Losses in World War II. China during World War II

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 at a museum in the suburbs of Beijing. /website/

However true story this war of survival that the government of the Kuomintang (Chinese National Party) waged for 8 years against Japanese invaders, is hushed up 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 own version of World War II. The theme of war is often used to stir up nationalist sentiment, sometimes leading to anti-Japanese demonstrations accompanied by riots.

In 2013, when disputes broke out between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands near Okinawa, a video was very popular on the Chinese Internet, where nuclear bomb destroys Tokyo.

Chinese television is teeming with fictional communist heroes opposing "Japanese devils." The Sino-Japanese War, as World War II is known in China, has turned into a politically secure theme. In this field, TV producers show wild imagination.

The official communist version of the war downplays the campaigns and battles led by the Kuomintang in every possible way. 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 the Japanese garrison south of Beijing. This "spark" ignited the flames of the eight-year war throughout Asia.

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

By 1937, Japanese troops after Manchuria occupied most Inner Mongolia and increased pressure on Beijing. The capital of China at that time was Nanjing. Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of China and the 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 demands of the Japanese and retreat. Chiang Kai-shek ordered Chinese army move to Shanghai, where the strike forces of the Japanese troops were stationed. The battle for Shanghai cost 200,000 Chinese lives and 70,000 Japanese who died during the city fighting. This was the first of 20 major KMT battles against the Japanese. According to the communists, the Kuomintang was constantly retreating, leaving the territories of China to the Japanese.

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

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

Lingering resistance

In the first months of the war, the Chinese Communists were not active. The only victory of the Communists, the Battle of Pingxingguan Pass, cost the lives of several hundred Japanese soldiers. However, it was hailed in official propaganda as a major military victory.

Meanwhile, the Kuomintang continued its fierce war with the Japanese, losing hundreds of thousands of people. In Nanjing, due to incompetent military leadership, a riot broke out among Chinese soldiers. The Japanese took advantage of this and captured prisoners, who were then executed. The death toll was so huge that the official number of Chinese military casualties in World War II is still unknown.

Then the Japanese troops set to work on the civilian population, killing hundreds of thousands of people (Nanjing Massacre).

Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong and (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 shattered 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 the Japanese troops for four months.

The mobile and well-armed Japanese army used hundreds of gas attacks and eventually forced the Chinese to leave Wuhan. The Japanese lost over 100,000 soldiers. The damage was so serious that it stopped the advance of the invaders deep into the mainland 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 partisans in the territories occupied by the Japanese. Of course, the communist revolutionaries led this struggle.

In fact, the Communist Party gradually penetrated into regions where there were no military forces and order. The Japanese troops were not uniformly deployed and partially controlled the territory they had recaptured from the Kuomintang. Such areas became ideal environments for the expanding communist movement.

The Nationalist government was aided by the United States in the military. 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 forces for further military operations against the Kuomintang. Thus, they made the most of plight 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 border of the Nanjing 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 a Hundred Regiments in 1940. This campaign was led by General Peng Dehuai. But Mao criticized him for revealing military force communist parties. During the "cultural revolution" (1966-1976), Peng was the victim of a purge, Mao Zedong remembered his "betrayal".

In 1945, Japan capitulated first to the United States, and then to the troops of the Kuomintang. And then a brutal four-year civil war broke out 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.

Hushing up the past

The Chinese Communist Party hides the reason for the distortion of the history of the Second World War - 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 fanatically hides the truth, depriving the Chinese people of the opportunity to know real story, says Xin Haonyan, 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 television.

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 seen as lacking sincerity, and statements by a faction of far-right politicians are presented as Japan's official policy.

The absurd portrayal of the war and the declaration of modern Japan as Enemy No. 1 looks especially bright against the backdrop of Mao Zedong's attitude towards Japan. Chairman Mao by no means considered the Japanese his enemies.

In 1972, formal 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 have to apologize for anything." This story was corroborated 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."

In gratitude for this "help", the Communists rejected Japan's offer of war reparations.

