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On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the victory in the anti-Japanese war, correspondents of the Breath of China magazine spoke with the director of the Institute of Russia, of Eastern Europe and Central Asia AON of the People's Republic of China by 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 1930s. 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 Soviet army 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, fight back Chinese people became 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 focused only on the role Western Front World War II, forgetting about the Sino-Japanese confrontation. I think this kind of view 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 modern 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 in 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 from the past and prevent similar tragedies from recurring 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.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is stepping up criticism of Japan over issues of historical recognition, disputed territories and resources to distract attention from domestic political problems through nationalist sentiment and reduce tensions in the country. One manifestation of a similar policy was the speech of South Korean President Park Geun-hye with familiar criticism of Japan during a visit to Berlin on March 28.

Xi Jinping said: “The Sino-Japanese War claimed the lives of 35 million Chinese. A brutal massacre took place in Nanjing, as a result of which more than 300 thousand soldiers and civilians were killed.” It goes without saying that Chinese propaganda believes that Japan "had no reason to do this."

On the issue of historical recognition, Japan now faces a dilemma, taking a vague position of non-intervention (“disputes will damage friendly relations") - and, on the other hand, hoping that public opinion in the world will “eventually understand everything.”

China wanted war with Japan

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Germany concluded the Anti-Comintern Pact with Japan (after which allied relations were established), however, in cooperation with Japan, it supervised the preparation of Chiang Kai-shek’s army, sent its advisers to China, and supplied the Chinese with the latest weapons. In other words, she did everything to exhaust Japan.

During the events in Nanjing, American missionaries called on the people to create a safety zone in the city center and stay there. The missionaries' decisions were guided by an international committee, and the committee was headed by the German Jon Rabe.
Therefore, Xi Jinping considered Germany a suitable place to criticize Japan. He mentioned Rabe's name and spoke of him with gratitude: "This touching story is an example of friendship between China and Germany."

He initially planned to give a speech at the Holocaust memorial, but since Rabe was once a member of the Nazi party, Germany did not give its permission so as not to open an old wound associated with the mass murder of Jews.

Apparently, Xi Jinping was so absorbed in criticizing Japan that he did not even think about the fact that the word “mass murder” might remind the Germans of their Holocaust. Even in such small things, China's selfish behavior is evident.

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, China was not even a single state; it was torn apart by wars between military cliques. Japan feared the spread of communism in such conditions and therefore supported Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang, who opposed Mao Zedong.

However, a split occurred within the Kuomintang party itself, and some of the Chinese went over to the communists, after which they began to oppose Japan together. The party's position changed in unpredictable ways.

Japan, which was afraid of war and wanted to end it as quickly as possible, was caught in the net of the newly emerging Communist Party of China. It was the CCP that wanted war, because it was going to watch from the side as the Kuomintang and Japan fought among themselves and lost strength.

Why "there were no massacres"?

The battles for Shanghai and Nanjing were especially fierce. Following Chiang Kai-shek, the head of the city's defense and commander of the Nanjing army, Tang Shengzhi, as well as division commanders, fled from Nanjing. The Chinese army found itself beheaded and uncontrollable.

The soldiers tried to break through several city gates that remained open; they were held back by special barrage detachments with shots, leaving only corpses.

In the security zone, where civilians of the city had gathered, fleeing soldiers began to appear and entered the zone, throwing away their weapons and uniforms.

Disguised soldiers (remnants of the defeated army) in the zone could become dangerous elements, so the Japanese army developed a clearing operation. The detained soldiers were not subject to the terms of the Hague Prisoners of War Convention. In addition, the Japanese army could not support them due to the lack of sufficient provisions, which is why the irreparable happened.

No one questions the fact that there were a huge number of casualties in Nanjing. However, existing photographs of Chinese people smiling while getting a haircut on the street, children playing with Japanese soldiers and rejoicing at the candy they received indicate that even immediately after the incident, calm reigned on the city streets.

