Effects of World War II on Chinese Search for National Identity - Essay Example

Student’s Name Instructor’s Name Course Name Date of Submission Effects of World War II on Chinese Search for National Identity and Position in the World China has risen over the years to become one of the most influential countries in the world. The rise in the position of China to a very powerful nation has been attributed mainly to the growth in its economy and the strengthening of its military power. Today, China is a very influential country in terms of international matters. The influence of China in the world today is seen from the fact that China is the only non-Western power that sits permanently on the UN Security Council. Because of its powerful influence in the world today, the country is currently being looked to help solve the North Korean crisis. However, most people have forgotten the effect that the Second World War had on China in its search for national identity, as well as its position in the world. Mitter has shown that the involvement of China in the WWII had a great impact on its search for national identity (8). This document aims to discuss how WWII affected China’s search for national identity, as well as its position in the world. China in World War II World War II is regarded as one of the bloodiest wars ever fought in recent history. The war began in 1937 following a territorial dispute between China and Japan (Zola, and Koohtin 21). This was after Japan attempted to expand its territory to take part of Chinese land. The aggression by the Japanese did not go well with the Chinese government that saw the invasion as an assault into the territory of a sovereign state. In response, Chiang mounted a strong resistance by launching an offensive against the Japanese forces that had started entering the Chinese territories. The war continued for days at the Marco Polo Bridge situated close to the Chinese capital city of Beijing (Mitter 11). However, Japanese troops proved superior to the Chinese troops, which resulted in the Chinese forces being forced to retreat to Nanjing. By December the same year, the Japanese forced had pushed the Chinese forces and taken over control of Nanjing. The Japanese forces then went on rampage killing more than 100,000 Chinese civilians and raped more than 20,000 Chinese women (Mitter 44). Additionally, the Chinese soldiers also tortured the captured Chinese soldiers. Suryadinata reveal that, by 1938, the Japanese troops had taken over almost all major towns and cities in China, especially those on the northeast China (12). However, as things got worse of China with many Chinese people being killed, the United States entered the war as soon as Japan launched a lethal attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The entry of the U.S. in the war in 1941 prompted many other countries to join their allies, which culminated into a global conflict. By the end of the war in 1945, at least 14 million Chinese had been killed and about 100 million others displaced from their homes (Todd par. 6). The war ended following the U.S. invasion of Japan with nuclear bomb that forced the Japanese troops to surrender. Ways in Which WWII Affected China’s Search for National Identity World War II was indeed a very tragic event for China. Although many countries were involved in the war, China became the greatest casualty having lost more than 14 million people and more than 100 million others displaced. However, it has to be remembered that, as much as China suffered from the war, the WWII helped China discover its national identity. The war, particularly acted as an eye opener to China with regards to its military capability that were badly exposed. Dittmer and Kim noted that, after Chinas success in the previous wars, such as the Opium Wars of the 1840s and the Korean War, China assumed that it had the right military capability to fight external aggressors (91). Dittmer and Kim reveal that China did not even take steps to strengthen its military. However, China’s pathetic performance in WWII acted as a wakeup call for the country that it needed to invest heavily in its military to enable it become a powerful force in the region. As earlier stated, more than 14 million Chinese perished in the war. This is historic as far as wars are concerned and demonstrated how weak the Chinese troops were at the time. Wasserstrom noted that the failure of the Chinese troops was largely attributed to the fact that more than 5 million of the soldiers were ill-trained, demoralized and lacked the necessary weapons to mount a strong offensive against the Japanese troops that used sophisticated weapons (16). Therefore, having understood its military weaknesses as a result of the war, the Chinese government immediately embarked on strengthening its military capability by investing heavily in its military. Currently, China ranks among the top powerful nations in the world in terms of military capability. Mitter feel that, were it not for the failure of China during WWII, probably the country could not have discovered where its weaknesses were in terms of military capability (par. 3). Therefore, the war, though resulted in the death of many Chinese people, it helped the country discover its true national identity with regards to military capability. Secondly, as much as the war cause suffering to millions of Japanese, it enabled Japanese become a sovereign state. Before the war began in 1937, China was under the rule of the Japanese people (Dittmer and Kim 101). As a result, Chinese people lacked the freedom to do as they wish. Everything that the Chinese people did was all influenced by the Japanese people. It is for this reason that Japanese government felt that it could use its military superiority to extend its territories into China. However, the war made China realize that its national identity as a sovereign nation (Van de Ven 74). This is because, after getting the support of the United States and allies, China was able to drive out the Japanese troops from its territories and gain independence, thereafter (Xu 42). This is because they were now no longer under the hands of Japan, which dictated to them almost everything. The outcome of the WWII also made China realize that it needed to begin the process of reconstruction to enable it become fully independent powerful state economically. In this respect, Suryadinata noted that, immediately after attaining independence in 1949, the Chinese government embarked on the processes of improving the living standards of its people who were left homeless and without food following the war (39). It was at this point that China introduced many economic stimuli that have helped spur China to become the second largest economy in the world (Scott 61). In fact, the position of China as being amongst the leading economies in the world still baffle many since China was among the poorest