Entomological Warfare in the Second Sino-Japanese War
Entomological Warfare in the Second Sino-Japanese War
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An anthropological perspective of the impacts of Imperial Japan's use of the human flea (Pulex irritans) in China
Introduction
Introduction
Entomological Warfare is not new to battlefields, and the use of insects in warfare dates as far back as the Second Parthian War, when pots stuffed with scorpions and beetles of the Paederus genus were allegedly used against the Romans during the defense of Hatra1.
Throughout our history insects have been used in a variety of ways to attempt to gain battlefield results, but none were as complex, or effective as Imperial Japan's use during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Hundreds of millions of Pulex irritans2 (Human fleas) were bred to carry plague across China by the infamous Unit 731. Concrete numbers of deaths as a result of Unit 731 are disputed, with some estimates reaching 250,000 in China alone3.
A deeper understanding of the insects used, the diseases they transported, and the aftermath of their implementation is necessary given that much of Imperial Japan's entomological warfare projects have continued to be ignored, and were used to further develop similar programs in the United States4.
What is the Anthropological Perspective?
What is the Anthropological Perspective?
Using the anthropologist's lens can allow us to gain new insights into past events, but what is anthropology, and what does that look like?
Originally lauded for the development of a portable water purification system, Unit 731 would become one of the most brutal gears of the Imperial Japanese war machine
Human Flea
Human Flea
Who is Pulex irritans, how have humans interacted with them, and why were they picked by Unit 731?
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Unit 731
Unit 731
What was Unit 731, what types of weapons did it employ, and why is it so infamous?
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Repercussions
Repercussions
Why is information about Unit 731 still so closely guarded, what became of Unit 731, and what can it tell us about modern relations? .
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