Upholding a Correct View of the History of World War II

The Second World War profoundly changed the course of world history and established the post-war international order centered on the United Nations. Eighty years after the victory of WWII, the current world, marked by the rise of unilateralism and intensifying geopolitical conflicts, has severely undermined the basic consensus of the international community on WWII issues. There is an urgent need to uphold and promote a correct view of the history of World War II. Upholding a correct view of the history of WWII means taking respect for historical facts as a fundamental premise, opposing any form of historical nihilism, firmly safeguarding the international order based on the UN Charter, shaping and disseminating a complete collective memory of WWII, and learning from history to jointly create the future.

第二次世界大战深刻改变了世界历史的发展进程，确立了以联合国为核心的战后国际秩序。二战胜利80年后的当今世界，单边主义抬头、地缘政治冲突加剧，严重冲击国际社会在二战问题上的基本共识，迫切需要坚持并弘扬正确二战史观。坚持正确二战史观就是要将尊重历史事实作为根本前提，反对任何形式的历史虚无主义，坚定维护以《联合国宪章》为基础的国际秩序，塑造并传播关于二战的完整集体记忆，以史为鉴共创未来。

Respecting historical facts is the fundamental premise of upholding a correct view of the history of WWII. With regard to the basic historical fact of the starting point of WWII, full recognition must be given to the landmark significance of the September 18 Incident as the prelude to the World Anti-Fascist War [1]1 The September 18 Incident (also known as the Mukden Incident) of 1931 refers to a staged event used by Japan as a pretext to invade and occupy Northeast China, marking the start of the 14-year Chinese War of Resistance against Japan.. On September 18, 1931, China fired the first shot in resistance against the Japanese aggressors, opened the world’s first anti-fascist battlefield, and became the battlefield that began earliest and lasted longest in WWII. On this point, British scholar Andrew Buchanan explicitly takes the September 18 Incident as the starting point of WWII. As for the roles of China and the Soviet Union in WWII, China and the Soviet Union, as the main battlefields of WWII in Asia and Europe respectively, were the mainstays in resisting Japanese militarism and German Nazism, making decisive contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. The Chinese battlefield, with 14 years of resistance pinning down nearly 70% of the Japanese army’s strength [2]2 The “14 years of resistance” refers to the Chinese calculation of the war against Japan from the September 18 Incident (1931) to Japan’s surrender in 1945., became the main Eastern battlefield of WWII. Oxford professor Rana Mitter points out that “weak China played an incomparable role in WWII.” The research of the famous British military historian B. H. Liddell Hart confirms that the Eastern Front in Europe, where the Soviet Union was located, was the main European battlefield that bore the military brunt of Nazi Germany. As for the nature of WWII, full recognition must be given to the fact that WWII was not only an anti-fascist war but also a revolutionary war and a war of independence. Cambridge professor Hans van de Ven points out that “WWII was not only an anti-fascist war but also a revolutionary war” and “seeing WWII from a global perspective must include the experiences of East Asian countries, and the experiences of countries in the Middle East, Africa, and South America.” These historical facts cannot and must not be erased; they are the fundamental premise and core requirement for upholding a correct view of the history of WWII.

尊重历史事实是坚持正确二战史观的根本前提。就二战起点这个基本史实来看，要充分认识九一八事变揭开世界反法西斯战争序幕的标志性意义。1931年9月18日，中国打响了反抗日本侵略者的第一枪，开辟了世界上第一个反法西斯战场，并成为二战中开始最早、持续最久的战场。对此，英国学者安德鲁·布坎南明确将九一八事变作为二战的起点。就中国和苏联在二战中的作用发挥来看，中国、苏联分别作为第二次世界大战的亚洲和欧洲主战场，是抗击日本军国主义和德国纳粹主义的中流砥柱，为世界反法西斯战争胜利作出决定性贡献。中国战场以14年抗战牵制日本陆军近70%的兵力成为二战东方主战场，牛津大学拉纳·米特教授指出，“孱弱的中国在二战中发挥了无可比拟的作用”。英国著名军事史学家李德·哈特的研究证实：苏联所在的欧洲东线战场是承担纳粹德国军事重压的欧洲主战场。就二战性质来看，要充分认识二战不仅是反法西斯战争，也是革命战争、独立战争。剑桥大学方德万教授指出，“二战不只是反法西斯战争，也是革命战争”“从全世界角度看二战，必须包括东亚国家的经验，中东、非洲、南美国家的经验”。这些历史事实不能也无法抹杀，是坚持正确二战史观的根本前提与核心要求。

