Japan's Asian allies 1931-1945 with Vol 1 covering
China and Manchukuo.
When the Japanese Empire went to war with the Allies in December
1941, it had already been fighting in China for ten years. During that
time it had conquered huge areas of China, and subjugated millions of
people. The Japanese needed to control the Chinese population in these occupied
territories, and for this reason they set up governments from amongst the
leaders of the Chinese who were willing to co-operate with them. These so-called
'puppet' governments were designed to rule on behalf of the Japanese while
firmly under their overall control. In turn, the puppet governments needed their
own armed forces to help them maintain control over the populace and so they
raised their own 'independent' armed forces. Although poorly-armed and equipped,
these forces had an influence on the Japanese war effort through sheer
numbers.
The troops were dismissed as traitors by the Chinese fighting the
Japanese, and they were equally despised by the Japanese themselves. The troops
were motivated by a range of reasons, from simple survival to a loyalty to their
commander. The fact that so many Chinese were willing to fight for the Japanese
was embarrassing to all sides, and for this reason has been largely ignored in
previous histories of the war in the East.
In the first of a three-volume series, Philip Jowett tells the story
of the Chinese who fought for the Japanese over a 14 year period. He describes
in detail the organisation, training, actions, uniforms and equipment of these
forces, including detailed orders-of-battle. Volume 1 contains many rare and
previously unpublished photos, as well as colour plates illustrating the
uniforms and insignia of the armies. The air forces and navies of these states
are also described in detail, including colour aircraft profiles. In a series of
appendices, the author provides selected orders of battle as well as biographies
of notable military commanders. This is a fascinating insight into a
hitherto-neglected aspect of Second World War and Asian military history. This
is a limited edition reprint of just 500 copies, each copy numbered and signed
by the author.
Available late 2012.