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China is no exception. Naturally, against the background of various figures, which are a reflection of the material costs of a certain people, which have found their expression in numerous destructions, human losses do not seem large. Especially when you consider that they are replenished due to the excess birth rate that occurs after international conflicts. But such judgments are too superficial. Human losses have always been considered major. Each person plays an important role, and his loss is a significant loss for the nation. The same cannot be said about material values.

The role of China was not appreciated

Scientists have noted that China played an important role in World War II. The conflict in this country, according to experts, began in 1931. It was during this period that Japan attacked Manchuria. Until now, mankind has not appreciated the role of China in the victory over fascism. However, the troops of this country were fettered for a long period, preventing it from starting a conflict against the Soviet Union. To understand what losses China suffered in World War II, one should study in more detail the events that took place in those distant times.

Start of hostilities

In 1937, two years before the start of hostilities against Poland by Germany, Chinese troops exchanged fire with the Japanese garrison. It happened in the south side of Beijing. It was this spark that launched the conflict in Asia. The years of war have taken a heavy toll. The confrontation continued for 8 years.

Japan began to think about dominance in Asia from the 20s. In 1910, Korea received the status of a Japanese colony. In 1931, officers of the Japanese troops occupied and annexed Manchuria. This region of China had about 35 million people and had a significant amount of natural resources.

By the beginning of 1937, a significant part of inner Mongolia was occupied. In addition, the pressure exerted on Beijing has intensified. At that time, Nanjing was the capital of China. The leader of the country and the nationalist party, Chiang Kai-shek, realized that everything was heading towards war with Japan.

Combat encounters

Clashes near Beijing only intensified. The Chinese were not going to fulfill the demands put forward by the Japanese. They refused to give in. After suffering losses in World War II, China decided to act more decisively. Chiang Kai-shek ordered the need to defend Shanghai, next to which a significant part of the Japanese army was located. In the battle that followed these actions, about 200,000 Chinese were killed. Japan's losses amounted to about 70,000.

One of the episodes is firmly entrenched in history. During the battle, the Chinese unit held off the attacks of superior Japanese forces, despite the losses. In World War II, China (it should be noted) used German weapons. And largely thanks to this, the Chinese unit managed to maintain its position. This episode went down in history under the name "800 Heroes".

The Japanese still managed to capture Shanghai. Subsequently, reinforcements approached, and the troops began to put pressure on the capital of China.

The incompetence of the leadership of the Chinese army

In the first years of the war, the Chinese Communists were practically not active. The only thing they were able to achieve was victory at the passage of Pingxingguan. Naturally, there were losses. In World War II, China was very much bled white. However, this victory took more lives Japanese soldiers.

The actions were further complicated by the incompetence possessed by the leadership of the Chinese troops. Through their fault, a riot broke out, leading to a large number of deaths. The Japanese took advantage of this, captured prisoners, who were subsequently executed. China suffered such heavy losses in World War II that the exact number of those killed is still unknown. What is worth only the Nanjing massacre, during which the Japanese killed the civilian population.

A bloody battle that managed to stop the Japanese

The lack of success in military operations shattered the spirit of the Chinese troops. However, the resistance did not stop for a minute. One of the largest battles took place in 1938 near the city of Wuhan. held back the Japanese for four months. Their resistance was broken only with the help of gas attacks, of which there were a lot. China's participation in World War II was, of course, very costly for the country. But it was not easy for Japan either. More than 100,000 Japanese soldiers were lost in this battle alone. And this led to the fact that the invaders stopped their march deep into the country for several years.

The struggle of the two parties

It should be noted that China during the Second World War was under the control of two parties - the nationalist (Kuomintang) and the communist. They acted with varying degrees of success in different years. Separate territories controlled by the Japanese. America helped the Nationalists. But their joint actions were complicated by the constant disputes that arose between Chiang Kai-shek and Joseph Stilwell (an American general). communist party cooperated with the USSR. The parties acted separately, which led to an increase in losses among the country's population.

The Communists spared their forces so that after the end of the confrontation with Japan, they would start hostilities against the Nationalist Party. Accordingly, they did not always send their fighters to fight the Japanese soldiers. This was noted at one time by a Soviet diplomat.

