The main objective of World War Two in the Philippines was to grant the Philippines independence and to free them from the Japanese. In comparison to Japan, the Philippines were weaker and were not as technologically advanced. However, with the aid of the United States, hope for independence became a possible goal.
The Leadership of MacArthur- Douglas MacArthur was the leading general who took responsibility of the Philippines in World War Two (Axelrod). He originally participated in World War One in France and made good relations with the Filipino leader, Manual Quezon during this time. Eventually this bond helped the Philippines in World War Two which also contributed to a better reputation for the United States. However, not all decisions made by MacArthur in World War Two were considered intelligent. Midway through the attacks of Lamon Bay, MacArthur was ordered by Franklin D. Roosevelt to evacuate to Australia to control the Allied Pacific forces (Axelrod). When in Australia, he made his famous “I shall return” speech. With this almost seen as an act of betrayal; he left 11,000 men of the Filipino army completely surrounded by the Japanese (Axelrod). Also, the conditions were very poor for these soldiers. However, he did fulfill his promise and returned two years later for an attack in Leyte Gulf on October 20th, 1944 (Axelrod). It now became an objective for the United States to liberate the Philippines from the Japanese._1944_10_24_1%5B1%5D.jpg)
The Fall of the Japanese- The end of war is extremely close at the point of the battle of Leyte Gulf. MacArthur supervised the army of 160,000 men, hundreds of aircrafts, and 700 ships (Axelrod). This combat was the largest naval battle in history. Although the outcome was quite probable, the Japanese refused to surrender. They gathered up more troops but were continually outsmarted by the Americans. This battle ultimately left 80,000 Japanese killed (Axelrod). The triumph of the United States gave optimism for the Philippines at last. To conclude the dispute, the Japanese surrendered in February of 1945 although independence was not formally announced until July 5th (Axelrod).Although the Americans were victorious with gaining independence for the Philippines, there were costly battles that allowed a large amount of damage to both armies and the cities that were attacked. These battles were violent, and all that mattered in the end was superiority. The Japanese and the Americans/Filipinos by the end lost moral consciousness in order to gain dominance. However, determination can be seen from the war on both sides. The American/Filipinos were attacked repeatedly, but continued to fight back until the reward of independence was granted. It took a large amount of willpower and strength to be able to rise up from defeat and to ultimately destroy the Japanese. Resulting from the war in the Pacific, democracy is finally a probable outcome for this nation. In addition, unity was established between the Americans and the Philippines during the war. World War Two in the Philippines wasn’t a battle for the Americans to be involved in, but they decided to reach out to aid them nonetheless. Although they were involved most likely to pursue their personal benefits, the large quantity of struggle to gain independence must’ve come from good mortality and intentions. This recognized bond between the Americans and the Filipinos will aid both nations in the future to overcome other disputes.
The Bataan Death March:
The Bataan Death March began to take place after the fall of Bataan during Japanese colonization in World War Two. This was following the evacuation of MacArthur to Australia after being ordered to do so by Franklin D. Roosevelt. About 2,000 defenders of Bataan were fortunate enough to be withdrawn to Corregidor, and island located in Manila Bay (Axelrod). This left a remainder of 78,000 American and Filipino men. These men were now under the control of Japanese lieutenant general Homma Masaharu (Axelrod).
Beginning on April 9th, 1942, the 65 mile march to a Japanese war camp called Camp O’Donnell took place. Much like the death marches of the Holocaust, the long treads were just as brutal and painful. As a result of the nation’s geography, the prisoners were marching through many jungles which provided discomfort because of the humidity (Axelrod). Any man who slowed down or stumbled was immediately shot. Overall, the march lasted a little over a week; approximately 54,000 survived while 7,000 to 10,000 were killed by the Japanese guards (Axelrod). Others might’ve somehow found a way to escape out of the junglesAlthough the death march was both a horrific and terrifying experience for the prisoners, the conditions at Camp O’Donnell worsened. The camp was originally meant to accommodate 10,000 men while 54,000 were forced in (Axelrod). This as well as the prisoners’ starvation and insanitation contributed to their discomfort and suffering. Overall, there was a death rate of about 400 men per day; this began to result from introduced diseases such as malaria and dysentery (Axelrod). Eventually, prisoners were transported to an additional camp where 36,000 more men died (Axelrod). The remaining prisoners started to be taken under Japanese labor in factories and coal mines. By the time most arrived at the labor camps, more men died of weakness and malnutrition. Finally to end the disastrous events, the prisoners were liberated, however only one third survived Japanese custody. In addition, Homma was executed on April 3rd, 1946 after being convicted of war crimes (Axelrod).
