In 1938, Chiang Kai-Shek took a leaf out of the Ming dynasty’s playbook for environmental war. Nationalist troops under Chiang Kai-Shek blew up dikes near Kaifeng so as to halt the advance of invading Japanese troops. The strategy worked – at the price of 800,000 lives, according to a report after the Sino-Japanese war by nationalist historians.
Thailand floods pale beside five worst floods in history
The damage from this year's floods in Thailand pales beside the destruction wrought by the five deadliest floods in history. Where and when did they happen, and just how deadly were they?
3. Yellow River, 1938