The Communist Party itself formed an army. And she was quite capable. This could be seen after a single offensive, which was later called the battle of a hundred regiments. The battle took place in 1940 under the leadership of General Peng Dehuai. However, Mao Zedong criticized his actions, accusing him of revealing the party's strength. And subsequently the general was executed.

Japanese surrender

Japan capitulated in 1945. First before America, and then before the troops of the Nationalist Party. Although China's participation in World War II ended there, another conflict began. It arose between the two parties and had a civil character. It lasted four years. America refused to support the Kuomintang, which only hastened the defeat of the party.

The losses in the war were very high

Those who died in World War II were not only soldiers. Compared to the First World War, a lot of civilians suffered in this conflict. And their number exceeded the scale of damage among the soldiers. Accordingly, the losses were quite large. About 50 million people were killed in World War II. By country, the largest losses occurred in the USSR and Germany. There is nothing surprising in this, since the most active and large-scale battles took place on the Soviet-German front. So long, continuous and fierce confrontation between the soldiers was not anywhere else. In addition, the length of the Soviet-German front was several times greater than all other fronts. Moreover, most of those who died in World War II were soldiers of the Red Army, their total many times higher than the losses suffered by the German troops.

What factors needed to be taken into account when assessing losses?

Assessing the losses of the Soviet troops, some factors were taken into account. They are the following:

1. Most significant part losses occurred in the first years of hostilities. The soldiers retreated, there were not enough weapons.
2. About 3 million soldiers died in captivity.
3. There is an opinion that the official data on the dead German soldiers greatly underestimated. About 4 million soldiers were buried on the territory of the USSR alone. Also, do not forget about the allies of Germany. Their losses amounted to about 1.7 million soldiers.
4. The fact that the losses in the armies opposing Germany are much greater speaks of its strength.

Losses in the allied forces

The Chinese dead in World War II (their total number, as well as the level of losses among other allies of the USSR) are not so numerous when compared with the indicators of the Red Army. This is due to the fact that the Soviet troops spent the first 3 years of battles without any support. In addition, America and England had the opportunity to make a choice exactly where to fight and when to do it. The USSR did not have such a choice. Highly organized, the best, strong army fell instantly, forcing the soldiers to fight continuously on a large front. The entire power of Germany fell upon the USSR, while a small part of it opposed the allied forces. There was a place for unreasonable losses, which are largely related to the execution of orders. For example, many died trying to hold the enemy "at any cost."

The victims of the Second World War were among the French and the British. But their number is not very large. Especially when compared with the indicators of the First World War. This is also easy to explain. The armies of France and Great Britain participated in the fighting for only a year. In addition, one should not forget that her colonies fought for England.

America's losses exceed those recorded after the First World War. This can be related to the fact that american soldiers fought not only in Europe, but also in Africa, Japan. And the largest part of the losses fell on the US Air Force.

Assessing the losses by country, the thought involuntarily creeps into the head that France and Great Britain have achieved their goals. They pitted Germany and the USSR against each other, while they themselves remained aloof from the hostilities. But it cannot be said that they were not punished. France paid back with several years of occupation, a shameful defeat and the dismemberment of the state. Great Britain was threatened with invasion and bombed. In addition, the inhabitants of this country for some time lived from hand to mouth.

Civilian casualties

The most tragic thing was that a lot of people died civilians. Millions of people became victims of the bombings. They were destroyed by the Nazis, seizing territories. During several years of the war, Germany lost about 3.65 million inhabitants. Bombing kills 670,000 in Japan peaceful people. In France, about 470 thousand people died. But it is difficult to assess why. Bombardments, executions, torture - all this played a role. British losses amounted to 62,000. The main cause of death of the civilian population was the bombing and shelling. Some died of hunger.

Why such large losses were observed among civilians? This is due to the German policy towards the lower races. The troops systematically destroyed Jews and Slavs, considering them subhuman. During the war years German troops about 24.3 million civilians were killed. Of these, 18.7 million are Slavs. Jews were destroyed in the amount of 5.6 million. Here are the statistics regarding dead people who did not take part in the fighting.

