Charles IIs family tree is upside down

https://repository.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2690&context=cwbr This is a 2008 book review of a book that catalogs war crimes committed by Union soldiers against southern civilians. It was an intentional decision of Lincoln and the most senior generals. The book review is basically an apology for Lincoln, putting what he did in historical context. Essentially - as with WW2 where the US and its Allies knowingly bombed German cities, knowing hundreds of thousands of civilians would die - the answer is: 1) civilians die in wars; 2) we did it so the war would end faster, without massive casualties among our own troops; and 3) it was a horrible thing, but we had to defeat the horrible ideology of slavery (and in WW2, Naziism). I agree with that apology/context. What is very frustrating is that so many people condemn other countries for doing exactly what the Union needed to do, and exactly what the Allies needed to do. I think Lincoln and Truman/Churchill were heroes despite the horrible suffering they inflicted. I remember that when I look at wars today. What is appalling is when people who think Lincoln / Roosevelt/Truman were heroes, judge our allies by very different standards - much higher / harsher standards than those by which we held ourselves.

Thanks for the correction. I've edited the answer to reflect that.

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Thanks for the correction. I was clearly reading too fast. I've updated the answer to remove that comment.

It seems the sources you are relying on are somewhat outdated. First, the claim that “Japanese peasant culture was inherently submissive” reflects a cultural-essentialist perspective, which is misleading and potentially harmful. In reality, from the late Edo period through the Shōwa era, peasants repeatedly engaged in tenant disputes, local uprisings, and organized movements to improve their living conditions, demonstrating proactive agency. These movements were only suppressed with the advance of the WWII wartime system, rather than being a natural outcome of a “submissive” culture.

Additionally, improvements in agricultural technology and productivity during the Meiji period and beyond materially enhanced peasants’ living standards. Objective indicators, such as the steady increase in average height (about 1 cm per decade up to WWII), reflect better nutrition and living conditions, contradicting any simplistic portrayal of peasants as living in uniformly harsh circumstances.

Thank you! I love royal history, but there are only 10 names in circulation at any given time 😂