Opposing historical nihilism is an urgent task in upholding a correct view of the history of WWII [3]3 Historical nihilism is a politically charged term in Chinese discourse, referring to attempts to deny or distort established historical narratives (especially regarding the CPC and revolutionary history) based on selective facts or alternative interpretations.. Contemporary historical nihilism is no longer characterized by simply denying historical facts; it confuses public perception through selective memory, vague value judgments, and other means. The historical nihilism concerning WWII in the West manifests mainly in the following aspects. First, Western-centrism. “The narrative of Britain and the United States is Eurocentric; the term ‘World War II’ was coined by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, linking the war with World War I that broke out in Europe and endowing it with a moral meaning.” Under this influence, erroneous Western-centric assertions such as “the German blitzkrieg against Poland in 1939 as the starting point of WWII” have emerged. These views ignore historical facts such as China’s independent resistance against Japanese fascism since 1931 and the significance of the Soviet battlefield. Second, in global history narratives, the “marginalization of the Eastern battlefield.” There has long been a discourse in the West that underestimates the strategic value of China’s resistance. American historian John Keegan considers the Chinese battlefield a “peripheral battlefield,” and similar erroneous views such as “the Chinese battlefield played a supporting role” are common. Third, there is the ideological filter of the “liberator narrative.” Ideological divisions after WWII have led the West to emphasize the “Anglo-American liberation of Europe” and other WWII narratives, exaggerating the contributions of Britain and the United States and other Western countries while barely mentioning the Soviet Union’s contribution to the anti-fascist war. At the same time, they ignore the autonomy of China’s resistance and the strategic nature of its protracted war, disparage China’s fighting capability, and exaggerate the role of foreign aid, giving free rein to misperceptions such as “the decisive role of U.S. aid.” We must thoroughly examine and resolutely refute these erroneous views of historical nihilism.

反对历史虚无主义是坚持正确二战史观的迫切任务。当前的历史虚无主义，不再以简单否定历史事实为特点，而是通过选择性记忆、模糊价值判断等方式混淆视听。西方关于二战的历史虚无主义主要表现在以下几个方面。一是西方中心主义。“英美国家的叙述是以欧洲为中心的，提出‘二战’这个词的是美国总统罗斯福，把这场战争与爆发在欧洲的一战联系起来，赋予它一种道德含义”，在此影响下，产生了“1939年德军闪击波兰作为二战起点”等西方中心主义错误论断，这些观点漠视中国自从1931年便开始独立抵抗日本法西斯、苏联战场的重要意义等历史事实。二是全球史叙事中的“东方战场边缘化”。西方话语中长期存在低估中国抗战战略价值的论调。美国历史学家约翰·基根认为中国战场是“边缘战场”，类似的“中国战场是配角”等错误观点屡见不鲜。三是存在“解放者叙事”的意识形态滤镜。二战后的意识形态分歧，导致西方强调“英美解放欧洲”等二战叙事，夸大英美等西方国家对于二战的贡献，几乎不提苏联在反法西斯战争中的贡献。同时，他们无视中国抗战的自主性和长期抗战的战略性，贬损中国的作战能力，夸大外国援助的作用，致使“美援决定论”等错误认知大行其道。对于这些历史虚无主义的错误观点，我们必须全面检视和坚决批驳。

Defending the fruits of victory of WWII and the post-war international order is a practical requirement for upholding a correct view of the history of WWII. The victory of WWII not only declared the complete military defeat of the fascist bloc but also affirmed universal human values such as peace, justice, and humanity. The post-war order established by a series of documents with international legal force, such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation [4]4 The Cairo Declaration (1943) and the Potsdam Proclamation (1945) were Allied documents that outlined the terms for Japan’s surrender and the post-war territorial order, including the return of Chinese territories occupied by Japan., formed an international system centered on the United Nations, emphasizing sovereign equality, territorial integrity, and opposition to aggression and interference. It is the fundamental guarantee for the peaceful coexistence of all countries in the world. Currently, some major Western powers, out of strategic competition, attempt to break this order and reshape a system of rules favorable to their own hegemony. The historical verdicts originally reached through the post-war Nuremberg Trials and Tokyo Trials [5]5 The Nuremberg Trials (1945–1946) and the Tokyo Trials (1946–1948) were international military tribunals that prosecuted major war criminals of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, respectively, establishing key precedents for international law. have been downplayed, ignored, or even distorted. These moves to distort WWII history, stir up contradictions, and create divisions are intended to undermine the legitimate authority and historical justice of the victorious powers of WWII and challenge the international order established after the victory. In this regard, we must unequivocally and resolutely uphold provisions such as Article 107 of the UN Charter, the “enemy state clause” [6]6 Article 107 of the UN Charter, the “enemy state clause,” allowed action against states that had been enemies in WWII (i.e., Germany, Japan) without UN Security Council authorization, reflecting the post-war settlement. It is now largely considered obsolete but remains legally in force., prevent the resurgence of remnants of fascism, oppose any erroneous views that glorify colonial aggression, and resolutely defend the fruits of victory of WWII and the legal order they established.