Conclusion

The role of China in World War II is quite large. The Chinese did everything possible so that the Soviet troops would not have to fight with Japan as well. But all these hostilities led to incredibly large losses. And both on the one hand and on the other hand. Soldiers and civilians died defending their homeland, speaking out against the invaders. And this they contributed to the end of hostilities. All of them will be remembered for long years because their feat and sacrifice are invaluable.

Which country suffered the second largest casualties in World War II? June 31st, 2013

Original taken from beautiful Q Which country suffered the second largest casualties in World War II?

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

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 became the largest military conflict in the history of mankind. When Hitler sent a three-million-strong army into the Soviet Union, he expected a quick victory. According to various estimates, for four years 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 a foregone conclusion.

It was a vast theater of operations, thousands and thousands of square kilometers. At the early stage of the war, the Red Army demonstrated its complete unpreparedness and hopelessly lagged behind the Germans in weapons and military equipment: often against enemy tanks abandoned untrained infantry. At first, the German advance into the depths of the USSR was swift: 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 an order "to show no mercy" - both prisoners of war and civilians were exterminated without counting.

A similar set of factors contributed to the second-highest casualties in this war. Little is known in Russia and the West about the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945, but even according to the most conservative estimates, the number of dead Chinese 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 did not have a central government. Most of the country was controlled by former military leaders, 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 big war, there were not enough weapons and military equipment (some soldiers fought with swords). The Chinese armed forces, although outnumbered by the Japanese, were significantly inferior to the disciplined and ruthless Japanese imperial army.

The invasion turned into the largest and most bloody in history guerrilla war. Both sides strictly adhered to the policy of "scorched earth": during the retreat, crops, farms, villages and bridges were destroyed so that nothing fell to the enemy. The result was widespread famine and starvation. As in Russia, the absence military equipment compensated by the huge number of Chinese 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 capital of the Kuomintang Chiang Kai-shek, the city of Nanjing, the Japanese staged a real massacre there, massacres, torture and rape lasted six weeks. It is believed that the dead were at least 300 thousand. During the entire war, 200 thousand Chinese girls were driven away to work in Japanese military brothels. Another 400,000 Chinese died after contracting cholera, bubonic plague and anthrax from bacteriological bombs dropped Japanese aviation. And yet, despite the horrendous losses, the Chinese did not concede.

But few people remember the victims suffered by China today.

World War II was a disaster for all participating countries. Bloody battles took place in several parts of the planet at once. And wherever a studying eye looks, there is fear, horror and many deaths everywhere, which do not seem to be anything unusual. Assessing what happened, now the numbers inspire amazement. And this applies not only to Europe, China's losses in World War II are no less great.

The Russian-speaking population is well aware of its history, but in order to appreciate the true extent of the disaster, it is worth taking the whole picture and looking at the inhabitants of other countries who also suffered irreparable losses. So, the Asian side is mentioned briefly in textbooks, although this war, which began two years before the Second World War and ended only in 1945, turned out to be no less terrible than the Second World War.

China's role in World War II

The role of this confrontation can be understood by looking at the history of the conflict between China and Japan.

It all started long before the Second World War, the aggravation of relations occurred in late XIX century. In 1894, Japan carried out aggressive campaigns, annexing to itself:

• Korea, having long-standing views on it. She was under the protection of China.

This was the first step towards the development of a full-scale conflict.

Realizing its strength after the annexation of Korea, Japan was unable to moderate its imperial ambitions, which led to putting pressure on China. This led to constant armed clashes. Inside the country, the political situation was already very turbulent. Already in the 19th century, it thunders from revolutions; at the turn of the century, the Empire finally collapsed. This led to mass uprisings, the division of the state into separate parts, the loss of territories that had long desired independence and decided not to miss the chance. also started Civil War, in which supporters of the Kuomintang power and the communists clashed.

Taking advantage of the moment, Japan invades China and quickly takes Manchuria and Inner Mongolia.

In 1937, the war officially began. While Japan captured one city after another, annexing Shanghai, Beijing and Nanjing in a year, the country tried to gather strength for the fight. In the conditions of civil confrontation, this is not easy, because the parties hardly stood on the same side of the barricades. Moreover, no military power China has not been observed.

