Ithaca College

Dr. Liu will share her research on the social and political history of mass relocation in China on Tuesday, November 16, at 12:05pm in Klingenstein Lounge.

On July 7, 1937 Japan embarked on war with China and thus started the Chinese Theater of WWII(1937-1945). Subsequently at least ten million refugees followed the call of the Nationalist government as it retreated from the Japanese-occupied coastal regions and relocated in the ethnically diverse territories of the western interior. This mass movement and displacement continued on and off for eight years, touching, changing and shaping the lives of a whole generation. Thus one might expect that the consequences of fighting a war of such complex and arduous duration would have profound influence on state building and social reorganization. By exploring the role of total war and wartime retreat in the historical process of state-building, Dr. Liu argues that the war should be viewed as part and parcel of a continuum of modernization efforts rather than as an interim period for twentieth-century China.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Affirmative Action at 607-274-1767 (voice), 607-274-1767 (TDD), or email bleblanc@ithaca.edu.