维护二战胜利成果和战后国际秩序是坚持正确二战史观的实践要求。二战的胜利，不仅宣告了法西斯集团彻底的军事失败，更是对和平、正义、人道等人类共同价值的确定。《开罗宣言》《波茨坦公告》等一系列具有国际法效力的文件确立的战后秩序，形成了以联合国为核心的国际体系，强调主权平等、领土完整、反对侵略和干涉，是世界各国和平共处的根本保障。当前，一些西方大国出于战略竞争需要，试图打破这种秩序，重新塑造有利于自身霸权的规则体系。原本经过战后纽伦堡审判、东京审判的历史定论，遭到了淡化、漠视，甚至是篡改。这些歪曲二战历史、挑拨矛盾、制造分裂的做法，意在削弱二战胜利国的合法权威与历史正义，挑战二战胜利后确定的国际秩序。对此，我们必须旗帜鲜明地坚决维护《联合国宪章》第一百零七条的“敌国条款”等内容，防止法西斯残余势力卷土重来，反对任何美化殖民侵略的错误观点，坚决捍卫二战胜利成果及其确定的法理秩序。

Strengthening the shaping and international dissemination of a correct collective memory is a strategic approach to upholding a correct view of the history of WWII. Over time, memories of WWII have transcended personal and eyewitness memory and become a constructed collective and social memory. In the process of shaping the collective memory of WWII, China must actively and proactively construct an autonomous memory system of WWII, enhance its discursive power over WWII, and vigorously promote a correct view of WWII history. The shaping of a correct view of WWII history depends not only on specialized research but also on the historical cognitive foundation of the entire population and strong international communication capacity. To uphold a correct view of WWII history, we must strengthen historical education at the source, especially historical enlightenment for young people, highlight the anti-fascist spirit and the great historical facts of the Chinese people’s resistance, and enhance international comparative perspectives and cross-cultural research capabilities in academic studies. At the same time, we must continuously advance the construction of an international communication discourse system, tell the story of China’s resistance well, convey a correct view of WWII history to the world, and enable the international community to more widely understand, accept, and respect the great contributions China has made together with other countries to the anti-fascist war.

加强正确集体记忆的塑造和国际传播是坚持正确二战史观的战略途径。随着时间的推移，关于二战的记忆已经突破了个人记忆、亲历者记忆，成为一种被建构起来的集体记忆和社会记忆。在塑造二战集体记忆的进程中，中国要积极主动建构二战的自主记忆体系，提升二战话语权，大力弘扬正确二战史观。正确二战史观的塑造不仅依赖于专业研究，更需要全民的历史认知基础和强大的国际传播能力。坚持正确二战史观，必须从源头上加强历史教育，特别是青少年群体的历史启蒙，突出反法西斯精神与中国人民伟大抗战史实，并在学术研究中加强国际比较视野与跨文化研究能力。同时，持续推进国际传播话语体系建设，讲好中国抗战故事，把正确二战史观传递给世界，使国际社会更广泛地了解、接受并尊重中国与世界各国一道为反法西斯战争所作出的伟大贡献。

Learning from history to jointly create the future is the goal orientation of upholding a correct view of the history of WWII. The ultimate purpose of upholding a correct view of WWII history is not to remain in the review of history but to draw lessons and better create the future. As a victorious nation and one of the founding member states of the United Nations, China has always advocated learning from history and facing the future, firmly defending the authority and seriousness of the post-war international order. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed the need to “jointly defend the fruits of victory of WWII and international fairness and justice.” In today’s world, upholding historical truth and promoting the anti-fascist spirit have even more profound practical significance. The lessons of WWII warn us: only through unity and cooperation, respect for sovereignty, and opposition to aggression can lasting peace be maintained. Only by upholding a correct view of WWII history, learning from history, and jointly defending the fruits of victory of WWII and international fairness and justice can countries around the world join hands to build a beautiful future of lasting peace and common prosperity.

以史为鉴共创未来是坚持正确二战史观的目标指向。坚持正确的二战史观，最终目的不是停留在对历史的回顾上，而是为了汲取教训、更好地开创未来。中国作为战胜国和联合国创始会员国之一，始终主张以史为鉴、面向未来，坚定捍卫战后国际秩序的权威性和严肃性。习近平总书记多次强调要“共同捍卫二战胜利成果和国际公平正义”。当今世界，坚持历史真相、弘扬反法西斯精神，具有更加深刻的现实意义。二战的教训警示我们：团结合作、尊重主权、反对侵略，才能维护持久和平。只有坚持正确二战史观，以史为鉴，共同捍卫二战胜利成果和国际公平正义，世界各国才能携手建设一个持久和平、共同繁荣的美好未来。

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心