The command was far from being the most professional," great army» as such was not, because there was no common country. Foreign volunteers helped - the PRC received assistance from the USA and the USSR. Even most of the weapons were decommissioned from Nazi Germany.

Japan fought against individual pockets of resistance and created a republic, which was called the "Wang Jingwei Regime" after the leader of one of the sides of the Civil War - the Kuomintang Party. She participated on the side of Japan and included, for example, the National Army of Mengjiang, consisting of the Chinese, who defeated their compatriots in 1937 in the battle for Taiyuan.

Everything changed in 1941. Deliveries from the United States under Lend-Lease began, they managed to acquire equipment, ammunition, in addition to this, American troops began hostilities with Japan to help the allies. Many Japanese forces switched to fighting the US. Also, to protect their colonies, British troops landed in support of the PRC.

Despite this support, the situation took an unexpected turn. In 1942, Japan captures Burma, where there were supplies of weapons from the allies. As a result, China remained cut off from them and the army quickly felt the lack of ammunition.

Meanwhile, Japan continued to fight, moving further and further inland, using ever more brutal types of weapons - chemical and biological. In 1943, the country was on the verge of disaster, but continued to hold on and restrain Japan from completely seizing territories and approaching the borders of the already at war with Germany Soviet Union. On its territory, the Nazi troops at that time suffered a major defeat near Stalingrad.

The PRC held out on its own until 1944. After that, the allies who came to the rescue were able to oust the Japanese from the occupied territories. In 1945, the Soviet Union had already been liberated from the German troops and went to Berlin, and some of the troops were transferred to Asia. So, by joint efforts, the troops of the Soviet Union, Great Britain, the USA and the almost completely exhausted Chinese ousted the troops of Japan.

September 2, 1945 is the official date when the Second World War ended, because only the Second World War ended on May 9. This war is not full of victories and was more of a defensive war, but China's participation in World War II contributed to the history of mankind. Thanks to the stoppage of Japanese troops, the Allies won a number of victories in Asia and the waters Pacific Ocean, putting an end to the ongoing nightmare that has engulfed the whole world.

How many died

The Sino-Japanese war lasted about 8 years and due to difficult history China at this time to estimate the number of deaths is quite difficult. The country experienced internecine skirmishes, a large number of the population died not at the hands of the Japanese, but from hunger, disease and other factors. The data of the opposing troops of the communists and the government differed.

Thus, according to the PRC government, China lost about 35 million people during World War II - this includes troops and civilians.

A US researcher, Rudolf Rumpel, a political scientist who has studied the methods and systems of extermination of the population during periods of war, speaks of more than 20 million, of which 12 are civilians. An organization that sums up statistics on the data of all what is happening and what happened armed conflicts, speaks of at least 18 million civilians and 11 million military.

The total losses of Japan, according to differing data, amounted to about 800 thousand people.

How many Chinese were killed by the Japanese

The population was counted, as mentioned earlier, only in 1950. In addition to this, researchers and historians from many other countries evaluate the data very differently. Therefore, it is not easy to say who is as close to reality as possible. Also, do not forget that the government of the country - China in this case - can "embellish" even such information.

• 1.31 million people were killed.
• 1.753 million injured.
• 115 thousand people are missing.

Data from September 28 of the same year - 1.8 million died, the same number were injured or disappeared. That is, the losses amounted to more than 3 million people, and this is only in the army. Many foreign researchers prefer to talk about figures between 3 and 5 million military dead, taking into account those who died due to diseases.

Losses in the allied forces

The losses of the allied forces during the Sino-Japanese war are not so great. However, if you look at the picture of the Second World War, they turned out to be no less, especially in the Soviet Union. main reason related to the history of the PRC, because the first three years of participation in the war had to cope on their own. There were other factors that influenced the number of victims. For example, unpreparedness for hostilities.

Compared to World War I, Great Britain, for example, lost fewer soldiers. During the entire Second World War, about 400 thousand soldiers and about 70 thousand civilians were killed. The USSR became poorer by 27 million soldiers and civilians.

US losses were greater in World War II than in World War I. America helped the allies not only in Europe, but also in Africa, as well as China, fighting Japan. Most of the losses came from air force. The number of military dead is estimated at about 407.5 thousand, in addition to this, about 6 thousand civilians.

