August 16, 2022

In December 2019, the newly opened Rise of Asia Museum at Haw Par Villa hosted an international conference titled Great Powers and Grand Strategies in the Asia Pacific 1940 – 1954, attracting scholars studying history, geopolitics, and international relations around the world. As a historical site, Haw Par Villa offered the attending scholars a perfect opportunity to relook at the history in the early 20^th century in Asia. Subsequently, the exchanges produced at and reflections generated by the conference were consolidated into a new publication.

From Far East to Asia Pacific: Great Powers and Grand Strategy 1900-1954 (2022), edited by Professor Brian P. Farrell, Associate Professor S.R. Joey Long (both NUS History), and Associate Professor David J. Ulbrich (Norwich University), compiles the riches generated in the 2019 conference hosted in Singapore. The book focuses on three major topics: in the 1940 to 1954 period, why China and Japan were so central yet so constrained to exercise their powers; why global great powers were important but rarely got what they wanted; and why grand strategies (strategies great powers employ for their so-called higher causes, such as freedom and democracy and the co-prosperity of Greater East Asia) adopted by great powers provide clear insights into how historical events evolved in this period of time.

Overall, the book aims to use specific experiences, examples, and themes to illustrate the main problems involved in efforts by great powers to reorder the Asia Pacific from 1900 to 1954, thus triggering more readers to consider these questions.

Access From Far East to Asia Pacific: Great Powers and Grand Strategy 1900-1954 here.