🌏 When we think of World War II, images of Europe's battlefields usually come to mind… but did you know the conflict exploded in Asia years earlier? In fact, a fierce struggle raged on the Chinese mainland as early as the late 1930s.
While textbooks often fast-forward to the 1939 invasion of Poland, the Asian chapter began long before: Japan's expansion into the Chinese mainland marked the true beginning of the global war. Over time, nearly 35 million Chinese mainland military personnel and civilians lost their lives resisting the invasion—an epic tragedy that's largely missing from Western classrooms.
CGTN Digital's Li Jingjing teamed up with U.S. content creator Cyrus Janssen to dig into why this Eastern theater remains in the shadows. They point to a Europe-centric focus in media and education, cultural distance, and the sheer scale of the Eastern campaign that can feel overwhelming to teach in a few pages of history books.
But understanding this Asian front shifts our view of World War II from a two-act play into a global epic. It reminds us that war's human cost spans continents, and recognizing every front is key to learning from the past. 🕊️
Next time you think of World War II, remember there's more to the story—35 million reasons on the Chinese mainland to dig deeper. 📚✨
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