Given the conditions of the time, criticism of Japan's handling of disguised soldiers, who had to be treated as prisoners of war, during the war in Nanjing becomes nothing more than an empty theory.

Chinese soldiers who were unable to achieve the status of prisoners of war could verbally betray their homeland in the name of love for it (any, even the biggest lie in such conditions is considered as a manifestation of love for their country) in order to deserve better treatment.

However, studies of historical materials taken by the Kuomintang party to Taiwan, in the light of new finds, made it possible to learn even more about the real background of the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Nanjing Incident.

Thus, errors were pointed out in the photographs exhibited at the Museum in Memory of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre, which led to the seizure of some of the photographs. Following this, a certain person who worked in the propaganda department of the Kuomintang revealed the information he had that all letters from Nanjing residents, handwritten to their relatives and friends about peaceful life, were confiscated and replaced with descriptions of the deliberately exaggerated cruel actions of the Japanese military.

Thus, we see that in conditions of brutal battles, of course, there were cases of killing civilians by mistake, cases of mistreatment of prisoners of war, but greatest number the casualties resulted from the destruction of the remnants of the defeated army, which did not fall under the status of prisoners of war; in other words, there was no deliberate “massacre (of prisoners of war and civilians).”

The study of history continues, and now that a correct understanding of events is beginning to emerge, the old lies in Xi Jinping's speech only indicate that China is not worthy of the trust of the international community.

If you tell the truth, you will be considered a traitor

The police and other departments of China constantly inflate the statistics not only by two, but by ten times, even in peacetime increasing the number of participants in demonstrations. During the coverage of the Nanjing incident, a war was waged on all fronts (informational, psychological and legislative). To achieve the goals of the information war, the situation was distorted. For example, in order to declare the cruelty of the Japanese army, the corpse of a soldier killed in battle was dressed in civilian clothes. There was also discussion that the Japanese army did not treat Chinese soldiers as prisoners of war, who, in fact, did not fall under the status of "prisoners of war" and were simply remnants of a defeated army.

At the same time, on Tokyo trial, which was carried out by the victors, any, even the most controversial, arguments passed, if they were convenient for the allies. The losing side, on the contrary, could not even present the available documentary evidence.

Chinese-American Iris Chan published a book called Violence in Nanjing, which became an American bestseller. The book contains a large number of erroneous photographs, and Japanese translation The book did not meet the publisher's sales plans.

Experienced British journalist Henry Stokes, who collected materials on the uprising in South Korean Gwangju, wrote that information differed among all American and European reporters who were in South Korea at that time, so it was completely unclear what was actually happening then in this remote region . The truth was revealed only twenty years later.

Based on the experience gained, the journalist in his last book"Lies in historical views Allied countries, seen by a British journalist” admits that journalists in Nanjing could not understand the situation at that moment.

In addition, he believes that “Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong spoke many times in public after the defeat in Nanjing, but never mentioned the massacre carried out there by the Japanese army. Based on this fact alone, one can understand that the Nanjing Massacre was a fiction.”

Historian Minoru Kitamura, in his book “Investigation of the Nanjing Incident and its Real Image,” written on the basis of an extensive evidence base, towards the end of the work writes about “problems of cross-cultural communication” that arose as a result political position, and not based on common sense.

For example, if we turn to the already mentioned problem of lying in the name of love for the motherland, then with this approach a person can say whatever he wants, even realizing that it is a lie. On the contrary, a person who admitted to lying is declared a traitor and labeled an “enemy of the people.” In such a society, truth simply cannot exist.

Victim statistics take “feelings” into account

Despite the fact that Xi Jinping stated that there were 35 million casualties in the Second Sino-Japanese War, the representative of the Chinese government of the Kuomintang, Gu Weijun, at a meeting of the League of Nations immediately after the incident (February 1938), spoke of killing only 20 thousand people.

At the Tokyo Trial, the number of war victims rose to 2.5 million, but the Kuomintang insisted on 3.2 million, and then 5.79 million. After the emergence of the People's Republic of China, the statistics of victims jumped sharply to 21.68 million people, as reported by the Chinese Military Museum. Former Chairman of the People's Republic of China Jiang Zemin in 1995, at his speech in Moscow, already announced 35 million.

