Taierzhuang 1938 - Stalingrad 1942: Insight into a Blind Spot of WW2

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Overview

Questions crucial to the development and outcome of WW2 are a blind spot in the conventional wisdom on, and histories of, WW2:

Why did Japan invade China and what difference did it make to WW2?

Japan intended to invade Siberia (USSR) at the time of Operation Barbarossa but attacked Pearl Harbor instead - what made Japan change its target?

What saved Russia (USSR) from having ...

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Overview

Questions crucial to the development and outcome of WW2 are a blind spot in the conventional wisdom on, and histories of, WW2:

Why did Japan invade China and what difference did it make to WW2?

Japan intended to invade Siberia (USSR) at the time of Operation Barbarossa but attacked Pearl Harbor instead - what made Japan change its target?

What saved Russia (USSR) from having to fight - and being defeated in - a 2-front war against Germany and Japan at the same time in WW2?

Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor forced the US to join the war against Japan and Germany in WW2 - what made Japan attack the US (Pearl Harbor) instead of the USSR (Siberia)?

This saved the USSR from having to fight a 2-front war. And it forced the US into joining China, the British and the USSR in the war against Japan and Germany. This decided the final alignment of belligerents in WW2 which ultimately decided the result of WW2.

"Taierzhuang 1938 - Stalingrad 1942" provides an insight into the blind spot in histories of World War 2 - the Sino-Japanese War. Lance Olsen addresses the elephant in the room in histories of WW2, focusing on the Battle of Taierzhuang.

Japan contrived the Mukden Incident to invade China in September 1931 starting the war in Asia. Germany contrived the Gleiwitz incident to invade Poland in September 1939 starting the war in Europe. In a desperate bid to break the stalemate in China, Japan extended the Sino-Japanese War into the Greater East Asia War by attacking British and US territories in East Asia and the Pacific, including Pearl Harbor, in December 1941 - merging the wars in Asia and Europe into a worldwide war of Axis versus Allies. This book puts it all into perspective.

In WW2, the basis of British and US strategy was Europe First or Germany First, but the elementary factor of the victory of the Allied Powers against the Axis Powers was - attrition - first deliberately applied at Taierzhuang. The major portion of Japan's military might was consumed in China and similarly later the major portion of Germany's military might was consumed in Russia. The Nanjing Massacre in China foreshadowed the Holocaust in Europe. Japan had its "Kill All", "Burn All" and "Loot All" (????) Policy in its Holy War (Seisen) in China, Germany had its "Einsatzgruppen" (death squads) in its Operation Barbarossa in Russia. Japan was waging Holy War by divine commandment in invading China - hence, the use of terror (for example: the Rape of Nanjing) and suicide bombing (Kamikaze) attacks. Again, this book puts it all into perspective.

However, Stalingrad is often pointed out as the turning point of World War 2, but Taierzhuang 1938 - the model for Stalingrad 1942 - is in the blind spot of WW2 histories.

This book provides a detailed insight into the Battle of Taierzhuang: how a hodgepodge of troops inferior in almost every aspect - crushed elite divisions of crack troops superior in logistics, training, equipment and weaponry. It points out the startling similarity in the modus operandi for victory between it and the Battle of Stalingrad 4½ years later.

From the author:
A Comment on a Review posted by Grady Harp on 31 October 2012

The review by Grady Harp quotes a summary (of the Battle of Taierzhuang) from Wikipedia. The Wikipedia article fails to do justice to the subject, e.g. the Japanese losses are severely under-estimated in Wikipedia (as on 3 November 2012).

The Battle of Taierzhuang was fought in 4 stages — at Bengbu, Linyi, Tengxian and finally at Taierzhuang itself. The numbers in the quote from Wikipedia refer only to the the 4th stage of the battle and even in that context are severe under-estimates.

Anna Louise Strong, an observer who was in China at the time the battle was fought, recorded in her book 'ONE-FIFTH OF MANKIND' published in the year of the battle (1938), that on 8 April 1938, at Taierzhuang (excluding the first stage of the battle which was fought at Bengbu far to the south): "...the Japanese in disorderly retreat northward, leaving behind them, out of 62,000, over 40,000 dead, wounded or prisoners." — this is in contrast to the Wikipedia account.

The book (Taierzhuang 1938 — Stalingrad 1942) was prompted, in part, by the failings in the Wikipedia account (Battle of Taierzhuang).

