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Asia and the Great War . By Xu Guoqi . Oxford : Oxford University Press , 2017. 275 pp. $50.00 (cloth)
Book Review
Xu Guoqi has written several books about Asian presence in the Great War, including China and the Great War and Strangers on the Western Front. The distinguishing feature of his latest exploration, Asia and the Great War, is its sweeping breadth and scope: it covers Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean involvement in the Great War. The book illuminates the dynamics that took place during negotiations during and after World War I, which provide disturbing justifications for present dynamics between Asia and the West, giving stark testimony to the ways historical events do indeed shape the future.
Principally focusing on the five Asian countries mentioned earlier, Xu details critical moments in history where Asian participation in world politics was undercut by definitive actions by Europe and America. While Woodrow Wilson inspired Asian countries with his 14 points--as Xu writes, "All five countries were enthusiastic about the new world order laid out in Woodrow Wilson's 'Fourteen Points' speech" (p. 7)--ultimately America did not extend its ideological generosity to Asian countries that counted on it. While much of Asia longed for its own independence, evidenced by nationalist movements all over Asia, they were not allowed to express or obtain diplomatic audiences in an appropriate way. At key peace conferences, America and Europe refused to give Korea and China an audience where they could articulate their aspirations; meanwhile the Western countries surreptitiously conducted secret deals with Japan, allowing the country to continue its colonialist path in China and Korea. In a specific example, Wilson, even amidst protests from...