It's interesting the amount of WWII that has been buried under mounds of various national pride. After all, if you talk to the average American, they wouldn't realise that the Australians played a significant role in stopping and turning the tide against the Japanese in New Guinea. Similarly, it's not necessarily well known how much of a role that NZ and Britain (in Burma/India) played in holding that front and tying up more Japanese forces there.
Of course, there are a number of other factors at play when looking at the role that China and Russia played against Japan, not least of which is the lack of cultural interaction and language barriers between the English-speaking world and the Chinese/Russains/Japanese. It's practically unknown about the battle of Khalkhin Gol/Nomohan that shaped the course of the entire war, by causing Japan to hold significant forces in the North to fight the Russians if necessary, but not invading to open a second front against Barbarossa. With the political changes in China, there is little done to promote the actions of Chinese troops during WWII, which Russia, Britain and the US all saw as an effective way to tie up Japan's resources by funding, equipping and training them.
It might sound a bit silly, but one of the ways that Chinese history is trickling through to the West is through entertainment. The Dynasty Warriors series of computer games has helped many westerners to learn about the Three Kingdoms period, for example- they first acquire an interest through the game, and then some of them go on to research the period.
Of course, there are a number of other factors at play when looking at the role that China and Russia played against Japan, not least of which is the lack of cultural interaction and language barriers between the English-speaking world and the Chinese/Russains/Japanese. It's practically unknown about the battle of Khalkhin Gol/Nomohan that shaped the course of the entire war, by causing Japan to hold significant forces in the North to fight the Russians if necessary, but not invading to open a second front against Barbarossa. With the political changes in China, there is little done to promote the actions of Chinese troops during WWII, which Russia, Britain and the US all saw as an effective way to tie up Japan's resources by funding, equipping and training them.
It might sound a bit silly, but one of the ways that Chinese history is trickling through to the West is through entertainment. The Dynasty Warriors series of computer games has helped many westerners to learn about the Three Kingdoms period, for example- they first acquire an interest through the game, and then some of them go on to research the period.