Lance "the Historian" Olsen (numisen@yahoo.com)

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What People Are Saying

Wigand Wüster
From a veteran who fought in the Battle of Stalingrad, on "Taierzhuang 1938 - Stalingrad 1942":

"As a Stalingrad veteran of German 6th Army I am very interested in this book project. The author is completely right: The background and beginning of the Asia war are not so well-known to most of us.

Regarding the crucial battle of Taierzhuang, there are lots of striking coincidents to the Stalingrad battle, you can say parallels. The author has done great research and presents his results and ideas in a brilliant way.

I can recommend this publication to all interested persons."

--Wigand Wüster, artillery commander, 71st Regiment, 171st Infantry Division, 6th Army (Germany)

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780983843597
  • Publisher: Clear Mind Publishing
  • Publication date: 7/31/2012
  • Pages: 368
  • Sales rank: 810,847
  • Product dimensions: 6.00 (w) x 9.00 (h) x 0.82 (d)

Meet the Author

Lance Olsen (not the novelist Lance Olsen) is a history buff who realized that there is an elephant in the room in histories of WW2 and that an insight into this blind spot is needed to truly understand WW2 - to prevent history from repeating itself.

Lance thinks outside of the box and searches beyond the conventional wisdom concerning WW2 and presents the results of his quest in this book.

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Customer Reviews

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  • Posted October 31, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    'Those who do not learn form history are doomed to repeat it.' Santayana

    There probably could be no better introductory line than this quote form George Santayana which Lance Olsen wisely places at the beginning of this impressive, detailed, scrupulously researched probe into the little known insights into a blind spot in the histories of WW II, blind spots that continue to affect the manner in which nations including America respond to wars today.

    Though many of the particular battles of WW II are well known and often dramatized in books and on film about events that occurred in both the European and the Asian fronts, the public is either unaware or has not been informed to the early indications of complexities of decisions that could have altered the outcome of WW II. Lance Olsen asks us to consider two basic questions: 1) Why did Japan invade China (as early as 1931) and what difference did that make to WW II? and the corollary to that question Why when Japan intended to invade Siberia (USSR) change her mind and bomb Pearl Harbor instead? And 2) What saved Russia (USSR) form being defeated in a 2 front war against Germany and Japan? A summary response (after reading Olsen's information) reveals that Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor forced the US to enter the war as Allied Forces with China, Great Britain and the USSR in two pronged war against Germany and Japan and that the Pearl Harbor incident prevented the USSR form having to fight both Germany and Japan on 2 fronts.

    Among the many fascinating aspects of this tough to read by ultimately satisfying survey of the history of WW II is Lance Olsen's thorough examination of the Sino-Japanese War from 1931 - 1938 a portion of history few of us know and a reason behind Japan's decision to attack Pearl Harbor instead of Siberia. The turning point in Japan's failure to conquer China culminated in the battle of Taierzhuang in 1938, and that bears summarizing: The battle involved a Japanese plan to conquer Xuzhou, a major city in the East. However, the Japanese failed to consider the plans of generals Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi, who planned to encircle the Japanese in the town of Tai'erzhuang. The Japanese operation started on 24 March. Overconfidence led the Japanese commanders to overlook the thousands of inconspicuous "farmers" in the area, who were affiliated with Li Zongren and cut communication lines and supplies, diverted streams, and ruined rail lines. By late March, supplies and fuels were being dropped from airplanes to Japanese troops, but the quantities were insufficient. On 29 March 1938, a small band of Japanese soldiers tunneled under Tai'erzhuang's walls in an attempt to take the city from within. They were caught by the Nationalist defenders and killed. Over the next week, both sides claimed to hold parts of the city and surrounding area, and many were killed in small arms battles. Finally, the Japanese attacked frontally, failing to consider the greater Chinese numbers. A major encirclement on 6 April, with Chinese reinforcements, preceded a major Japanese defeat and retreat, which the Chinese failed to capitalize upon fully through pursuit due to a lack of mobility. The Chinese captured 719 Japanese soldiers and large quantities of military supplies, including 31 pieces of artillery, 11 armored cars, 8 armored fighting vehicles, 1000 machine guns and 10000 rifles. Amid the celebrations of the victory in Hankow and other Chinese cities, Japan tried to deny and ridiculed the reports of the battle for days. It was reported in the wor

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted January 10, 2013

    A book that is long overdue - thanks Lance for bringing to peopl

    A book that is long overdue - thanks Lance for bringing to people's attention another aspect of WW2 that has been overlooked by the majority of historians. WW2 was a world war - not a European war - and the sooner that is taught in schools, and a true understanding as to the full geographical area and insights taught, the better for us all to learn from the troubles of the past. Well done!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
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