Abstract
Based on a survey of primary sources in the Swedish and Danish languages, the paper describes the extent to which Scandinavians, both at the public and elite levels, were informed about atrocities committed in China at the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 and 1938. Concluding tentatively that these events were known, although sporadically, the article seeks to identify various themes that can be traced in the available source materials, including uncertainty about casualty numbers, underestimation of the true extent of atrocities, and a Eurocentric focus on the plight of westerners present in the Chinese theater of war. At the same time, the sources also suggest a noticeable bias in favor of the Chinese side of the conflict, combined with sometimes ideologically motivated antipathies towards the Japanese side. However, the pro-Chinese sentiments did not result in a sustained call for punitive action to be taken against Japan, for example in the form of trade sanctions.
| Translated title of the contribution | Neglected Aggression: Initial Scandinavian Responses to Reports of Japanese Atrocities Committed in China in 1937 - 1938 |
|---|---|
| Original language | Chinese |
| Journal | Kangri Zhanzheng Yanjiu |
| Volume | 2017 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Pages (from-to) | 33-42 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| ISSN | 1002-9575 |
| Publication status | Published - 15 Nov 2017 |