Before 1960, Chinese government textbooks cited a figure of 10 million victims; after 1985, they began to write about 21 million victims, and after 1995, about 35 million victims.

As for the victims of the Nanjing Incident, the newspapers Tokyo Hinichi (future Mainichi) and Asahi, which wrote about a sensational competition in the killing of hundreds of people, did not say a word about the massacre. The Osaka Mainichi, Tokyo Hinichi, and Asahi newspapers published photographs of happy Chinese children, which may indicate that there were no massacres.

The director of the Chinese Institute of Social Science and Contemporary History Research, Buping, who started a controversy with the group of Yoshiko Sakurai from Japan, calmly stated: “ Historical truth does not exist as such, it is directly related to feelings. For example, the 300,000 deaths in the Nanjing Massacre is not simply a figure obtained by adding up the number of people killed. This figure should express the feelings of the victims" (Yoshiko Sakurai, "The Great Historical Controversy Between Japan, China and South Korea»).

IN Memorial Museum Hiroshima is written, for example, that “the number of victims is 140 thousand, plus or minus 10 thousand people,” these 10 thousand people “are necessary for the possibility of mutual discrepancies within the established framework,” the museum explains in order to avoid claims.

Provided that before and after atomic bombing research has been carried out and the figures are based on factual data, 10 thousand missing people can be called our “lie in the name of love for the motherland”, which is given under the guise of “discrepancies” or “feelings”.

Summarizing

I think it would be correct to say that Japan treats history as a thing of the past, China as a propaganda tool, and South Korea as a fantasy.

The historical view of China and South Korea is far from reality, it includes feelings, wishes and hopes. Therefore, it is almost impossible to come to a common point of view in a joint historical study.

At the same time, diverse communication between neighboring states cannot be avoided. If the lies spread by China and South Korea take root in the world's understanding, Japan's dignity will be undermined, because if a lie is repeated a hundred times, it will become the truth.

Of course, necessary scientific research, but an active position is no less important from a political point of view.

Speaking about the times of the Second World War, one immediately remembers the intense struggle in the west of the planet, in Europe and the war between serious opponents the United States and Japan. At the same time, China's resistance to Japan is described very briefly. In reality, such an attitude is extremely unfair. The Celestial Empire made a significant contribution to the fight against the aggressor and, according to certain experts, lost the largest number of its population during this war. And our article will only confirm this statement.

Where it all began

To this day, discussions continue in scientific circles regarding when one of the most tragic incidents of the 20th century began. The most common version is September 1, 1939, but this is only relevant for countries on the European continent. For China, the struggle for its own freedom and right to life began much earlier, and more precisely, on July 7, 1937, when near Beijing, Japanese armed groups provoked a fierce battle with the capital’s garrison, and after which they launched a large-scale military offensive, a springboard for which the puppet state of Manchukuo became. It is worth saying that even before this, starting in 1931, after Japan annexed Manchuria, the states were already at war, but this battle was sluggish. Directly from that shootout, a tragic confrontation began, at the cost of life.

"Big War"

To defeat one common enemy, ideological rivals had to unite: the traditional National People's Party (Kuomintang), under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek, and the communist partisans of Mao Zedong. But the equipment of the Japanese army was much better. Its commanders, gifted with a halo of victories, counted on an instant victory with minimum quantity victims. But hopes were dashed by the enormous resistance of Chinese troops. Despite the fact that the losses were simply incomparable, in the battle near Shanghai the Chinese troops lost about 200 thousand soldiers killed, and the Japanese only 70 thousand, the Japanese army was definitely bogged down. It was possible to overcome powerful Chinese resistance only after the delivery of the latest weapons. Despite everything, already during the Battle of Pingxinguan the Chinese were able to gain the upper hand in the battle. Huge losses and massive resistance caused even greater bloodthirstiness among the Japanese. An example of this could be the massacre near the capital of China at that time - Nanjing, in total 300 thousand civilians were brutally killed.

