Asia’s perspective

WORLD WAR I & II

By Parth, Leo, Kyoka, Sophie and Ahmed G9

More than 70 - 100 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilized in one of the largest wars in history. More than 9 million combatants were killed largely because of great technological advances in firepower without corresponding advances in mobility. It was the deadliest conflict in world history, subsequently paving the way for various political changes such as revolutions in the nations involved.[

What is World War I & II?

Asia was not directly involved except for a couple of nations, namely Japan & Ottoman empire that took part in it. Both the wars were mainly fought on the European soil.

During the first world war most of Asian nations were part of colonial rule and their citizens fought in different fronts on behalf of the Colonial ruler.

Most of the Asian colonial nations got their independence after the end of second world war.

Introduction

Middle EastVietnamIndiaChinaJapan Korea

Countries Impacted by the World Wars

All the nations in the Middle East today were created due to World War I & II.

The Ottomans were pushed back into Turkey, Palestine became a British territory. Germany used the Ottoman Empire to try to start a fight against the British and French Empires in muslin countries, particularly in Afghanistan.

With the fall of the Ottoman Empire, all that territory became new countries. The problems in Iraq today are due in part to how the UK divided these territories along map lines instead of tribal lines, so you have Sunni, Shia and Kurds mixed in one country for example.

Middle East

Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos were called French Indochina. The 3 were controlled by the French’s harsh rules.

Vietnam

Ho chi Minh and other freedom fighters fought for independence. The French promised to give them independence in exchange for help in World War 1. But their promise was never kept and Vietnam started to get influence from china. Communism was one of the major influences. Eventually leading to a war between North and South Vietnam. & country. North took over control of south and the country turned Communist.

Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh

India withstood huge consequences in World War 1 and 2, millions of Indian troops fought all over the world for the Empire in places like East Africa, Iraq, Palestine and France. Indian troops fought in Europe and Iraq for the British. People from all over the Empire were sent.

Eventually the Indians asked for their own representation and with a long Independence struggle ->ultimately gained Independence.

India & South Asia

With great leaders such as M.K Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. India got her independence in 1947. India is the only country which remained a democracy after colonial rule.

However in the process India was partitioned and the country divided. A new country named Pakistan was born which subsequently further divided and Bangladesh also became a new nation.

India

M.K Gandhi

Jawaharlal Nehru

China’s last dynasty, the Qing dynasty, was in decline and was being invaded by the Japanese in the provinces of Manchuria. The monarchy eventually fell and a group of strong rulers to part. China was weakened by a series of rebellions such as the Boxer rebellion and Opium Wars.

Sun Yat Sen, the first leader, established the Chinese nationalist party and started a democracy. After Sun Yat Sen died another leader Chiang Kai Shek came to power. He strengthened the nationalist party.

China

Sun Yat Sen

Chiang Kai Shek

During that time China was getting influences from the Soviet Union in the sense of communism. And Mao Zedong started the Communist Party of China. He was constantly fighting Chiang Kai Shek but thanks to the Japanese Mao took power and introduced a communist government to china.

China

Mao Zedong Communist Party of China

Japan was first ruled by the Tokugawa Shogunate but eventually king Mimamoto came to power. During his reign industrialization started in Japan. And Japan was very productive and a major exporter and importer. Japan started producing major weapons. Japan actively participated in World War 1 in the side of the allies. At the same time it conquered Korea and Manchuria from China.

Japan

Hirohito

Tokugawa Leyasu

After World War 1 Japan’s ideas changed and they began to gain a sense of nationalism and anti-Semitism toward the colonials powers and America. This attitude was because of the mistreatment in the signing of the Versailles Treaty and the Great Depression.

Japan

Great Depression.

Versailles Treaty

The start of WW2 began with Japan conquering French Indo-China . In response to that America set a trade embargo on Japan which lead to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. And the entering of America into World War 2. At the end of the war Japanese economy was ruined and Hiroshima and Nagasaki were spots of nuclear blasts. From a great giant country ,Japan was crushed to rubble. But after World War Japan started to slowly grow and then started to manufacture at an rapid rate. Eventually their economy recovered and they became part of the Asian Tiger. And also today Japan is one of the greatest manufactures' and it is the home to many intellectuals.

Japan

Korea was in control of China for many years. But after several attacks from Japan, China was forced to give Korea to the discretion of Japan. Korea was liberated after World War 2. But was divided into 2: one part under Soviet influence and the other part under American influence. Both set up leaders to rule after they left. In Soviet controlled North Korea Kim Il Sung and in America controlled South Korea Singmen Rhee. Both were very harsh dictators.

Korea

Singmen Rhee

Kim Il Sung

Cold War tensions increased dramatically after World War 2. North Korea was supported by China and became communist. Tensions increased so much that the North Koreans declared war on South Korea. North Korea was assisted by Mao’s Red Army while South Korea was assisted by Douglas MacArthur’s army. Eventually the war ended in a stalemate and Korea was divided in 2 countries.

Korea

Douglas MacArthur

Mao Zedong

The End