Rays of the Rising Sun, Volume 1: Japan’s Asian Allies 1931-45, China and Manchukuo by John Berger (PDF)

Description

When the Japanese Empire went to war with the Allies in December 1941, it had already been fighting in China for 10 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 cooperate 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. These puppet armies were large in number, reaching a total of well over 1 million before 1945. Although poorly armed and equipped, these forces had an influence on the Japanese war effort through sheer numbers.The Chinese puppet soldiers ranged from the well-drilled and trained regular Army of the Last Emperor of China, Pu Yi, who ruled the newly-formed state of Manchukuo, 1932-45, to the irregular Mongol cavalry who served alongside Japanese troops in the ‘secret war’ waged in the Mongolian hinterlands. 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 tell the story of the Chinese who fought for the Japanese over a 14 year period. He describes in detail the organization, 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 Volume 1 contains many rare and previously unpublished photos, as well as color plates illustrating the uniforms and insignia of the armies. The air forces and navies of these states are also described in detail, incl. color 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.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: About the Author Interested in military history from an early age, Philip Jowett has published many books over the last twenty-five years, specialising in the armies of Asia in the first half of the twentieth century, the Russo-Japanese War, and the armies of the Second World War. A rugby league enthusiast and amateur genealogist, he is married and lives in Lincolnshire.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐This book covers the little known topic of the chinese collaborationist troops of ww2. There were hundreds of thousands of puppet troops in China at the time but their impact was rarely discussed. Rays of the Rising Sun provides everything you need to know about this topic. Must read for amateur history buffs

⭐This is the only popular tome on this subject, and as such, it is the best. Amazing detail on units of sublime obscurity. I couldn’t be more pleased.

⭐A book on a topic that there really hasn’t been covered before. There is a want to be wanted from this book, but with the fact a lot of records on this topic have been destroyed or are still hidden in Chinese record vaults the book is well put together. I can see a second version of this book once more records on this comes public.

⭐There has been very little written about the various ‘puppet’ forces raised by the Japanese following the September 1931 Manchurian Incident, and Philip Jowett’s book is a welcome arrival. Drawing from a wide range of sources, Mr. Jowett covers not only the major ‘puppet’ forces of Manchukuo and the Nanking Army, but also the Inner Mongolian Army, White Russians in Japanese service and a number of the smaller forces in North China. In addition to the written information there are a good selection of photos, organisational charts and four pages of colour plates showing uniforms and aircraft colour schemes. Volume two of the series is eagerly awaited.

⭐If you are simply interested in knowing all the list of “puppet” governments and their military in China, this is a great book. But, if you are looking for in depth knowledge of the real reasons behind the failure and success (if any) of invading Japanese army in China, as well as the lack of sophistication of their military planners, you may have to look elsewhere.But, the collection of photographs shown in the book are fascinating.

⭐Only book of its kind so far. Book covers the formation and the battle that these nations provided forces to fight in WW2. The training and destruction of the military division is well covered. Great read on the formation and what they did for japan military.

⭐This is a necessary book for anyone interested in the armed forces of Japan’s puppet regimes in Manchuria and China.The book has a great deal of detail, and some interesting photos, but I found the narrative to be a bit sparse. It is probably the case that service to Japan was a better option than most others for people in that area at that time. The troops seem to have been fairly well equipped and reasonably well trained. There could be more detail on actual campaigns: how well did these troops perform? Were they substitutes to cut Japanese losses? Did they have any independence at all?And one wonders what happened to them as Manchuria fell to the Soviets. The White Russians in Japanese service likely faced death, for example.This could have been a fascinating book. I found it informative and more than a little tedious to read.

⭐This is a great resource for a very obscure topic in the west(and also in China for the matter).Philip Jowet does an excellent job on detailing the histories, OBs and units of the ultra obscure Chinese puppet armies who fought for the Japanese during ww2.The fact that 2 million Chinese fought for the Japanese was an embarrasment for all sides involved, most of these troops were of very poor quality and were also poorly armed and poorly treated by their Japanese masters.The Chinese guerillas however found them to be an excellent resource for weapons, info and recruits.A few units however fought wholeheartedly and brutally for the Japanese and hopefully these guys get spreadeagled on the wall in front of a firing squad.These Chinese puppet troops were later subsumed into the KMT and CCP armies to fight in the upcoming civil war of 1946-1949.

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