The Japanese army managed to move inwards very quickly as a result of the capture of Shanghai. While Chiang Kai-shek was leaving the city, enemy troops were already finishing closing the ring around him. December 13 is considered the beginning of the occupation. About 200 thousand people died in those days alone.

Throughout 1938, the Japanese army lost several serious battles, but in October they managed to capture the port city of Canton. From that day on, the Japanese began to expand their own possessions in Eastern China more and more. The Chinese army was forced to desperately resist, and here the USSR provided serious assistance. The fighting carried out by the Red Army in 1938 near Lake Khasan and near the borders of Mongolia with Manchukuo on the Khalkin Gol River in 1939 were considered practical proof of the determination of the Soviet leadership to help the Chinese. Thus, in the first battle, approximately 20 thousand soldiers from each state took part (about 1,000 Soviet and 650 Japanese soldiers died), during the second, about 60 thousand from the Soviet side (over 7,600 people died), and about 75 thousand from the Japanese side ( over 8,600 people died). In December 1941, Japanese aircraft brutally attacked the American military base at Pearl Harbor, which was located in the Hawaiian Islands. Next, Japan rushed to seize the territories of Thailand, the Philippines, Malaya, Burma, Indonesia, Indochina, and the Pacific Islands. The idea of ​​not attacking the territory of the USSR and Japan's imperial plans towards foreign colonies eased the pressure on the Celestial Empire.

In turn, China, respecting the support of the Soviet Union, as a result of Germany’s attack on the Union, immediately in July 1941 terminated all diplomatic relations with Nazi Berlin, and after the incidents of December 7, 1941, the Republic even declared war on aggressive Japan and Germany, it is worth saying , that before this all hostilities were carried out without any actual declaration of war. Already in January 1942, the Chinese state, along with the Soviet Union, the USA, Great Britain and other countries, signed the Declaration of the United Nations. As a sign of gratitude for the actions of the Chinese nation, in January 1943, England and the United States adopted documents regarding the abolition of unequal agreements imposed during the Chinese Empire. China, in the form of a republic, having joined the fight against the fascist axis Berlin - Rome - Tokyo, gained the status of a great power.

But despite all of the above, the strategic situation was not in favor of China itself.

Therefore, on May 9, 1945, while the USSR was already celebrating victory over Nazi Germany, the struggle in China was still ongoing. The most powerful and numerous Kwantung Army of Imperial Japan subjugated a huge strip of land along the entire sea coast, on which the lion's share of the country's population and all industrial potential was concentrated. The Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan on August 8, 1945 doomed the main corrals of the Japanese army to defeat. Achievements of the United States in the Pacific Islands and atomic bombs in two cities in Japan. Change of situation on the Sino-Japanese fronts. All this inevitably brought Japan's exit from the war closer.

Therefore, on September 3, 1945, the Act of Unconditional Surrender was signed on board the last American battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

The Chinese people and their contribution to the outcome of World War II

Perhaps, as now, during the Second World War, any actions on Far East are perceived by many as secondary, but this conflict has reached such a serious scale that in comparison with it, the campaign launched by Germany on Eastern Front it just fades. According to one information, China lost 20 million people during the war, ranking second in terms of the number of victims after the USSR, and according to other information, 34 million, undoubtedly ranking first. For 15 years, Japan waged a war of conquest, during which all known types guns mass destruction, including biological and chemical weapons.

The level of inherent brutality and the number of casualties places the war in the Far East on a par with European military operations. In addition, it is worth highlighting that the parties that took part in this war are still far from truly recognizing all its terrible results. In addition, statements by conservative Japanese leaders about reconsidering the Japanese role in the battles of World War II provoked an angry reaction and added new urgency to the debate over the islands.

The war between Japan and China, which is considered an integral element of World War II, is in a bright way, revealing war as such, which brings destruction to everything living and inanimate, stopping at nothing.