evenforthosewithlittle knowledgeoftheeventsthatarethefocusofthebook. China at Waralsoexplorespeople'sexperienceswithinvariousregionsof China.Twooftheeditors,MacKinnonandLary,hadcollaboratedonaprevious work,The Scars of War: The Impact of War on Chinese Society.Thethirdeditor, EzraVogel,iswellknownasascholarofEastAsia.Thebookistheresultofan internationalconferenceofscholarswhosepaperscenteronthemaintheme:the regionalexperiencesofthewarinChina.Bybringingtogetherthosewhose approachestothewararevaried,amorenuancedpictureoftheChineseexperienceinthewarismadepossible.Chinese,Japanese,andWesternscholarspresentedtheirresearchinaforumthatwasopentoconsiderationofvariouspoints ofview.ThegoalofsuchconferencesisadeeperandmoreobjectiveunderstandingofthewarinChinaandtoremedyasituationwhere,forthemostpart,only thenamesofJiangJieshi(ChiangKaishek)andMaoZedongarefamiliartononChinese.Manyoftheproblemsencounteredinthestudydealwiththelackof criticalmaterials,alackofacommonintellectualframework,andtheeffectsof nationalism.Forthisreason,theconferenceparticipantsagreedontheregional variationofthewareffectsasanintellectualframework,althoughnohomogenizationofnationaldifferencesinintellectualstyleorapproachwasmade. Thepapersareorganizedinsectionssuchas"StateFormation:Japanand http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png China Review International University of Hawai'I Press

The Chinese People at War: Human Suffering and Social Transformation, 1937–1945 , and: China at War: Regions of China, 1937–45 (review)

Reist, Katherine Kennedy
China Review International , Volume 18 (1) – Aug 9, 2011
Download PDF
7 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/university-of-hawai-i-press/the-chinese-people-at-war-human-suffering-and-social-transformation-PKdVRI4Ibn

References

References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.

