Wizerunek sił zbrojnych Republiki Chińskiej i cywilnego oporu na łamach "Światowida" w latach 1931-1939
The image of the armed forces of the Republic of China and the civilian resistance in the pages of Światowid in the years 1931-1939

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the article is to show how Światowid - an interwar Polish weekly, addressed to wide audience - presented the Armed Forces of the Republic of China and the attitude of civilians towards the Japanese occupier. I chose the years 1931-1939 as the time frame, i.e. the beginning of the Sino-Japanese conflict, which began with the Empire's occupation of Greater Japan, belonging to the Republic of China, Manchuria (the Manchurian Incident of September 18, 1931), and the end date was the outbreak of World War II in Europe, which ended publishing this magazine title. An analysis of the press shows that an ambiguous picture of the Armed Forces of the Republic of China is emerging. On the one hand, its military successes, fortitude and bravery were emphasized, and its most glorious feats included: the defense of Shanghai in 1932 and 1937, and guerrilla operations in the territories occupied by Japan. On the other hand, journalists listed several of its shortcomings, such as poor supplies, inadequate leadership, insubordination and frequent desertions, and even cases of betrayal. It was also added that there were times when Chinese soldiers committed undignified acts and even atrocities, such as breaking the dam on the Yellow River to stop the Japanese offensive. Journalists have usually correctly characterized the Chinese military, albeit with two mistakes. First, they usually judged the Chinese army as a monolith, ignoring the fact that Chiang Kai-shek's elite units differed greatly in education, equipment, and morale from the regular units of the National Revolutionary Army. On the other hand, they did not explain that the activities of the Armed Forces of the Republic of China were primarily influenced by the then undeveloped Chinese national consciousness.

• Details
• Contents