Daring to Shoulder Historical Responsibility: Way to Become Big Political Power

The event of Japan's tampering with the history textbook has stirred up an unprecedented wave of condemnation of Japan by various Asian countries, Italy, which is far off on the continent of Europe, has also shown extensive concern over the matter. A local media commentary says the revised Japanese history textbook "has stricken fear into the hearts of the people in the once Japan-occupied countries. For the people of various Asian countries, this is just like the German history textbook which denies the Nazi acts of massacre".

The calamities brought by Japanese militarists on the world in the last century make it easy for people to associate them with the similar atrocities perpetrated by German and Italian fascists in the same period. However, Germany and Italy, after World War II, made much more profound and thorough liquidation and rumination of this phase of dark history than Japan did. The concern over and criticism of Japan's tampering with history textbook by Italian media reflect that Italy has a correct understanding of this phase of its disgraceful history, it also serves as a foil to Japan's lack of wise in its attitude toward historical problems.

When World War II was approaching to an end, Italy's resistance movement helped the allied forces in liberating Italy, Mussolini was executed by the guerrillas of the resistance movement. In 1946, Italy established republicanism through referendum, then it banished members of the Savoy who once supported Mussolini's fascist regime, and negated that phase of inglorious history in its newly enacted Constitution. In 1947, the Italian government and parliament stood up to the domestic nationalist pressure and accepted the peace treaty of Paris which required Italy to give up its overseas colonies and pay war indemnities. Finally, Italy reached a compromise with countries it had once invaded and occupied.

Italy's economic strength is currently placed sixth in the world. As a moderately strong country of world influence, Italy has in recent years conducted lively diplomatic activities; as one of the important members of European Union, Italy has played a significant role in the construction of Europe and on many other issues; it has exerted fairly strong influence on such international affairs as the Middle East, North Africa and the Balkan region; in the discussion of many major global issues, Italy's voice has been often heard; on the question regarding the reform of the United Nations, the proposal put forward by Italy was supported by quite a number of countries.

Without a correct understanding of, and without the correct actions taken toward, this phase of its disgraceful history, it would be inconceivable that Italy today could have enjoyed such an international standing. Perhaps this point can be illustrated by the following story. When Italy occupied Ethiopia in those years, the fascist regime, in order to flaunt its force, followed the method by which ancient Rome conquered Egypt, it took an obelisk of Ethiopia back to Rome and erected it near the ruins of Rome. In 1998 when Italian President Oscar L. Scalfaro visited Ethiopia, he did not evade the historical facts of Italy's aggression against Ethiopia, and promised that the Italian side would pay for and return the obelisk. After thorough preparations, the Italian side fulfilled this promise in 2000, thus earning it the praises from several countries in North Africa and the Balkan region which once suffered from the Italian fascist aggression.

A look at Japan shows that its economic strength ranks second in the world, but its political influence is very insignificant. A contrast of Japan and Italy makes it easy for people to see that Japan to this date fails to get the world's forgiveness because it is weighed down by a historical burden, and it is Japan itself that is unwilling to shed this burden. A commentary of the Italian newspaper, the Republic, said, "Many Japanese are dreaming of making their country a 'normal' country which has the recognition of its neighboring countries and possesses political influence that matches its mighty economic strength. However, if Japan does not clear its own history and, instead, relies only on tampering with its history textbook, the dream of Japan will not come true."

This remark has really come to the point.

People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/