This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and new spotlight is being placed on China’s pivotal role in the conflict. Hans van de Ven, a renowned historian at the University of Cambridge, is shedding light on China’s significant contributions and sacrifices during the war.
China was engaged in the fight against fascism earlier and longer than any other Allied nation. For 14 years, the Chinese people resisted Japanese aggression, tying down a substantial portion of Japan’s military forces and inflicting over 1.5 million casualties. This relentless struggle played a crucial part in weakening Japan’s capacity in the Pacific.
Hans van de Ven, one of the first Western scholars to systematically study China’s wartime experience, believes that China’s role has been underestimated in Western historical narratives. “There is a real Eurocentrism to Western, I mean English-language, writing, mostly from the U.S. and the UK,” he says. “The Second World War in China by the previous generation of Western historians was seen as sort of completely insignificant. Actually, it’s done a lot. It’s trapped Japan.”
Van de Ven emphasizes that recognizing China’s contribution is essential to understanding the full scope of World War II. He argues that China’s resistance was instrumental in the overall Allied victory and that acknowledging this helps in appreciating the global effort that led to the defeat of fascism.
This renewed focus encourages a more inclusive historical perspective, highlighting the sacrifices and resilience of the Chinese people. As the world commemorates the end of World War II, scholars like van de Ven are calling for a reassessment of China’s role to ensure it receives the recognition it deserves.
