Click the star to add/remove an item to/from your individual schedule.
You need to be logged in to avail of this functionality.

Hist11


has 1 film 1
Competing narratives on Sino-Japanese relations, 1915-1945: local, national, and international exchanges 
Convenor:
Andrea Revelant (Ca' Foscari University of Venice)
Send message to Convenor
Discussant:
Urs Matthias Zachmann (Freie Universität Berlin)
Section:
History
Sessions:
Friday 27 August, -
Time zone: Europe/Brussels

Short Abstract:

Our panel examines the history of relations between imperial Japan and the Republic of China, taking public narratives to discuss the role of different actors in the formation of mutual images between the two countries. Each paper addresses one of four successive phases within the common timeframe.

Long Abstract:

The history of imperial Japan is inextricably bound to that of China. Mutual perceptions of the two countries were essential elements in the formation of their own national identities and sense of placement in the modern world. Those perceptions changed over time, affecting in a remarkable way the course of both foreign relations and internal affairs. Moreover, they were never homogeneous throughout either country at any given moment. There were, on the contrary, multiple and often conflicting narratives. Some of them managed to acquire dominant status over a long period and resonated abroad; others remained marginal, but are today no less significant for understanding the history of society and institutions. Inquiring into the genesis of narratives, their competition and reciprocal influences means, in fact, to shed light on relations among the actors involved in those complex flows.

On these premises, our panel investigates the development of Sino-Japanese relations through the lens of public debates, using sources from both countries. The period considered spans over three decades, from the First World War to the end of the Second World War. This allows us to track some major issues in the redefinition of mutual images. Set in motion by the birth of the Republic of China at regional level and by the Great War on a global scale, these issues reached their climax in the tragic years of the Sino-Japanese War.

Each paper in the panel presents the results of new research on a specific phase within the given time frame. The first study reconsiders the 21 Demands to China by looking at diverse responses in the Japanese press, both national and local. The second paper carries on this line of investigation, analysing how press commentators, particularly in local newspapers, evaluated "Shidehara diplomacy" at the time of the Sino-Soviet conflict in 1929. The next paper turns to the 1930s, to illustrate the efforts some prominent journalists made in China and Japan to forestall conflict escalation between the two countries. Finally, we move into the Sino-Japanese War with a research on radio propaganda from both sides.

Accepted papers:

Session 1 Friday 27 August, 2021, -
Panel Video visible to paid-up delegates