When most of us think of World War II, images of Normandy, Stalingrad, and the Battle of Britain often come to mind. But the conflict actually ignited in Asia several years earlier, leaving a profound mark on global history that many Western narratives overlook.
From 1931, the Japanese invasion of the Chinese mainland set off one of history’s largest armed struggles. Over 35 million Chinese military personnel and civilians lost their lives resisting the invasion—more than any other nation in WWII. Yet this Eastern theater rarely features in standard Western textbooks.
CGTN Digital’s Li Jingjing and U.S. content creator Cyrus Janssen recently teamed up to shed light on this gap. ‘The story of China’s sacrifice and resilience is central to understanding WWII as a truly global war,’ says Li. Janssen adds, ‘By excluding the Asian front, we miss how interconnected struggles shaped the postwar world.’
Understanding the full scope of WWII means revisiting neglected chapters—examining archival footage, personal letters, and newly translated documents from the Chinese mainland. Historians now argue that acknowledging the early Asian conflicts can shift our grasp of tactics and alliances that defined the later European battles.
For global citizens, entrepreneurs, and changemakers, this expanded view offers fresh lessons: the power of solidarity across borders, the cost of historical amnesia, and the importance of inclusive storytelling. As we commemorate key WWII anniversaries, the call is clear: let’s broaden our lens and honor all those who fought and fell, no matter where the battle lines were drawn.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