Civilian casualties

The actions of both sides of the conflict led to this. China could not attack and only defended itself, sacrificing thousands of its citizens, just to delay the enemy. Command errors also resulted in avoidable casualties. As an example, a case is recorded in history when the army command in 1938 ordered the destruction of the dams that held back the Yellow River from spilling. As a result, not only the Japanese suffered, but also hundreds of thousands of local residents.

The Japanese side should not be overlooked either. Its troops presented themselves as brutal conquerors and went down in history for their inhumanity, often carrying out "massacres" like the one that took place in Nanjing in 1937. This is one of the most brutal war crimes in the history of mankind. Also, the troops resorted to cruel treatment and the killing of thousands of prisoners of war, there is evidence of experiments on prisoners to create bacteriological weapons. You can learn more about this by reading about Detachment 731.

Most of all deaths in China during World War II were civilians.

The parties to the conflict are still arguing about how many people were killed in that massacre. Japan tends to understate data, sometimes dozens of times, while China sometimes exaggerates.

China's weapons and how much equipment was destroyed

The armament of China in World War II left much to be desired. There were few weapons before her because of the Civil War, and they were not produced. No one was preparing for full-fledged hostilities with Japan. Allied deliveries helped, offering not only weapons and ammunition, but also equipment, along with specialists. Most of all, this concerned aircraft and pilots. Also came tanks and other heavy equipment, mechanics and doctors, conducting regular classes. Thanks to this, the PRC was able to slightly level its position when it itself began to produce equipment, albeit in small quantities.

At the beginning it was:

• 1.9 million soldiers and officers. 300 thousand + 150 thousand partisans were with Chiang Kai-shek, about a million - with the government, of which 45 thousand were partisans. The rest were volunteers.
• A little over 500 aircraft, of which 305 are fighters. About half are unsuitable for sorties. The aircraft were obsolete, the crews had little experience and knowledge. There were no trained army reserves.

The United States supplied equipment, oil products, medicines, food and ammunition under Lend-Lease. Everything that was destroyed was not subject to payment, the rest could be sold to China or returned back to the United States.

The USSR for the entire period was brought:

• 1285 aircraft, including 777 fighters, about 400 bombers and a hundred training ones. At the beginning of the war, the entire army had about 150 aircraft.
• Guns - 1600 pcs.
• T-26, light tanks - 82 pcs.
• easel and light machine guns- 14 thousand pieces.
• Tractors and machines - 1850.

Considering that the allies did not always send as many weapons as they asked for, as well as the number of deaths that exceeded Japan's weapons and other factors, it is difficult to say that the supplies were enough. China has lost a significant part.

Causes of huge losses

There are many reasons why so many people were killed:

• China was not ready for war.
• The command was unprofessional.
• There was almost no army, the preparation was poor. Japan was superior to the enemy in everything - in motivation, professionalism, weapons, physical training etc.
• There was a civil war that did not stop during the Second World War.
• Japanese troops staged a genocide against the Chinese.

Thus, both countries were to blame for the fact that the losses, especially among civilians, were so great.

The incompetence of the leadership of the Chinese army

Due to the fact that the country had split by the beginning of the war, the army command was completely ineffective and had difficulty making decisions. The two opposing sides could hardly be called a cohesive army. No one went to a temporary reconciliation, so defensive battles took place in pockets without coordination of actions with each other.

For this reason, most of the civilian population was left without protection, which the Japanese took advantage of.

The remaining military had almost no equipment, no strength, no motivation to continue fighting, and the Japanese army took any means to break the enemy. Therefore, the victory can be attributed to factors such as:

• The Japanese were outnumbered.
• The Chinese are resilient.
• Allied troops provided great support.

Could such victims have been avoided?

Research on this topic was conducted by the Center for the Study. It lasted about 10 years, during which time specialists visited about 95% of all settlements who were in Japanese occupation. About 80% of the residents who witnessed those events were interviewed. This made it possible to obtain about 800 thousand certificates and a large layer of data about the Second World War.

