The Fall of Hong Kong: Britain, China, and the Japanese Occupation

Description

On Christmas Day 1941 the Japanese captured Hong Kong, and Britain lost control of its Chinese colony for almost four years. The Japanese occupation was a turning point in the slow historical process by which the British were to be expelled from the colony and from four centuries of influence in East Asia. In this definitive account of the wartime history of Hong Kong, Philip Snow unravels the dramatic story of the occupation from the viewpoint of all the key players - the Hong Kong Chinese, the British, the Japanese and the mainland Chinese - and reinterprets the subsequent evolution of the colony in the light of this half-buried episode. Contents Illustrations Acknowledgements Note on Romanization Glossary Introduction 1 A Late Victorian Hill Pre-war Hong Kong: the British and their subjects The shadow of Japan The Japanese plan an invasion !An outpost to be held for as long as possible’ 2 The Debacle The Japanese cross the border Revolt in Kowloon Stemming the tide: British and Nationalists on Hong Kong Island The British give in The flight of the Admiral A season of anarchy: Hong Kong in the hands of the 23 rd Army 3 The World Turned Upside Down Yazaki, Isogai and the case for benevolence Elevating the Asians: the Japanese choose an elite The gentry acquiesce Back to normal: the response of the middle classes Delegation of functions: the local underpinnings of Japanese rule The British dethroned Britain versus the Allies 4 The Japanese Miss Their Chance Isogai, Arisue and the triumph of the jackboot The elite drop away Hong Kong resistance - and British dependence Thoughts turn to Britain: nostalgia with qualifications The British regroup: A new angle of vision’ 5 The End Game The Japanese shrug their shoulders The elite get ready for change ‘We must get there first': the British and their competitors Operation Ethelred: the British slip back 6 A Frail Restoration Harcourt, MacDougall and a season of spring-cleaning A critical shortage of supervisory staff’ Pacifying the Nationalists Absolving the gentry ‘The Lees are buildingV ‘The 1946 outlooka drive for reform Retribution and rice bowls The Japanese and the post-war transformation Epilogue The past exorcised ‘Hong Kong’s second century’: the resurgence of British morale Also ran: British business Another takeover: China recovers possession Abbreviations Notes Select Bibliography Index