The Editor, Author at Asian Histories

Alternative History: Commodore Matthew C. Perry occupies Formosa in the 1850s

By The Editor 14/04/2025Alternative History, China, Taiwan

On his way back to Japan in 1854, U.S. Commodore Matthew C. Perry anchored off Keelung in Formosa, modern-day Taiwan, for ten days. In his official reports, Perry highlighted the…

How did Ngô Đình Diệm defeat the Bình Xuyên and Hòa Hảo rebels?

By The Editor 13/04/2025Vietnam

In the chaotic aftermath of the First Indochina War and the 1954 Geneva Accords, South Vietnam teetered on the edge of fragmentation. The newly appointed Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm…

Ngô Đình Diệm brought order to South Vietnam in the 1950s – but at what cost?

By The Editor 13/04/2025Vietnam

In the wake of the 1954 Geneva Accords, South Vietnam stood on the edge of disintegration. The country was not yet a coherent state but a patchwork of rival factions,…

Why did the U.S. State Department not push for independence for former Japanese colony Taiwan between 1945 and 1949?

By The Editor 11/04/2025China, Taiwan

Between 1945 and 1949, the U.S. State Department's stance on Taiwan’s status was shaped by a mix of strategic, geopolitical, and practical considerations in the complex post-World War II landscape.…

Could Chiang Kai-shek be held personally responsible for losing China?

By The Editor 10/04/2025China

Whether Chiang Kai-shek bears personal responsibility for “losing” China to the Communists during the Chinese Civil War is a debated topic among historians. Arguments on both sides hinge on his…

What were the reactions of the government and people of Japan to Commodore Perry’s arrival in 1854?

By The Editor 29/05/2023Japan

Landing of Commodore Perry at Yokohama, Japan, March 8th 1854 The Japanese Government’s Reaction to Commodore Perry’s Arrival The arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry of the United States Navy in…