Participated in the project and residents of countries such as:

1. Russia.
2. Japan.
3. Great Britain.
4. Taiwan.

Summing up, we can say that this a large number casualties could have been avoided. Because the Chinese command let down its army, the country found itself in a trap. An association opposing sides could significantly rally the people and increase military power.

The strife within the country turned out to be stronger than the threat of an external enemy. Therefore, no matter how inhumanly the Japanese army behaved, only it cannot be blamed for what happened.

Conclusion

Speaking about the role of this war for world history, there is no doubt that it has become one of the key ones. China took the brunt and won the fight at a huge cost. It will never be possible to forget how the PRC got this victory. There is still no exact data on all the dead, but even the numbers now available are already making a terrible impression. Realizing that every single unit in these brief reports was a person, the same as everyone else, the first thing that comes to mind is that this should not happen again. But now there are places where people continue to fight each other for reasons that don't really matter, given that the world is not divided into parts. And this unity is a value that needs to be nurtured and protected.

Little known facts about China's participation in the Second world war

The role of China in World War II has been studied very little, and described even more sparingly. Of course, Chinese troops did not take Berlin, did not bomb Nagasaki, and did not recapture the Sahara from the Germans. But the significance of China as one of the victims great war must be understood and formulated in Russian. Today, let's start with the most little known facts about China's involvement in World War II.

German financial assistance

Germany being progressive European country, which has great ambitions, but lost in First World War, was limited in many areas. First of all, in the military. Numerous factories producing the latest weapons for the German army, were either mothballed or closed altogether. Therefore, it is not surprising that the German leadership, trying to avoid direct prohibitions of the Versailles Treaty, wanted to postpone production capacity to China and develop production there.

China was even more interested in cooperation with Germany. Territorially fragmented and economically depressed country was looking for every opportunity to get out of the permanent crisis. The level of economic relations between the two countries grew so much that by the beginning of the 1930s, the German-Chinese trade turnover had 17 percent of China's foreign trade volume. And China itself has become the third largest among Germany's trading partners.

She actively trained Chinese engineers, modernized factories, and carried out large-scale reconstruction of the Chinese army, teaching them strategies. modern war against the Japanese. And these relations continued until the beginning of the Sino-Japanese war and Germany's choice of Japan as a strategic partner in Asia. The Japanese were able to control most of mainland China and be a more reliable ally militarily than the then weak Kuomintang government.

China's numerical losses

When in Russia they talk about Second World War, most often they mean the Great Patriotic War, which lasted almost four years and ended in Berlin. The British or Poles, speaking of the same war, consider it to be the beginning of 1939. The Chinese, referring to the same war, quite rightly say that it began even earlier - in 1937, when the Japanese launched a full-scale war against China and captured the most economically developed parts of the country.

During the eight years of hostilities, the enslavement of the peoples of China, the destruction of cities and troops, more than fifteen million people died on the territory of the country (according to official figures), and more than seven million were injured. For comparison, the losses of Japan reached two and a half million people, Poland - six million, and Great Britain - four hundred thousand. Only the Soviet Union had more losses and wounded.

Asano Brigade

As you know, not all Russian people joyfully accepted the collapse of the monarchy and the emergence of a new Soviet state on the ruins of their former homeland. For those who were lucky enough to stay alive, fate gave a second chance in the form of emigration. Some chose Europe, others America. Well, the most frostbitten of the scumbags chose the Chinese city of Harbin, in which a decent amount lived before the revolution Russian specialists, engineers and nobles.

When the northern part of China was no longer controlled by the weak and corrupt Chinese, who were replaced by militarized Japanese, former subjects of Russian Empire they felt in their own skin that there are things worse than the Bolsheviks.

The Japanese, albeit not very quickly, but with due responsibility, assembled a fighting detachment from young and healthy Russians, which it was not a pity to use in particularly vile or dangerous battles, where they did not want to get very dirty themselves. The brigade, named after its commander Asano Makoto, fought against the Koreans, and suppressed the Chinese, and fought with Soviet troops on the Khalkin-Gole. In 1943, on the basis of the brigade, the Russian military detachments of the Manchurian Imperial Army were created, which in 1945 took an active part in the hostilities against the Red Army.