Publisher
University of Hawai'I Press
Copyright
Copyright © University of Hawai'i Press.
ISSN
1527-9367
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Reviews 91 internaldebatesoverthevaluesandcategoriesofthegoodlife,asdefinedbythe Westernindustrialrevolutionoftherecentcenturies.Sothequestionremainsasto whetherunderBRICSandotherwisetheywouldjointheotherbigpowersand replicatethegrowthmodelsoftheWest.Itshouldbestressedthatthesedominant growthmodelshavecausedenormoussocialinequities,environmentaldegradation,andmoraldegenerationandhaveinvitedprotestationfromsocialmovementswithintheircountriesandfromtheirneighborsandothersmaller countries.Onehopesthattheeliteslistentothedemocraticvoicesofthepeople's movementsofAsia,Africa,andLatinAmericatoworkforanequitableand harmoniousworld.Asagainstthe"Washingtonconsensus,"whichspreadglobalizationthroughfreeenterpriseallovertheworld,themuchtalkedaboutBeijing Consensuscenteringonstate-ledeconomicgrowthmaynotberealalternative unlessitrepresentedanalternativedevelopmentparadigmemergingfromAsian andglobalcivilizationalhistory.Themessagefromtheanticolonialstrugglesand people'smovementsofthepasthundredyearsisclearlyforexpandingthearenaof freedom,justice,andself-determinationandresistancetoallformsofhegemony. U.S.policiesinAsia,andworldwide,haveyettoreflectanappreciationofthisnew globalmoment.ChinaandIndiamayhavelearnedlessonsfromtheirpastdecades oftensionswithneighborsandhopefullywillrefrainfrombecomingcompeting hegemoniesinAsiaandtheworld.TheSingaporeperspectiveinspirestheglobal actorstopromotewin-winrelationsandbegintowriteanewdemocraticscriptfor theexcitingAsianDramaofthefuture. ManoranjanMohanty Manoranjan Mohanty is an honorary fellow and chairperson, Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi; the Durgabai Deshmukh professor of social development, Council for Social Development; and a former professor of political science, University of Delhi. DianaLary.The Chinese People at War: Human Suffering and Social Transformation, 1937­1945. NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress,2010. xiv,214pp.Hardcover$95.00,isbn978-0-521-19506-5.Paperback$29.99, isbn978-0-521-14410-0. © 2012 by University of Hawai`i Press StephenR.MacKinnon,DianaLary,andEzraF.Vogel,editors.China at War: Regions of China, 1937­45. Stanford,CA:StanfordUniversityPress, 2007.xix,351pp.Hardcover$65.00,isbn978-0-8047-5509-2. 92 ChinaReviewInternational:Vol.18,No.1,2011 MostbooksandarticlesdealingwiththewarinChinafocusontheAmericanor Japanesepointsofview,plans,andexperiences.Ortheymightexplorethe GuomindangandCommunistrivalryforpowerandthefactorsthathelpedor hamperedthecompetition.Rarely,untilthepublicationofthesebooks,havethe problems,hardships,andsurvivaloftheChinesepeopleinvariousareasbeen explored.Somewereoccupiedearlyintheconflictwithlivesapproachingnormal asaresultofthequickdefeatorretreatofChinesemilitaryforces.Otherswerein theactivewarzones,whichwerefoughtoverforextendedperiods.Stillothers wereremovedfromtheareasofactivemilitaryengagementbutweresubjectto bombingraids,refugeeinfluxes,requisitionsforthewareffortofmenandmaterial,andotherdislocationsofwar. ThesenewstudiesremedyalacunaintheunderstandingofChina'sroleinthe warandthescopeofitsimpact.Thelackofstudieshasdistortedthecontributions ofthecountryanditspeopleandtheprofoundeffectsofthewaronit.Thewarin Chinawasbetweenacountrywithanagriculturaleconomyandonethatwas highlyindustrialized;onethatwasintheprocessofpreparingforamodernwar afteracenturyofwarandrevolution,andonethathadsuccessfullymodernized anddefeatedbothChinaandRussiainpreviouswars. DianaLary'sbookisorganizedchronologically,exploringtheeffectsofthe warontheChinesepeopleasthewarprogressedthroughthevariouscampaigns andstalemates,changesintacticsandresponses,andconditionsunderwhichthe warwasfought.Herfocus,asdefinedinthebook'ssubtitle,isthehumansuffering andsocialtransformationasaresultofthewarexperiences.Shedetailstheproblemsofsocialcoherenceatatimewhennotonlywerevillagesandurbanareas damagedordestroyed,orvillagesocialandpoliticalstructuresdividedorreconstructed,butnooneseemedtoberesponsibletoremedytheseproblems.The divisionbetweenthosewhocouldaffordtoleavethewarzonesandestablish themselveselsewhere,thosewhohadnochoicebuttobecomerefugeesandhope forthebest,andthosewho,duetoage,infirmity,orotherproblems,wereforced to staybehindisdescribedindetail.Inparticular,shehighlightstheproblemsof familiesandfamilystructure,whichwasbrokenaspeoplecouldnotreturntotheir homesfromtravelsorweresuddenlydraftedintoanarmy.Inmanysuchcases, familieswereneverreunited,havingnoinformationastothefateofmissing familymembers,andwereleftwithuncertaintyandfearasaresult. Theseissuesaresetwithinaframeworkofspecificyearsandconditionsofthe war.Chapterheadingsreflecttheperiodization:the"HighTideofWar,""Defeat