Significance of the Chinese military contribution to World War 2 disputed.

[Phead128]

In the wikipedia page of the World War 2:

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, there is a discussion among Wikpedians about which are the top most important leaders in WW2, and which countries should be included in the info box.

As of Dec 28, 2010, the World War 2 infobox looks like this.

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Just look the right side of the Wikipedia page (

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), and see they bolded the top 3, except China and France.

In the discussion page, they lay out their reason.

It was because China wasn't as important as the Big 3 in the WW2.

My advice, we need more Chinese people to argue otherwise. China's contribution to the war of resistance against Japan was pivotal in WW2.

Is the Chinese contribution to WW2 so insigificant that it does not merit a Bold text (ie. Big 3 and Tripartite (Nazi, Japan, Italy)) and inclusion of Chiang Kai Shek among the Big 3?

 

[Phead128]

double post.

 

[siegecrossbow]

China had the second highest casualty next to the Soviet Union during WWII. I think it irresponsible to say the least that China didn't contribute as much as the big three. Seeing how industrialized nations like France crumbled under the German assault I'd say China did a very good job during the war.

 

[rhino123]

Although disputable... in my opinion, I think China did great in holding back the Japanese and most of the elites of the Japanese imperial army are actually stranded in mainland China... Although I would also believe that it is not out of goodwill that the Chinese actually held back the Japanese in their land, but was actually fighting for their own survival. But the result is the same... And with that the Japanese imperial army are greatly weakened... and by huge margins too.

 

[armchairwarrior]

china held down 3 million japanese troops, i would say that is very important, remember the japanese and germany were allies and they could of open a second front to ussr. china's role is same as russias held down alot of troops. ussr got better support than china did simply because of race politics of the western world.

 

[solarz]

meh, what did you expect? Wikipedia, by its nature as a predominantly english-language knowledge base, is Euro-centric.

When North Americans and Europeans talk about WW2, they think Hitler, Nazis, and Holocaust.

When Chinese talk about that period in history, WW2 takes a second place to the Resistance War against Japan.

 

[bd popeye]

meh, what did you expect? Wikipedia, by its nature as a predominantly english-language knowledge base, is Euro-centric.

When North Americans and Europeans talk about WW2, they think Hitler, Nazis, and Holocaust.

When Chinese talk about that period in history, WW2 takes a second place to the Resistance War against Japan.

In the US it depends upon what service is discussed..Army and Army Air Force/Corps would be Europe.. US Navy and Marines would be Pacific. But China is seldom mentioned.

 

[solarz]

In the US it depends upon what service is discussed..Army and Army Air Force/Corps would be Europe.. US Navy and Marines would be Pacific. But China is seldom mentioned.

Not surprising. Another factor is that China was not part of some "counter-offensive" to defeat the Japanese. All the battles China fought in WW2 was on its own soil, and most of them losing ones. People tend to glorify battles won, and don't pay much attention to attrition factors.

 

[Roger604]

Initially, Japan saw itself as the champion of Asia against Western Imperialism being the most advanced Asian nation at the time. Eventually that mutated into a rabid Yamato-race cult. It's argued that Chang Kai Shek never wanted to directly fight the Japanese. He wanted an Asian Co-prosperity Sphere where China could play second fiddle to a Greater Japan (including Manchuria) but remain independent.

Suppose political forces turned out differently, and Japan followed through on its theoretical position of being the champion of Asia things would have turned out very differently. The Asian Co-prosperity Sphere would likely have defeated the USA in the Pacific with its great manpower and resources and taken Hawaii (no American century). Even Russian Far East would have fallen. Western forces would have been kicked out of South East Asia. Invasion would be conceivable against Australia and eventually British Indian Empire.

At this point, British India could well face a rebellion. Russia would collapse from the two front war. Third Reich would win. UK would be "Finlandized" at best. Israel would never exist. In other words, you wouldn't have a post-WW2 decolonization. You would have a para-WW2 decolonization.

Then at the end, the most powerful states in the world would be:

Third Reich (including big chunks of Russia)
Greater Japan
USA

With all three roughly equal in power -- possibly a more stable equilibrium than USA / Soviet Union before or USA / China now. China and India would be much lesser powers. This is the real contribution of ROC during WW2.

 

[pla101prc]

well you must admit that the Chinese army was pretty useless against the Japanese. but it did take up quite a bit of Japanese land capacity just hold the vast territory (and they still couldnt eradicate the guerilla forces) if we were to talk about Chinese contribution it is in that sense. the Chinese army really didnt perform all that well...