Perhaps more so than any other war, World War 2 and bombing go together. The bombing of Tokyo on March 9 and 10 of 1945 is one of many bombing campaigns from that war. Although overshadowed by the use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945, in terms of immediate body […]
Category: East Asia History
Japan’s Occupation of Manchuria in 1931 – The Risk of Allowing Aggression
Today, Japan is famous for cheap consumer electronics, fuel-efficient cars, and anime. It’s easy to forget that one hundred years ago it ranked as perhaps the most militarily aggressive nation on earth. Japan’s occupation of Manchuria in 1931 is a case in point. In fact, it’s an easy temptation to compare Japan’s occupation of Manchuria […]
How to Read Oracle Bones
The oracle bones of ancient China rank among my favorite historical artifacts. Who doesn’t love mystical techniques to predict the future? Leaders in ancient China needed people who knew how to read oracle bones. Sure, the success of reading oracle bones was spotty. Absent data to inform a prediction, all attempts to predict the future […]
Another Holocaust of World War 2
The Holocaust experienced by Jewish people during World War 2 remains one of the greatest tragedies in human history. The traditional estimate of the number of Jews murdered is six million people; recent research suggests the real number may be higher still. The murders of the Holocaust deserve the infamy and abhorrence they’ve received ever […]