andRetreat,"andsoforth.Inaddition,specificregionsarehighlightedwiththeir differentproblems,suchasthesufferingcausedinHenanwiththebreachingofthe YellowRiverdike,wherehundredsofthousandswerekilledbytheresultant floodingandthefaminethatensued.Withintheunfoldingexperiencesofwar, Laryconcentratesonhermainthemes:howthechangingfortunesofwaraffected thefamilyandvillagestructures,refugeeexperiences,businessconditions,and Reviews 93 occupationpoliciesinregardtoconfiscations,reprisals,ortheformationofpuppet regimes.ThewaraffectedallareasofChinatoagreaterorlesserdegreeasillustratedbythemapsincludedinthetext.MostChinese,therefore,experienced someofthehardshipsofthewar:tensofmillionsbecamerefugees,atleasttwenty tothirtymillionChinesedied,andseveralmillionwereinvolvedwithvarious militaryorganizations.Businessesanduniversitiesmovedtheirequipmentand personnelfromthecoastalareastotheinterior,wheremodernizationeffortshad notbeenaswidespreadandconditionsweremuchharsherthanhadbeencustomarilyexperienced. Atfirst,formany,thefactofsurvivalandthechallengesofanewplaceand theneedtofindthenecessitiesresultedinaconfidenceintheirability,and,therefore,thecountry's,toachieveasuccessfulendtotheconflict.However,asconditionsrarelyimprovedwithtime,asadditionalthreatsorshortagesmadeevena modicumofsustainedsurvivaluncertain,peoplebegantobediscouragedand depressedandbegantoblamethoseinpowerfortheircontinuedsufferings.With thechangesforcedbythewar,theoldsocialandpoliticalorder,butinparticular theformer,hadfailedtoprovideprotectionforthepeoplefromtheexperiences of theJapaneseinvasion.Iftheoldorderhadfailed,thenwhatsortofsystem shouldtakeitsplace?Thereweremanydifferentexpressionsofneededchanges; theprimaryonewastorepairthedamagesfromthewarinboththephysicaland intellectualrealms. Oneofthemajorinfluenceswasdemographic,duetothelossofmeninthe warandthedraftingofmenforworkinKoreaandJapan.Theresultinglowerbirth rate,inadditiontoconsiderablenumbersofwidowsandorphansandfamilies headedbywomenhadamajorimpactonsocietyandtheeconomy.Women havingtorelyonthemselves,cutofffromthenormalfamilysupportstructure, begantochangetherolesandattitudesofwomeninsociety.Formanypeople,the focusbecameimmediateorshortterm;long-termplanningwasnolongerpossible.Theemphasisonlandasabasisforstatusdeclinedasthefocusbecameone ofmoreportablewealthandtheelevationofthemilitaryasvaluablemembersof society.Thus,theemphasisisontheexperiencesofthoseforwhomeveryaspectof lifeseemedturnedupsidedown. Theideathatsocialsufferingofpeoplecaughtinacatastrophicsituation beyondtheircontrolchangesthefabricofsocietyiswellillustratedinLary's accounts.Thedistinctionbetweensocialclasseswasvirtuallyeliminated;everyone waspoor.Thetraditionalsocialstructurehadbeendestroyed,butanewonehad notyettakenitsplace.Sheusesawiderangeofsources:regionalnewspapers, governmentpropagandaandrecords,individualmemoirs,missionaryanddiplomaticrecords,aswellasfiction,poetry,film,photographs,andcartoons.She beginseachchapterwithfourcharacterphrasesorquotationsthatsumupa situationorattitudeandendseachwithrelevantexcerptsfromcontemporary literature.Oneobviousresultofthesufferingduringthewarwas(andremains) 94 ChinaReviewInternational:Vol.18,No.1,2011 thefearofchaos,afearthatjustifiescontinuedauthoritarianismwellafterthe postwarera.ThisbookisoneintheseriesofNewApproachestoAsianHistory andisintendedforstudentuse.Itis,therefore,readable,evenforthosewithlittle knowledgeoftheeventsthatarethefocusofthebook. China at Waralsoexplorespeople'sexperienceswithinvariousregionsof China.Twooftheeditors,MacKinnonandLary,hadcollaboratedonaprevious work,The Scars of War: The Impact of War on Chinese Society.Thethirdeditor, EzraVogel,iswellknownasascholarofEastAsia.Thebookistheresultofan internationalconferenceofscholarswhosepaperscenteronthemaintheme:the regionalexperiencesofthewarinChina.Bybringingtogetherthosewhose approachestothewararevaried,amorenuancedpictureoftheChineseexperienceinthewarismadepossible.Chinese,Japanese,andWesternscholarspresentedtheirresearchinaforumthatwasopentoconsiderationofvariouspoints ofview.ThegoalofsuchconferencesisadeeperandmoreobjectiveunderstandingofthewarinChinaandtoremedyasituationwhere,forthemostpart,only thenamesofJiangJieshi(ChiangKaishek)andMaoZedongarefamiliartononChinese.Manyoftheproblemsencounteredinthestudydealwiththelackof criticalmaterials,alackofacommonintellectualframework,andtheeffectsof nationalism.Forthisreason,theconferenceparticipantsagreedontheregional variationofthewareffectsasanintellectualframework,althoughnohomogenizationofnationaldifferencesinintellectualstyleorapproachwasmade. Thepapersareorganizedinsectionssuchas"StateFormation:Japanand

Journal

China Review International – University of Hawai'I Press

Published: Aug 9, 2011

There are no references for this article.