The Fall of the Philippines and Bataan Death March

Japan the country did not subscribe to the sense of justice for its people or any other civilians. However, after the war, the economy of the nation rose quicker than most. This text will look at the events that took place leading to and during the Bataan death march. Besides, the analysis will include the importance of the death march and fall of the Philippines. In 1941 on the eve of the war, Japan was a nation foreseeably open to the west in 1854 which was less than a century before. The situation got worse with the Japanese started taking civilian captives. No one could explain the purpose of their merciless actions whether it helped them politically or whether it was just for plain sport.

They actually went as far as instituting forced prostitution. The army even had a monopoly in the Narcotics. By 1937, the city of Nan-king was brutalized (Campbell). Singapore in fact, the British soldiers surrendered to general MukoyamaShita. Them Yamamoto another Japanese general ordered the killing of all Chinese undesirables especially those that had tattoos (Martel). In the Philippines, the Japanese had bombed Manila. Then general Mark Author escaped to Austalia leaving his 80, 000 American and Pilipino soldiers who later surrendered at Bataan. The Japanese seemed unprepared for a large number of captives. Most of the punishments were very brutal for instance some of them were shot, beheaded and beaten to death. There was only a counted number that made it to the camp.

However, most of them died from the malaria outbreak and other diseases (Decker). The defeat at Bataan was the beginning of the fall of the Philippines. Thinking that the Japanese hands were full with the Bataan would have been wrong. The Bataan death march was even a secret for some time. It was because the Americans were in fear that the Japanese would retaliate if the news on the atrocities of the march were discovered. However in 1944, presidents Franklin. D. Roosevelt released the details to the press amid objection from the United States military. In1946, President Truman had signed a recession act that took away a promise of compensation to the Philippines. Today there only 1500 of the troops that are still alive this is according to the coalition of veterans.

The check came from a provision in former president Obama's stimulus bill releasing a total of $ 198 million set aside for the veterans. The amount is expected to be slightly higher for the Philippine soldiers that became American citizens. As they will get $15000 each and the rest, who are not citizens are set to receive $9000. Although the war-devastated economies, infrastructure, and destroyed populations there were some mild positive aspects associated with the Japanese occupation. For instance, the national language in the Philippines changed to English from Tagalog. Therefore, it is safe to say that there was the cultural change that took place because of the war. Besides, writers and artists of the time discovered more on art and literature that is indigenous.

Additionally, the sense that there was a foreign invader increases a sense of nationalism and national identity among the Philippines. Works cited Clodfelter, Micheal. Warfare And Armed Conflicts: A Statistical Encyclopedia Of Casualty And Other Figures 1492-2015. Mcfarlan& Company, 2017, p. 465, https://books. google. Martel, Gordon. A Companion To International History 1900 - 2001. Blackwell Publishing, 2009, https://books. google. co. Mcfarland& Company, 2018, https://books. google. co. ke/books?id=SeOhZW9OpJwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=In+the+Philippines,+the+Japanese+had+bombed+manila. +Then+general+mark+author+escaped+to+Australia+leaving+his+80,+000+American+and+Pilipino+soldiers+who+later+surrendered+at+Bataan&hlAccessed 13 May 2018. "U. S. To Pay 'Forgotten' Filipino World War II Veterans - CNN. Com". Edition. go. com/International/story?id=7717227&page=1. Accessed 13 May 2018.