1. Why and how did the war in the Pacific breakout? Was Japan justified in bombing the Pearl Harbor? - Before the Pearl Harbor attack, the tension between the US and Japan were already mounting for about a decade. During the Great Depression, Japan wanted to solve its economic and demographic problems by forcing its way into China but the invasion was condemned. Japan began another war when Japanese forces carried out the Nanjing Massacre. In light of such atrocities, the US began passing sanctions halting Japan’s expansionism, this stirred up the anger of the Japanese. Destroying the base at Pearl Harbor would mean Japan controlled the Pacific, defending their status as a major world power. The Pearl Harbor attacked looked like a success for Japan, but then it failed its objectives to completely destroy the Pacific Fleet. Japanese bombers missed a lot of war crafts of the US. This failure came to haunt the Japanese as US forces won the Battle of Midway, turning the tables of the war in the Pacific.
2. Why did McArthur declare Manila an Open City?
- An open city is a settlement announcing that a city had abandoned all defensive efforts, generally in an event of an imminent capture of a city to avoid destruction. Once a city has declared itself an open city, the opposing military will be expected to peacefully occupy the city rather than destroy it, aiming to protect a city’s civilians and cultural landmarks from the destruction of war. Manila was declared an Open City by General Marshal Douglas MacArthur on December 26, 1941 in an effort to spare the city and its inhabitants from damage and harm amidst the threats of the Japanese attack. All military installations were ordered removed as local policemen were left to maintain order. This was however ignored by the Japanese as they still dropped bombs on the city, causing mass destruction and damage.
3. Explain, why April 9, 1942 declared as Araw ng Kagitingan?
- The Battle of Bataan was a battle fought by the US and the Philippine Commonwealth against Japan during World War 2. The battle represented the most intense phase of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during WW2. In January 1942, forces of the Japanese Army and Navy invaded Luzon along with several islands in the Philippines after the Pearl Harbor Attack. American and Filipino forces managed to fight the Japanese for three months despite lack of supplies. In the morning of April 9, 1942, after several hours of negotiation from the American and Japanese General, the remaining weary, starving and emaciated American and Filipino defenders on the battle-swept Bataan Peninsula surrendered. Bataan has fallen. Soon afterwards, the US and Filipino prisoners of war were forced into the Bataan Death March. Araw ng Kagitingan, also known as Bataan Day or Bataan and Corregidor Day, became a national observance in the Philippines commemorating the fall of Bataan during the World War 2.
4. What was the reaction of the Filipinos to the Japanese rule as implemented in the Philippines? - The Japanese invasion divided the nation into pro-Japanese groups and anti- Japanese groups. Some Filipinos were pro-Japanese in mentality because they believed that the Japanese came as liberators who came to free their Asian brothers from the western imperialists. Many poor farmers sided with the Japanese because to them the Americans and rich Filipino politicians were oppressors. On the other hand some were anti-Japanese side because of nationalism. The Japanese were invaders and they should be driven out. The most devastating effect of the Japanese invasion was that it ruined the moral fiber of the Filipinos to be kind and helpful and to be honest and law-abiding citizens. It gave birth to a mentality to stay alive at all costs. During the occupation cheating the Japanese such as selling substandard goods and scrap metal as well as stealing supplies was considered a patriotic thing. Thus the Japanese started calling the Filipinos dorobos, meaning thieves. During the Japanese occupation the need to survive prompted people to cheat others.
5. How important Douglas McArthur’s returned in the Philippines in 1944 after he left in 1942? - MacArthur served as chief U.S. military adviser to the Philippines before World War II. The day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, Japan launched its invasion of the Philippines. After struggling against great odds to save the Philippines from Japanese conquest, MacArthur was forced to abandon the country under orders from President Franklin Roosevelt in March 1942. Left behind at Corregidor and on the Bataan Peninsula were 90,000 American and Filipino troops, who, lacking food, supplies, and support, would soon lose to the Japanese offensive. He was deeply disappointed of his forces trapped in the Philippines that he issued a statement to the press in which he promised his men and the people of the Philippines, “I shall return.” Meanwhile, in the Philippines, Bataan fell and then soon after the Corregidor surrendered. The Philippines was lost, and the US Joint Chief of Staff had no immediate plans for their liberation. MacArthur returned at the head of an American army in 1944 and freed the Philippines from Japanese control. “I’m a little late,” he told them, “but we finally came.”
