Japan
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I am not a person who generally subscribes to conspiracy theories. In fact, I tend to be rather sceptical when historical events are presented as evidence of some hidden plot. But occasionally, a historical incident raises questions that are difficult to ignore. The death of Japanese Field Marshal Hajime Sugiyama is one such case. Sugiyama…
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Eddy de Neve occupies a unique place in the history of Dutch football. On 30 April 1905, he became the first great scoring hero of the Dutch national team, scoring all four goals in the Netherlands’ historic 4–1 victory over Belgium in Antwerp. For a brief moment, he seemed destined for sporting greatness. Eddy de…
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Introduction John Morrison Birch (1918–1945) occupies an unusual place in American history. A Baptist missionary turned U.S. Army intelligence officer in China during World War II, his life bridged the spheres of religion, geopolitics, and war. Though he died at just 27 years old, Birch became a symbolic figure in early Cold War discourse when…
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Following the Hiroshima bombing on August 6, the Soviet declaration of war and the Nagasaki bombing on August 9, the Emperor’s speech was broadcast at noon Japan Standard Time on August 15, 1945, and did reference the atomic bombs as a reason for the surrender. The broadcast was recorded a day earlier but was broadcast…
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On 9 August 1945, a B-29 named Bock’s Car lifted off from Tinian and headed toward the primary target: Kokura Arsenal, a massive collection of war industries adjacent to the city of Kokura. The primary target was the city of Kokura, where the Kokura Arsenal was located, and the secondary target was Nagasaki, where two…
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On August 6, 1945, the world witnessed the devastating power of nuclear warfare for the first time when the United States dropped an atomic bomb, code-named “Little Boy,” on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This event marked a significant turning point in World War II and had profound implications for international relations, warfare, and ethics.…
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As the Nazis did in Europe, the Japanese Imperial Army had concentration camps in the Pacific. The Asian camps weren’t nearly as horrific as the European ones, but the conditions were inhumane, nonetheless. This is just a side note, but I did notice, while researching, none of the Pacific camps were referred to as camps…
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(Re-post from 16 July 2025) In the West, when we think about World War II, we predominantly think about the war against the Nazis. However, there were quite a large number of Europeans who were fighting the Japanese in the Pacific. We also often forget that the Japanese Imperial Army, Navy, and Air Force were…
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Few criminal cases in twentieth-century Japan have generated as much fascination, discomfort, artistic interpretation, and cultural analysis as the story of Sada Abe. Even today, nearly a century after the murder that made her infamous, her name continues to provoke intense reactions. To some, she is remembered as a sensational criminal whose obsession culminated in…
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The one thing this is for certain in history, it always repeats itself. With all the talk about spies nowadays it is a good time to look at one of WWII spies.Takeo Yoshikawa. Because of his expertise on the U.S. Navy, Yoshikawa was sent to Hawaii under the cover of being a vice-consul named Tadashi…
History of Sorts 