ABSTRACT
The Sino-Japanese War of 1937–45 was undoubtedly one of the most important turning points in the history of modern China and of the world as well. From the war, the Nationalist government headed by Chiang Kai-shek emerged victorious, but in such a gravely weakened condition that it was soon defeated by the Chinese Communist party in the ensuing civil conflict. With respect to Japan, the aggressor power, defeat in the Sino-Japanese War helped turn it away from the dead end of military expansionism onto the path of liberal democracy and postwar prosperity. Finally, the war played an important role in the world’s process of decolonization, which contributed to the construction of the contemporary international order.
