End Of Empire: 100 Days in 1945 that Changed Asia and the World

Asia Insights

by David P. Chandler (Editor), Robert Cribb (Editor), Li Narangoa (Editor)

Aiming to balance the focus on European events in global public discussions and reminiscences of World War II, End of Empire focuses on a brief, 100-day period at the end of the war across a broad sweep of eastern Asia – a time when the Indonesian and Vietnamese revolutions were born, the fragile wartime truce between Communists and Nationalists in China began to fray, and the first steps were made in Japan towards a new democratic order. Following a chronological order, the volume combines daily events with commentary, photographs, maps and personal accounts. More importantly, it is part of a radical, multi-faceted project to commemorate the period not just in print but also on screen and in ‘real-time broadcasts’ published day by day. Here, perhaps, is the form of scholarly publishing and learning of the future but without abandoning traditional standards.

The book comes with a companion website (Endofempire.asia) and a Facebook page (Facebook/endofempire.com) in which you can join the discussion on the events depicted!

Genres: History, World War II

304 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

David P. Chandler is an American historian and one of the foremost western scholars of Cambodia's modern history.

Reviews

[Adam Posselt · Rating 5 out of 5]

As much or more than the end of the war in Europe, the end of the war in Asia in 1945 set into motion forces which completely reshaped the reality of a continent and a war-weary world. With the surrender of Japan, western colonies and possessions from India to Indonesia suddenly found themselves in the middle of a whirlwind of chaos and uncertainty. The world might have turned from war to peace, but the world was also turned upside down, because the Asian landscape would never be quite the same after years of conflict. The pre-war status quo would never be seen again.
Other books have tackled this time of tribulation and transition in traditional narrative style. End of Empire: 100 Days in 1945 That Changed Asia and the World takes a more unusual, day-by-day approach to the period from 5 August 1945 through 12 November 1945. Despite the strict chronological approach, the editors eschew simple one-line notes in favor of more fully developed reports for each event. This is no superficial recitation of headlines.
To begin with, the book offers roughly 30 pages to set the stage for the final days of the war and the first days of peace, or what passed for peace. This is far more than a simplistic, lightweight overview of the war years. Instead, the editors look thoroughly but concisely at the nations and colonies of Asia, explaining how each one arrived at its own unique situation in August 1945. These notes alone will provide a trove of fresh insights, especially for those readers who believe the Russian Front constituted the eastern extremity of World War II on the Eurasian landmass. Everyone who is already familiar with the wartime history of Laos, Cambodia, and the People's Republic of Mongolia, raise your right hand.
Conversely, the "Aftermath" of about twelve pages carries the story of each part of Asia through the late 1940s in the same style.
Between Prelude and Aftermath lies the heart of the book, one hundred daily entries amounting to over 300 pages. Each date includes multiple events and runs from a half page to several pages in length. For each event, the text measures anywhere from a paragraph to multiple pages. This allows the editors to make brief mention of many minor occurrences while also giving ample space to dig deeply into more important subjects.
For example, the entry for 30 August contains this short note, one of several dealing with the theme of Mongolian unification over the course of several weeks: "Soviet pressure on Mongol leaders about unification: After a visit to the Soviet embassy in Ulaanbaatar by Choibalsan and President Bumtsend, the Mongolian People's Republic begins focusing on securing Outer Mongolian independence and, at least in public, treating calls for Mongol unification with eloquent silence." In addition, the same date contains text for these headlines:

- MacArthur assumes power
- Royal retraction widens divisions in Laos
- Bao Dai formally abdicates
- Bao Dai's abdication: the failure of an imperial project
- Singapore internment camp complete
- Not going home: the fate of Japanese POWs

Of those items, "Bao Dai's abdication: the failure of an imperial project" occupies almost two pages and "Not going home: the fate of Japanese POWs" extends to a full page, while each of the other items receives a solid paragraph of text.
As can be seen, the emphasis is less on military matters and more on political and diplomatic issues. Likewise, some of the best-known events are handled concisely, while less familiar ones sometimes receive considerably more attention. On 2 September, for example, the formal surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay is covered in a single paragraph. On the same date, David Marr contributes a couple of pages about the declaration of Vietnamese independence in Hanoi.
This pattern continues throughout the book, generating a somewhat kaleidoscopic view of those hundred days, but providing a constant flow of interesting factoids and deeper analysis. No matter how much readers think they know about the end of the war in Asia, this book will teach them more about topics with which they're already familiar, and surprise them with completely new and unfamiliar information. While the book isn't constructed with a steadily flowing narrative, readers will find it difficult to stop turning pages from one date to the next.
Where does this material come from? The team at NIAS Press assembled an impressive roster of academics, all of them authorities in their fields. (To drop just a few names: John Dower, Theodore Friend, Marc Gallicchio, Paul Kratoska, David Marr, Bruce Reynolds, and Stein Tonnesson.) These were loosely formed into "country teams" for contributing, reviewing, and finalizing the entries. This kind of approach could lead to chaos, but the editors have performed an admirable job of molding the disparate inputs into a coherent whole. Editorial notes at the end of the book prove enlightening in that regard. Here's an excerpt from a description of the process:

As an editorial choice, vignette authors were invited to write on their own authority. Citations to the literature in support of the mass of factual claims could have doubled the length of the book without making it more authoritative. As a substitute for citations, we instituted a multi-level review process. First, we invited known authorities in their field to contribute to precisely those areas in which they are recognized as experts. Second, each country chronology was the collective effort of the members of that country group. Third, the vignettes were subjected to a formal review and revision process. Fourth, the entire collective had a chance to comment on both vignettes and the full chronology after they had been declared 'ready to typeset' by the relevant country group. And, finally, all contributors have been sent the final proof of the volume before it goes to print. In short, no changes have been made without the author's approval. The authors remain the authorities.
The whole conclusively proves greater than the sum of the parts. This won't ever be judged the ultimate, comprehensive history of the end of the war in Asia, but it will certainly be deemed an interesting, informative, and highly successful supplement to that literature. Readers will surely be spurred to further reading and research, and to that end the editors provide seven pages filled with suggestions. For our part, we would highlight a few related books of a general nature, including some old standards and some newer works:

- Allen, Louis. The End of the War in Asia. London: Hart-Davis, 1976
- Bayly, Christopher and Tim Harper. Forgotten Armies: The Fall of British Asia, 1941-1945. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2005
- Frank, Richard B. Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire. New York: Random House, 1999
- Gallicchio, Marc. The Scramble for Asia: U.S. Military Power in the Aftermath of the Pacific War. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2008
- Spector, Ronald H. In the Ruins of Empire: The Japanese Surrender and the Battle for Postwar Asia. New York: Random House, 2007

In addition to the high caliber material from so many eminent contributors, End of Empire also succeeds with its simple but attractive layout, complemented but not overwhelmed by a goodly number of well-chosen photographs and a few well-executed maps. The package looks visually appealing without being flashy.
It should be noted, by the way, that the book does not cover the Indian sub-continent or western Asia, the inclusion of which would have probably doubled the page count, delayed publication by years, and driven contributors and editors to tears. Perhaps NIAS Press will consider that project in the future.
Even without India and the Near East, End of Empire achieves very high levels of quality, diversity, and appeal. Distinctive. Engaging. Informative. Factual. Attractive.
Quite a nice job all the way around, and definitely recommended.
Available from online booksellers, local bookshops, or directly from the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Press.
Thanks to NIAS for providing this review copy.

/Stone & Stone: Second world war books

[Adam Posselt · Rating 5 out of 5]

As much or more than the end of the war in Europe, the end of the war in Asia in 1945 set into motion forces which completely reshaped the reality of a continent and a war-weary world. With the surrender of Japan, western colonies and possessions from India to Indonesia suddenly found themselves in the middle of a whirlwind of chaos and uncertainty. The world might have turned from war to peace, but the world was also turned upside down, because the Asian landscape would never be quite the same after years of conflict. The pre-war status quo would never be seen again.
Other books have tackled this time of tribulation and transition in traditional narrative style. End of Empire: 100 Days in 1945 That Changed Asia and the World takes a more unusual, day-by-day approach to the period from 5 August 1945 through 12 November 1945. Despite the strict chronological approach, the editors eschew simple one-line notes in favor of more fully developed reports for each event. This is no superficial recitation of headlines.
To begin with, the book offers roughly 30 pages to set the stage for the final days of the war and the first days of peace, or what passed for peace. This is far more than a simplistic, lightweight overview of the war years. Instead, the editors look thoroughly but concisely at the nations and colonies of Asia, explaining how each one arrived at its own unique situation in August 1945. These notes alone will provide a trove of fresh insights, especially for those readers who believe the Russian Front constituted the eastern extremity of World War II on the Eurasian landmass. Everyone who is already familiar with the wartime history of Laos, Cambodia, and the People's Republic of Mongolia, raise your right hand.
Conversely, the "Aftermath" of about twelve pages carries the story of each part of Asia through the late 1940s in the same style.
Between Prelude and Aftermath lies the heart of the book, one hundred daily entries amounting to over 300 pages. Each date includes multiple events and runs from a half page to several pages in length. For each event, the text measures anywhere from a paragraph to multiple pages. This allows the editors to make brief mention of many minor occurrences while also giving ample space to dig deeply into more important subjects.
For example, the entry for 30 August contains this short note, one of several dealing with the theme of Mongolian unification over the course of several weeks: "Soviet pressure on Mongol leaders about unification: After a visit to the Soviet embassy in Ulaanbaatar by Choibalsan and President Bumtsend, the Mongolian People's Republic begins focusing on securing Outer Mongolian independence and, at least in public, treating calls for Mongol unification with eloquent silence." In addition, the same date contains text for these headlines:

