With all the talk of the chinese victory celebrations it occurred to me that I don't really know very much about the chinese side of WW2 in east Asia.
Is it even reasonable to celebrate "defeating" japan in this fashion?
In my, admittedly, not very well-read mind Japan was primarily beaten by naval blockade and aerial bombing of the Japanese mainland finished with the atomic bombs and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria.
What part did China play in japans defeat?
Imperial Japan Headquarters was limited reinforcements to the Pacific islands because almost one million of the IJA China Expeditionary Army (支那派遣軍) had been pinned to mainland China.
And China provided the base of the B-29 in Chengdu.
There was effect in the Kyusyu area of the bombing of Japan.
Most of part it was achievement by Chiang Kai-shek troops...not Mao's Army.