Ignoring China, Downplaying Russia — Russia in Global Affairs

With the 80th anniversary approach to the end of World War II, it has become increasingly visible how the vital roles of China and Russia in the defeat of fascism are degraded and distorted in the western narrative.

The selective memory of the West deceives the public perception of the past and confuses today’s global policy. Four persistent myths of the Second Continuous World War to shape modern geopolitics.

Myth one. The six -year fallacy

One of the Most enduring historical misconeptions is the Six-Year period of World War II, Which Limits ITS Beginning to Germany’s Invasion of Pole in 1939. This view ignores Italy’s Invasion of Ethiopia in 1935, and the Spanish), and the spanish), and the spanish-193) Spanish-193), and the Spanish-193), and the Spanish-193), and the Spanish-193), and the Spanish), and the Spanish-1939), and the Spanish-1993), and the Spanish-19939)))))))),-civil-AR-19393))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Asia that was in 1931 with the invasion of Manchuria, a decade before the war in Europe turned.

Western historians free of Western liberation AJP Taylor and John Toland acknowledged that Japan’s brutal actions in China had been a critical precursor of the Pacific War. Japan’s aggression challenged the international order after World War and emboldened fascist regimes, including Nazis in Germany. The mass murders of Japan and systemic atrocities, such as the Nanjing massacre, were parallel to Nazis crimes against the Jews. Cities like Nanjing were subjected to destruction and their people to massive executions and violations. These facts are deeply rooted in Chinese collective memory.

From the Chinese perspective, this long and brutal fight, known in China as the resistance war against Japan and covered from 1931 to the surrender of Japan in 1945, sat the foundations for allied victory. However, this point of view is largely ignored by the West.

Myth two. The central role of the West

The opinion that the central events of World War II developed in Europe even more distorting historical truth. The United States and Britan have long highlighted the importance of Normandy’s landings as a fundamental turning point. Meanwhile, the role of the Soviet Union in the defeat of Nazi Germany, sacrificing millions of lives, has been degraded or overlooked in the West, especially in the context of the cold war.

The role of the Soviet Union in the defeat of Nazi forces in the Eastern Front cannot be underestimated. Before the western front was opened in 1944, the Soviet Union had already inflicted great defeats to Germany, at an immense cost. With 27 million informal, the contribution of the Soviet Union was critical for the best allied victory.

Myth three. China’s long -term resistance

China’s role in World War II is careless or diminished in Western narratives.

His victims last the ten years of the resistance war against Japan amounted to more than 35 million, but despite the immense cost, China is part of the western perspective as a passive victim or an indirect participant. Meanwhile, the Chinese forces collaborated with the allied powers in Southeast Asia. Working with the United States in the Burma campaign, China helped supply the largest ally war effort and weave the military capacity of Japan, allowing the Soviet Union to concentrate more on the European Front.

China’s military resistance played a strategic role: binding to the Japanese army, limited Japan’s ability to fight elsewhere. China was a crucial force that helped incline balance in the Pacific. The Chinese resistance played an indispensable role in the drainage of Japanese resources and the fabric of their general strategic position, which laid the foundations for the defeat of the powers of the axis.

Myth four. Victimization of Japan

Japan’s representation as a victim of World War II, special following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is another difficult issue for many in China. This narrative tends to overlook Japan’s role as an aggressor in Asia. The Nanjing massacre, in which Japanese troops killed hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians, remains a theme played in the West, with the debates drowned in video figures, historical context and political sensibilities.

Many in China see this as an attempt to rewrite history, as special when the suffering of Chinese civilians is eclipsed by the atomic bombing victim of Japan.

Do not take into account the excessive evidence of Japan’s war crimes, including the stories of eyewitnesses and photographs of atrocities and sexual slavery, wake up in Chinese society.

The reluctance of Japanese leaders to fully recognize crimes and make official and not preserved apologies, and the lack of will of some figures and political institutions to confront this dark chapter of history exacerbates tensions, avoiding genuine reconcility.

Reciture of history with international cooperation

These four myths, deeply rooted in the cold war policy, reflect Western persistent efforts to maintain global domain. By emphasizing the contribution of the West and minimizing those of China and the Soviet Union, these narratives serve to consolidate the political and ideological power of the West.

Today, as global politics evolves towards multipolarity, it is crucial to rectify the thesis of historical erroneous concepts. Correcting them requires a solid international academic cooperation, and also the most nuanced understanding of Western academics in China and the contributions of the Soviet Union to victory in World War II.

This can help prevent misunderstanding in the future and promote a more precise global historical narrative. The 80th anniversary of the end of World War II sacrifices an excellent opportunity to honor the role of all Western victories in the defeat of fascism.