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BEGINNING OF THE PACIFIC WAR: July 7, 1937
There occurred the event that some consider began World War II in Asia or was the start of the second Sino-Japanese War. The Marco Polo Bridge Incident began with the Japanese request to search for a missing soldier, which the Chinese army denied. Shots were exchanged and this event led to large-scale fighting and the Pacific War had begun. -
THE NANKING MASSACRE
The Japanese were proud of their massacre at Nanking and documented it well.
One bright light for the Chinese citizens was the establishment of the International Safety Zone which was composed of around 20 Westerners - missionaries, doctors, and businessmen. This group declared a 2.5 mile section of the city for the Red Cross and labeled it "off-limits" to the Japanese. The volunteers in the Safety Zone administered to the wounded and sometimes intervened to save Chinese people in danger of deat -
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THE WAR IN CHINA: 1937-1941
The Japanese Imperial Army soon gained control of much of the Chinese coast. One of the most infamous episodes of the war is the Japanese invasion of the Chinese capital at that time - Nanking (now Nanjing). As the Japanese neared Nanking, the Chinese continued their retreat. -
INTRODUCTION
World War Two broke out in Europe in September 1939 but war had been going on in Asia for some years already. Within two years, these two conflicts had turned into a genuinely world war, with fighting occurring in just about every part of the globe. In the Pacific area, the war escalated when Japan attacked Manchuria in 1931-1932. -
PEARL HABOR AND THE JAPANESE EXPANSION: 1940
US Declares War on Japan. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the War
Declaration against Japan in 1941. The Japanese actions in China stirred up anti-Japanese sentiments in the United States. Though America was neutral at this point in the war, the U.S. press worked actively to keep citizens abreast of the facts. To add more tension between Japan and the United States, America decided to cut off supplies of scrap metal to Japan unless they stopped their aggressions. In December of 1940, Ameri -
AMERICA DECLARES WAR ON JAPAN: December 1941
As the Japanese bombers went on to attack American bases in the Philippines, the outraged U.S. citizens demanded war against the Japanese. And so, on December 8th of 1941, Britain and the United States of America declared war against the country of Japan. Three days later, Germany declared war on America - the United States had become entangled in the heart of World War II. -
OTHER JAPANESE INVASIONS:1942
Japanese had invaded so many countries at this time. Meanwhile, the Japanese aircraft decimated American aircraft staying in the Philippines. Having destroyed America's Army Air Force in the Philippines, the Japanese air force continued on to Wake Island, Thailand, and Shanghai. Pearl Harbor marked the beginning of a conquering frenzy for the Japanese. By early 1942, they had taken over Borneo, Malaya, Guam, and Indonesia; they had begun fighting in Sumatra, New Guinea, Burma, and Java. -
THE FALL OF SINGAPORE: 1942
In Singapore, British troops had been unprepared and the Japanese siege on Fort Singapore lasted half a month before the British surrendered in February. Burma had been important to the troops in China as their capital (now Chungking) was supplied by the Burma Road. By invading Burma, the Japanese army had cut supplies off considerably. Continuing forward, the Japanese advanced on India. -
BATTLE OF CORAL SEA: May 1942
The Battle of Coral Sea was fought in May of 1942. The Japanese attempted to take over a port in New Guinea (Port Moresby) in order to isolate and conquer Australia. The American fleet decided to meet and prevent the Japanese from obtaining the port. The battle, mostly fought with aircraft carriers, resulted in the Japanese discarding their attack on Port Moresby. -
SAIPAN: THE SUICIDE CLIFFS: 1944
From these cliffs at Saipan, civilians and soldiers alike committed mass suicide rather than be captured. In the Battle of Philippine Sea (June 18-30, 1944), Japan lost 429 planes while only 29 American aircraft were destroyed. Though the island was secured by the end of June, 3000 Japanese charged in a suicide attack on July 7. On the Japanese side, the entire population of 22,000 and nearly all the soldiers had committed suicide by jumping (or being pushed) off the cliffs of Saipan. -
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RETURN TO PHILIPINE: 1944
In September of 1944, the Philippines were liberated along with a bloody battle at Peleliu. In the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Japanese lost much of their fleet and introduced kamikaze fighters. The Philippines Campaign successfully liberated the Philippines from Japanese control. Beginning October 1944, pilots began bombing areas of Japan. -
IWO JIMA: February 1945
One of the most famous battles of the war was the Battle of Iwo Jima. It was the site of the bloodiest battle in the entire Pacific War. On February 19 the Marines landed on Iwo Jima. The Marines soon made it to the top of the mountain, and on February 23rd, they put up a flag and took one of the best-known pictures from the entire war. Fighting continued until March 21st when, at last, Iwo Jima was declared secure. -
HIROSHIMA ATOMIC BOMB: August 1945
When the Japanese refused to surrender or negotiate, President Truman decided the bombs should be used against Japan. On August 6, 1945, a bright flash of light and a mushroom cloud covered Hiroshima. The atomic bomb left 75,000 to 180,000 dead and would kill more because of cancer and radiation poisoning in the future. Despite the horrific stories and high death tolls, the Japanese government did not surrender. -
WORLD WAR TWO OVER:1945
On August 9th, the plutonium bomb "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki. Here, 70,000 people were killed, and again radiation would continue to wreak havoc among the people in the area for decades. On August 15, 1945, The Japanese Emperor surrendered unconditionally. World War II was over.
