There were many victims in this war from the militaries and common people in order to create a better future and prosperity for China. Even in its
ways there, many sacrifices must be done by the people of China.
3. The Second Sino-Japanese War and the Second World War in China
The Second World War was a global military conflict which was the most devastating war, in terms lives and material destruction between the
opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It began in 1939 and ended in 1945. The Second World War in China already began since 1937.
This war was triggered and comprised by the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between
the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan over predominance in East Asia. It happened from 1937 until 1941.
According to O‟Neill, the Second World War in China referred to “The War of Resistance to Japanese Aggression”. There were some main
factors that triggered the Second World War in China. The first factor was the Second Sino-Japanese War. This war was the resistance of Republic of China
against the imperialist policy of Empire of Japan through political and military to seize the raw material reserves and economic resources. This war
occurred in some cities in China, such as Tsinan and Shanghai. The second was the Empire of Japan‟s influences in internal and external jurisdiction in
China, such as the establishment of Manchukuo and the occupation of some cities in China by Japanese troops. The third was the domination and territory
controls of Empire of Japan as the member of Axis power in Asia. This was approved by the Axis faction with the Treaty of Versailles which granted the
Empire of Japan an absolute control over Asia. The domination of Empire of Japan also supported by the overthrown of Russia by Japan in China land and
as the compensation, Empire of Japan took over the control of Russia in China land 1987: 150.
The Second Sino-Japanese War became the main crucial factor of the Second World War in Asia. Tung Chi-
ming inscribed “On July 7, 1937, the Japanese launched their attack on Lukouchiao Marco Polo Bridge southwest
of Peking. The Chinese troops stationed there put up a strong resistance” 1959: 387. This incident was the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese
War and the trigger of the Second World War in Asia. The other quotation came from Bain. He inscribed the condition of the
people during the Second Sino-Japanese War. He wrote, By this time, the defeated Chinese defenders were demonized and
might have been captured or wiped out had not the victorious Japanese forces indulged in an orgy of raping, looting, and
destruction. As a result, Chiang found time to reorganize his force in order to retreat 1958: 156.
The Second Sino-Japanese War became worldwide when the Empire of Japan attacked and occupied Shanghai in 1941 as the signal that the Second World
War was begun. A quotation by CovWarkCSVActionDesk in WW2 People‟s
War An achieve of World War Two memories – written by the public
gathered by BBC entitled “Life in Occupied Shanghai – 1941” described the conditions in Shanghai in 1941 during Japanese troops occupation. He wrote,
At about 4am in the morning, we heard heavy gunfire from the Japanese cruiser H.I.J.M.S Izumo which sank the American gunboat
U.S.S Wake and H.M.S Petrel, it was the signal that the Pearl Harbour attack was on.
The Japanese army, now not only controlled their own little sector, but the whole of Shanghai except for the French Settlement as the French
were now under the Vichy Government which was allied to the Axis Powers, Germany, Italy and Japan.
All the allied nations were not permitted to work or go to places of entertainment and had to wear a red arm-band with a number and
initial of their nationality so they could be picked up if they caused any trouble www.bbc.co.uk, 7 September 2012.
Clyde‟s described that the Second Sino-Japanese War created many suffering for the Chinese in China. He inscribed,
Basic in China‟s declining war effort by 1943 was the fact that the Chinese people had been worn sown and disillusioned by six years of
war. Millions had lost their homes and all their worldly possessions. .... There was a steady deterioration in economic life and a growing
paralysis within the governmental administrative hierarchy. … No phase of China‟s war economy escaped the effects of these
disastrous conditions. Where famine was added to the shortages of war, the peasantry took to arms to disarm their own soldiers 1958:
687-688. The Second World War which was triggered and Comprised by the
Second Sino-Japanese War had taken too many lives. Many violations of human rights happened to the people during these incidents, especially the
people who did not understand about the purpose of these incidents. These wars were the great disasters which had been happened in China.
D. Theoretical Framework