nations in the world before WWII. However, as pointed out, the war pointed at weaknesses in China, especially high level of poverty. Therefore, after realizing that its people were very poor and suffer after the war, the Chinese government has been able to introduce many policies that have helped alleviate the people from poverty and expand the Chinese economy. WWII also made China discovers that it needs friends in order to defend itself, grow and develop. It is noted that, as much as China was a close ally to the Western countries, particularly during and after World War I, the relation between China and the West deteriorated in the 1840s after China introduced trade policies that excluded the west. The newly introduced policies restricted trade between the West and China. Such trade restrictions did not go well with the Western countries, which eventually resulted in the Opium Wars of the 1840s (Mitter par. 8). The war created a hostile relation between the West and China. However, World War II served as a lesson to China that no country can succeed in isolation. This is because, without the help of Western countries, such as the U.S., Japan could have taken over China. Since then, China has maintained good relationship with the United States and other western countries, which it trades with on many occasions (Van de Ven 96). Although China has recently come up with foreign policies that are anti-western, the WWII incident made China discover that a country needs the support of others. Ways in Which WW II Affected China’s Position in the World China was a very little known country in the world at the time it entered into war with Japan. However, the aftermath of the war that ended in 1945, China rose from little known into an international status. Mitter noted that, after getting the support of the Western allies during WWII, Chiang Kai-shek was forced to remove the unequal treaties that put it at loggerheads with the West (16). Soon afterwards, China was allowed to join the top global diplomacy table. As a result, China became the only non-Western country to sit in the new UN Security Council as a permanent member (Scott 73). Since then, China has become a very influential country when it comes to international diplomacy. Zarrow, however, believe that China could not have risen to the status it is today, were it not for the events of WWII (36). In fact, China is today looked at in Asia when it comes to matters to do with diplomacy because of the influence it has had in the region since the end of WWII. For instance, China is currently being looked at by the Western countries to help in resolving the conflict in North Korea because of the massive influence it has as one of the most powerful nations in the world today (Wasserstrom 33). Additionally, as much as a large number of Chinese troops and citizens died during the WWII, the contribution of China to the success of the Allied forces also uplifted China’s position in the world as a country that can develop militarily. Despite China having been ill-equipped for the offensive, the country is credited for having endured the war for long without giving up and surrendering to the Japanese forces (Xu 53). The fighting spirit that the Chinese people demonstrated signaled to the world that China can become a powerhouse. Indeed, this is the case presently as the country has developed militarily and currently ranks among the most powerful nations, not only economically, but also militarily. Conclusion China has emerged from a little known country just a couple of decades ago to become one of the most powerful nations in the world. Today, China is the second largest economy in the world and is the only non-Western country to sit permanently in the new UN Security Council. However, it took China a lot to rise to the powerful status it is currently. From the analysis, it becomes clear that Second World War marked the turning point of China that was just little known at the time. Although more than 14 million Chinese died during the war with more than 100 million others being displaced, the most significant impact of the war is that it acted as an eye opener to China to realize its national identity. In particular, the failures of Chinese troops to mount strong offensive against the Japanese troops reminded China that it lacked the right military capability to help it defend itself from strong external aggressors, such as Japan. Therefore, China had to use the lesson to build a strong military that has become a force to reckon with today. Secondly, despite the devastation caused by the war, it enabled China to drive away the Japanese from its territory, which culminated in China obtaining its independence. Additionally, WWII made China realize that it needed to embark on building the country to become a prosperous nation. Above all, the events of WWII also made China get international recognition, as well as become the only non-Western country to sit on the powerful and influential new UN Security Council. In effect, China has risen from emperor to a great power thanks to the WWII events that enabled the country discover its true identity. Works Cited Primary Sources Mitter, Rana. To understand China's foreign policy, look to World War II Opinion. April 8 2013. Web. 11 August 2015 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-08/mitter-china/4615756 Todd, Michael. China Lost 14 Million People in World War II. Why Is This Forgotten? Sep 18, 2013. Web. 11 August 2015 http://www.psmag.com/politics-and-law/china-lost-14-million-people-world-war-ii-forgotten-66482 Secondary Sources Dittmer, Lowell and Samuel S. Kim. China's Quest for National Identity. Cambridge: Cornell University Press, 1993. Print. Mitter, Rana. Forgotten Ally: China's World War II, 1937-1945. London: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2013. Print. Mitter, Rana. China’s War with Japan, 1937-1945: The Struggle for Survival. London: Penguin Books, 2013. Print. Scott, David. China and the International System, 1840-1949: Power, Presence, and Perceptions in a Century of Humiliation. New York: SUNY Press, 2008. Print. Suryadinata, Leo. Chinese and nation-building in Southeast Asia. Beijing: Singapore Society of Asian Studies, 1997. Print. Van de Ven, Hans J. War and Nationalism in China 1925-1945. London; New York, NY: Routledge, 2003. Print. Wasserstrom, Jeffrey N. China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford: Oxford University Press, USA, 2010. Print. Xu, Guoqi. China and the Great War: China’s Pursuit of a New National Identity and Internationalization. Studies in the Social and Cultural History of Modern Warfare. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005. Zarrow, Peter Gue. China in War and Revolution, 1895-1949. London: Routledge, 2005. Print. Zola, Lydia and Lydia Koohtin. China on the Threshold of World War II. London: Dorrance Publishing, 2012. Print. Read More