World War II in Asia

This course will explore the history of World War II in Asia. Moving beyond a narrow focus on the war as a U.S.-Japanese conflict, we will take a trans-Asian approach to study social, cultural, military, and political aspects of the war and its consequences in shaping "postwar" Asia and global politics. Themes will include empires and imperialism, trade and treaties, nations and civil wars, parades and propaganda, race and migration, wartime capitalism and consumption, food and everyday life, war crimes and tribunals, and memory and reparations. Diverse visual and textual sources, including films, documentaries, and memoirs, will be introduced to understand and analyze weekly themes and topics.