Not Just a Mans War

In 1931, Japan began a brutal occupation of Manchuria, and in 1937, China and Japan entered a full-scale war that ended with Japans defeat in 1945. The War of Resistance became the Chinese experience of the Second World War. Yet women scarcely get a mention in most accounts of the fourteen-year conflict. Through interviews, published reminiscences, and oral histories, Not Just a Mans War uncovers the extraordinary stories of ordinary Chinese women during the war. Communist women speak of fighting as soldiers for a good war and contributing to the partys rise to power. Nationalist women attribute their survival to the strength of the human spirit while acknowledging tremendous suffering. Women from the working poor and the middle classes describe the hardships of Japanese aggression and in their narratives refuse to be ignored as passive beings. In speaking up, the victims of sexual violence become survivor activists demanding justice. These women demonstrate a striking autonomy regardless of political association, socioeconomic status, or education. By attending to their insights, Not Just a Mans War produces a multi-faceted, inclusive narrative of Chinas War of Resistance.