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US President Donald Trump reacts after signing executive orders imposing tariffs on imported goods in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik via Getty Images)
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(L) General Douglas MacArthur signs the formal surrender on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, September 2, 1945 (US Navy/Released) (R) Chinese communist guerrilla leader Mao Tse-Tung, November 12, 1944. (Fox Photos/Getty Images)
In the wake of the seventieth anniversary of the end of World War II, much of the discussion of the conflict in the Pacific theater has centered on the actions of Japan and the United States, from the attack on Pearl Harbor to the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That focus leaves out key aspects of a much larger story: the struggle for empire and mastery that shaped the fate of Asia from the beginning of the twentieth century through the Korean War, and beyond.
On Wednesday, January 18, six distinguished historians presented a fresh look at this “hidden history” of the wars of twentieth century East Asia, offering new perspectives on contemporary conflicts in the region. Co-moderated by Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Arthur Herman and Hudson Institute Senior Vice President Lewis Libby, the presentations of these internationally renowned scholars challenged widely-held misconceptions and false perspectives on both the Second World War and the Korean War, and provide a better context for understanding the changing relationship between the United States and its Pacific Rim allies.
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