Strangers at the Gate

Scenes of despair unfolded as the Japanese army moved in on Shanghai in late 1937, spreading terror among the city’s three million civilians. Tens of thousands were thronging at the … Continue Reading →


‘Halfway Out of National Danger’: Chiang, Stalin and the Chinese Reaction to Barbarossa

China’s reaction after Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941 may surprise many. This article is based on a presentation made by Peter Harmsen at the King’s College ‘Second World … Continue Reading →


China’s War as History: A Paradox

How have western views of China’s role in World War Two changed over the past couple of decades? Recently, the Chinese website The Paper published an article on its history channel on this … Continue Reading →


Morning Sun!

History buffs have been spending a large part of the time since 1945 gaming World War Two. It started out as board games, often made fiendishly complex in order to capture all the … Continue Reading →


Chinese Militaria: A Hot New Area for Collectors

Chinese military items from WW2 have become more popular among collectors in recent years as China’s role in the war has become better known. However, collecting Chinese militaria involves unique … Continue Reading →


Jiangyin 1937: Battle for the Yangtze, Part 2

The first months of war between China and Japan in the fall of 1937 took place mostly on land and in the air. But the two nations’ navies also clashed … Continue Reading →


Jiangyin 1937: Battle for the Yangtze, Part 1

The first months of war between China and Japan in the fall of 1937 took place mostly on land and in the air. But the two nations’ navies also clashed … Continue Reading →


Nanjing 1937: Battle for a Doomed City

‘Nanjing 1937: Battle for a Doomed City’ by Peter Harmsen is now on sale. The sequel of his best-selling ‘Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze’, it tells the epic story … Continue Reading →


Second Sino-Japanese War: The PC Game

The Second Sino-Japanese War will soon appear as a video game, Morning Sun. Depending on the realism, e.g. attention to real-life issues such as logistics, PC games can be great … Continue Reading →


Modeling the Shanghai Battle

For decades, hobby modelers have been able to bring decisive battle of World War Two back to life, and with the emergence of the Internet, they are able to reach … Continue Reading →