- MacArthur assumes power
- Royal retraction widens divisions in Laos
- Bao Dai formally abdicates
- Bao Dai's abdication: the failure of an imperial project
- Singapore internment camp complete
- Not going home: the fate of Japanese POWs

Of those items, "Bao Dai's abdication: the failure of an imperial project" occupies almost two pages and "Not going home: the fate of Japanese POWs" extends to a full page, while each of the other items receives a solid paragraph of text.
As can be seen, the emphasis is less on military matters and more on political and diplomatic issues. Likewise, some of the best-known events are handled concisely, while less familiar ones sometimes receive considerably more attention. On 2 September, for example, the formal surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay is covered in a single paragraph. On the same date, David Marr contributes a couple of pages about the declaration of Vietnamese independence in Hanoi.
This pattern continues throughout the book, generating a somewhat kaleidoscopic view of those hundred days, but providing a constant flow of interesting factoids and deeper analysis. No matter how much readers think they know about the end of the war in Asia, this book will teach them more about topics with which they're already familiar, and surprise them with completely new and unfamiliar information. While the book isn't constructed with a steadily flowing narrative, readers will find it difficult to stop turning pages from one date to the next.
Where does this material come from? The team at NIAS Press assembled an impressive roster of academics, all of them authorities in their fields. (To drop just a few names: John Dower, Theodore Friend, Marc Gallicchio, Paul Kratoska, David Marr, Bruce Reynolds, and Stein Tonnesson.) These were loosely formed into "country teams" for contributing, reviewing, and finalizing the entries. This kind of approach could lead to chaos, but the editors have performed an admirable job of molding the disparate inputs into a coherent whole. Editorial notes at the end of the book prove enlightening in that regard. Here's an excerpt from a description of the process:

As an editorial choice, vignette authors were invited to write on their own authority. Citations to the literature in support of the mass of factual claims could have doubled the length of the book without making it more authoritative. As a substitute for citations, we instituted a multi-level review process. First, we invited known authorities in their field to contribute to precisely those areas in which they are recognized as experts. Second, each country chronology was the collective effort of the members of that country group. Third, the vignettes were subjected to a formal review and revision process. Fourth, the entire collective had a chance to comment on both vignettes and the full chronology after they had been declared 'ready to typeset' by the relevant country group. And, finally, all contributors have been sent the final proof of the volume before it goes to print. In short, no changes have been made without the author's approval. The authors remain the authorities.
The whole conclusively proves greater than the sum of the parts. This won't ever be judged the ultimate, comprehensive history of the end of the war in Asia, but it will certainly be deemed an interesting, informative, and highly successful supplement to that literature. Readers will surely be spurred to further reading and research, and to that end the editors provide seven pages filled with suggestions. For our part, we would highlight a few related books of a general nature, including some old standards and some newer works:

- Allen, Louis. The End of the War in Asia. London: Hart-Davis, 1976
- Bayly, Christopher and Tim Harper. Forgotten Armies: The Fall of British Asia, 1941-1945. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2005
- Frank, Richard B. Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire. New York: Random House, 1999
- Gallicchio, Marc. The Scramble for Asia: U.S. Military Power in the Aftermath of the Pacific War. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2008
- Spector, Ronald H. In the Ruins of Empire: The Japanese Surrender and the Battle for Postwar Asia. New York: Random House, 2007

In addition to the high caliber material from so many eminent contributors, End of Empire also succeeds with its simple but attractive layout, complemented but not overwhelmed by a goodly number of well-chosen photographs and a few well-executed maps. The package looks visually appealing without being flashy.
It should be noted, by the way, that the book does not cover the Indian sub-continent or western Asia, the inclusion of which would have probably doubled the page count, delayed publication by years, and driven contributors and editors to tears. Perhaps NIAS Press will consider that project in the future.
Even without India and the Near East, End of Empire achieves very high levels of quality, diversity, and appeal. Distinctive. Engaging. Informative. Factual. Attractive.
Quite a nice job all the way around, and definitely recommended.
Available from online booksellers, local bookshops, or directly from the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Press.
Thanks to NIAS for providing this review copy.

/Stone & Stone: Second world war books